How to unlock your PC if you forget your password or Pin

Forgetting your password or PIN is a common problem faced by many PC users. Whether it is due to changing your password too often, using too many different passwords, or simply forgetting what you set it as, not being able to log in to your PC can be a frustrating experience. However, there are several methods you can use to unlock your PC and regain access to your files and applications.

Method 1: Use Your Microsoft Account

If you are using a Microsoft account to log in to your PC, you can easily reset your password using the online account recovery tool. Here’s how to do it:

1. On another device, go to the Microsoft account recovery page (https://account.live.com/password/reset).
2. Enter the email address or phone number associated with your Microsoft account and follow the prompts to verify your identity.
3. Once you have confirmed your identity, you will be able to reset your password and regain access to your PC.

Method 2: Use a Password Reset Disk

If you have previously created a password reset disk, you can use it to unlock your PC even if you forget your password. Here’s how to create a password reset disk:

1. Insert a USB drive or other removable media into your PC.
2. Open the Control Panel and click on User Accounts and Family Safety.
3. Click on User Accounts and then on Create a password reset disk.
4. Follow the prompts to create a password reset disk.

To use the password reset disk to unlock your PC:

1. Insert the password reset disk into your PC.
2. At the login screen, click on Reset Password.
3. Follow the prompts to reset your password using the password reset disk.

Method 3: Use Command Prompt

If you have access to another account with administrative privileges, you can use the Command Prompt to reset your password. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to your PC using the other account with administrative privileges.
2. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
3. Type “net user [username] newpassword” (without quotes), replacing [username] with the name of the account you want to reset the password for and “newpassword” with the new password you want to set.
4. Press Enter and the password will be reset.

Method 4: Use a Password Reset Tool

If none of the above methods work for you, you can use a password reset tool to unlock your PC.These tools are designed to reset or remove passwords from Windows accounts, and they work by booting your PC from a USB drive or other removable media.

There are several password reset tools available, but one of the most popular is Ophcrack. Here’s how to use it:

1. Download the Ophcrack Live CD ISO file from the official website (https://ophcrack.sourceforge.io/download.php?type=livecd).
2. Burn the ISO file to a CD or USB drive using a disc burning tool.
3. Insert the CD or USB drive into your locked PC and boot from it.
4. Follow the prompts to reset your password using Ophcrack.

Conclusion