Have you found yourself in a situation where you need to factory reset an HP laptop without a password? Some scenarios can lead you to this point, including:
- Computer problems: Sometimes your computer may start to act up, such as becoming too slow or hanging for no apparent reason. If troubleshooting doesn’t yield a solution, the only option is to factory reset.
- Virus and malware: Viruses and malware can render a PC unusable. The only to gain full access is to perform a factory reset.
- Data deletion: The PC may be old and outdated, and you want to get an upgrade. But, before doing so, you may want to delete all the data and send it for recycling or disposal. A factory reset wipes your data from the disk.
To perform a factory reset, you will need administrator privileges. If you don’t have the admin password, this becomes a problem. Below we teach you how to factory reset an HP laptop without an administrator password.
Method 1. Factory Reset an HP Laptop without the Password After Logging in
There are two steps to this method. You first have to reset the password using a software tool and then log into the PC using the new password and perform a factory reset.
1.1. Reset Password on HP Laptop
For this first method to reset HP laptop without a password, we will use a specialized Windows password recovery tool known as PassFab 4WinKey.
PassFab 4Winkey removes or resets the local and administrator password, deletes or creates a Windows account in a matter of minutes.
Features of PassFab 4WinKey:
At a glance, the features are as follows:
- Password recovery: The tool can remove the Windows administrator password and any other user password on the PC. It can also reset passwords, delete and create Windows accounts.
- Windows Password Reset Disk: If you forgot to create a bootable Windows disk when you first set-up the PC, the tool can create a bootable CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or flash disc and burn it with the default ISO image file.
- Unlock Windows Sign-in Options: The tool can unlock any type of sign-in option for Windows 10, including PIN, password, security key, fingerprint, face unlock, and picture password.
- Technical specifications: The tool works with all Windows versions from XP onwards. It is easy on system resources, only requiring 512 MB or more RAM to operate.
Learn more from our PassFab 4WinKey Review here.
To reset HP laptop password using PassFab 4Winkey, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Download to Another PC
Download the tool to a different computer that you can access. Launch the tool by double-clicking the desktop icon, and you will see the main interface.
Step 2: Create a Password Reset Disk
Next, select the boot media. This can be a CD, DVD, or Flash drive.
Click Next in the prompt that follows.
The tool will then start burning a bootable disk. This process will take a few minutes.
Follow the user guide displayed to reset your HP laptop password. Insert the bootable disc into the locked computer and restart it. Press the boot key F10 repeatedly to access the Basic Input Output Settings (BIOS) utility.
Next, use the arrow keys to highlight the inserted disk in the boot options and press Enter.
Step 3: Reset Windows Password
Once the locked PC is accessible from the bootable disk, select the target Windows system, and choose your locked account to unlock the PC.
In the next window, click the Reset Account Password radio button and then click Next.
Enter the new password and click Reset.
After the password is reset, click Reboot and remove the bootable media.
1.2. Log in to Restore HP Laptop to Factory Settings
Use the new password from the final step above to log into your computer, and then follow the steps below to factory reset HP laptop.
Step 1: In the Windows search box, type Reset this PC and click Open.
Step 2: You will be taken to an Update & Security window. Choose Recovery, and under Reset this PC, click Get started.
Step 3: In the next prompt, select the preferred method to reinstall Windows. Take note that a cloud download takes longer and requires more disk space.
Step 4: Select to keep your personal files or discard everything based on your reason for performing a factory reset. Click Reset.
Step 5: If your PC has more than one drive, you must choose the drive.
Step 6: You will also need to choose if you just want to remove the files or clean the drive as well.
Step 7: In the next window, click Reset.
Method 2. Factory Reset an HP Laptop without Logging in by Using the HP Recovery Manager
In this method, you will not need a password to perform a factory reset in Windows 10. Below is how to factory reset an HP laptop without a password.
Step 1: Detach all cables and devices.
Step 2: Restart the HP laptop and press F11 until you see the Choose an option screen. Click Troubleshoot.
Step 3: Then click on Recovery Manager.
Step 4: Next, click System Recovery in the Help area.
Step 5: The Recovery Manager will prompt you to back up your files. It is recommended that you select the backup option. If you don’t want to back up, choose Recover without backing up your files, and click Next.
Step 6: On the next screen, you will see some system recovery information. Read this and click Next.
Step 7: After that, the computer will commence the factory reset process. The entire process takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, and you can see a progress bar.
Step 8: Once the process is complete, click Continue to restart the computer.
The computer will then restart and may restart several times during the recovery process. Do not interrupt the process and follow any on-screen instructions.
Conclusion
So, there you have it, two easy methods showing you how to factory reset an HP laptop without administrator password. One thing to note is that if you don’t back up your files, you will lose them after the factory reset. So unless you are selling or discarding the laptop, select the backup option for your files.
