How many times has it happened that you are trying to troubleshoot your PC, and as a last resort, you are asked to factory reset your PC? Factory resetting your Windows 10 PC is easy, and there are multiple ways to do it. However, how do you factory reset Windows 10 without a password?
There can be many situations where you may need to bypass an admin password. Whether you have been handed over a PC without the password or you are looking to sell a locked computer, a factory reset is necessary to remove all the traces of sensitive data from your computer.
Fortunately, Windows 10 allows you to factory reset Windows 10 without logging in. In this article, we have discussed the three ways to reset your locked PC without password in detail below.
Note: This procedure will delete all the data saved on your PC. If you want to create a backup before the reset, proceed with Method 3.
Method 1: Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password from the Login Screen
If you have forgotten the admin password of your Windows 10 PC, you can reset the PC from the login screen. This is the easiest way to reset the password and does not require a bootable installation.
Follow these steps to learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password from the login screen.
Step 1: Power on the PC and wait for it to get to the Windows login screen.
Step 2: From the login screen, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard and click the Power icon in the bottom-right corner of the login screen. Choose Restart from the Power options.
Step 3: After a while, you will see the Choose an Option window. Click on the Troubleshoot option.
Step 4: In the Troubleshoot window, click on Reset this PC option. Under Reset this PC option, you will find two more options.
Step 5: If you want to delete everything and factory reset your PC to factory default, choose Remove Everything.
Choosing the Keep my files option will uninstall all the programs but keep your personal files. However, this option requires you to enter an admin password. Since you don’t have the password, go with the Remove Everything option.
Step 6: After this, the PC will restart and show the Reset this PC option. Choose Keep my files if you want to reset the PC, uninstall third-party apps and keep your file. Choose Remove everything to erase everything and reset the PC.
Step 7: Your PC will restart after completing the reset. After a few restarts, you can set up your PC as new with a fresh Windows 10 installation.
Method 2: Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password using the Installation Disk
If, for some reason, you are unable to use the login option to factory reset your Windows 10 without an admin password, use the Windows installation disk to reset the PC. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1. Make sure you have the latest Windows 10 ISO downloaded. You can download it from the official Microsoft website or create one using the media creation tool. Once you have downloaded the ISO image, proceed to create a bootable flash drive with Rufus.
Step 2: Download the Rufus flash tool to your PC. Run the exe file to open Rufus.
Step 3: Connect an empty USB flash drive to your PC. Make sure it has at least 8GB of free space available.
Step 4: In Rufus, make sure your USB is selected under Device. Click the Select button to select your ISO image.
Step 5: Navigate to the folder where the ISO image is saved. Select the ISO file and click Open. Rufus will automatically adjust the settings required based on the ISO image.
Step 6: Click the Start button to create a bootable flash drive. This process may take some time, so wait till it is complete. Once done, connect the bootable flash drive to your Windows 10 PC and then restart your computer to boot from it.
Step 7: In the Windows installation screen, select the language, region, and keyboard input method and click Next.
Step 8: Click the Install Now button to initiate the installation process. Windows may ask you to enter a product key; enter the key if you have it available. If not, click on I don’t have a product key or Skip.
Step 9: Choose the version of Windows 10 to install. This is optional and only available with a multi-version ISO image. Click Next.
Step 10: Accept the license terms and click Next.
Step 11: In the Setup screen, choose the Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) option.
Step 12: Select the drive to install Windows 10 and click Next. Windows will erase your existing installation and install Windows 10 again, resetting your PC to factory default.
Method 3: Remove Windows 10 Password to Factory Reset Windows 10 from Settings
While the methods mentioned above can help you factory reset your Windows 10 PC without a password, it will erase all the data on your PC. So, if you want to create a backup of your data before resetting the PC, here’s how you can remove the admin password using a password reset disk.
3.1. Remove Windows 10 Password
Step 1: To be able to remove Windows 10 password, you need to create a reset disk. To do this, download the PassFab 4WinKey password recovery software to another PC with internet access. Run the installer and wait for it to install.
Step 2: Connect a USB flash drive to your computer and launch the PassFab 4WinKey recovery tool.
Step 3: Next, choose the USB Flash Drive option and click Next. PassFab 4WinKey will burn the USB drive. Once completed, unplug the reset disk.
Step 4: Boot from the reset disk by connecting it to your locked Windows 10 PC. To access the Boot Options, restart the computer and start pressing the F12 or Esc key on your keyboard. Make sure the reset disk is connected to your PC.
Step 5: Once in the BIOS menu, open the Boot tab and choose your flash drive as the boot drive. Save the changes and exit. Your PC will restart and boot from the connected recovery drive.
Step 7: When the PassFab 4Winkey screen appears, choose your operating system and click Next.
Step 7. Next, choose the account you want to reset. Select the Remove Account Password option under Choose the feature you want to use. Click Next.
Step 9: Follow on-screen instructions to remove the password and then click Reboot. Eject the reset disk and let Windows boot normally.
Step 10: You can now log in to your Windows 10 PC without the password. Once you sign in, follow the steps below to factory reset Windows 10 from settings.
Also Read: PassFab 4WinKey Review
3.2. Factory Reset Windows 10 from Settings
Now that you have removed the admin password, you can easily factory reset your Windows 10 laptop without a password from the settings.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
Step 2: Go to Update & Security. Open the Recovery tab from the left pane.
Step 3: Click the Get Started button under the Reset this PC section.
Step 4: Choose ‘Remove everything’ to erase and reset your PC to factory default. Choosing ‘Keep my files’ will reset and reinstall Windows 10, but preserve your personal files.
Step 4: Click Next to reset the PC. Your PC will restart and be available for fresh setup after the reset is complete.
Conclusion
One may have many reasons to factory reset Windows 10 without a password. Whether you have forgotten the password or trying to troubleshoot a locked PC, these steps will help.
Windows 10 offers multiple ways to factory reset PCs. You can easily factory reset the PC from the login screen using the Power options or use installation media.
However, the most effective way to factory reset Windows 10 without password is to use PassFab 4Winkey password recovery tool to remove the password and reset the PC from settings.
