How to Remove a Windows 10/11 Password Without Losing Data

How to remove password from Windows 10/11 tutorial

To remove a forgotten Windows 10 or Windows 11 password without losing data, boot the locked PC from a USB stick running Hiren’s BootCD PE, open Start > All Programs > Security > Passwords > Windows Login Unlocker, pick the locked account, and click Reset or Unlock. On Microsoft accounts, the tool converts the account to a local account in the same step — your files and installed apps are untouched.

Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) — local and Microsoft accounts | Last updated: April 14, 2026

Remove Password from Windows 10/11 Without Losing Data (Video Tutorial)

Key Takeaways

  • Hiren’s BootCD PE is a free WinPE-based rescue environment that bundles Windows Login Unlocker — the tool that edits the SAM database to clear or reset Windows account passwords.
  • For Microsoft accounts, the unlock step converts the account to a local account. Files, installed apps, and the user profile remain intact; only the Microsoft sign-in link is removed.
  • You need a USB stick of at least 8 GB and a working second PC to prepare the rescue drive. I build the USB with Ventoy because it boots multiple ISOs from the same drive.
  • This process is reversible — you can sign in, set a new Windows password, and re-link the Microsoft account afterwards from Settings > Accounts > Your info > Sign in with a Microsoft account instead.
  • If the PC has BitLocker enabled on the system drive, you must provide the BitLocker recovery key before this method can run. See the BitLocker guide for context.

Quick Steps

  1. Download the Hiren’s BootCD PE ISO from hirensbootcd.org.
  2. Write the ISO to a USB stick with Ventoy (or Rufus).
  3. Boot the locked PC from the USB drive.
  4. Open Start > All Programs > Security > Passwords > Windows Login Unlocker.
  5. Select the locked account, click Reset or Unlock, and confirm.
  6. Restart the PC, remove the USB drive, and sign in without a password.

What You Need Before You Start

  • An 8 GB or larger USB flash drive (any existing contents will be erased when you build the rescue drive).
  • A second working PC to download and flash Hiren’s BootCD PE. Any modern Windows laptop will do — a friend’s PC or a workplace machine is fine.
  • The locked PC’s BitLocker recovery key if the system drive is encrypted. Check aka.ms/myrecoverykey signed in with the Microsoft account that activated Windows.
  • Your own user account on the locked PC — this method is designed to restore access to your own machine. Using it on someone else’s PC without permission may be illegal in your country.

Note: I run this process regularly in my computer repair shop — it has never corrupted a Windows install. All the tool does is clear the password hash in C:\Windows\System32\config\SAM. User profiles, files, and installed apps stay exactly where they are.

Windows 11 login screen displaying a password prompt before using Hiren's BootCD PE to remove the sign-in password.

Step 1: Build the Hiren’s BootCD PE USB Drive

On a working PC, open hirensbootcd.org/download and download the latest HBCD_PE_x64.iso. The file is around 1.5 GB and includes Windows Login Unlocker, partition tools, antivirus scanners, and system info utilities.

Write the ISO to your USB drive using either of these tools:

  • Ventoy: install it on the USB, then drag the ISO onto the Ventoy partition. Ventoy can host multiple rescue ISOs on the same drive, which is what I use in the shop.
  • Rufus: a single-ISO writer if you only need this one tool. Select the ISO, leave the defaults, and click Start.
Hiren's BootCD PE desktop environment after booting from a Ventoy USB drive with the Start menu open and rescue tools visible.

Step 2: Boot the Locked PC From the USB

Plug the USB stick into the locked PC and power it on. Tap the one-time boot menu key — F12 (Dell, Lenovo), F9 (HP), F11 (MSI, ASRock), or F8 (ASUS) — and select the USB drive from the list. Pick the UEFI entry on any PC built after 2012. After about 60 seconds Hiren’s BootCD PE loads to a familiar Windows-style desktop.

Tip: If the USB does not appear in the boot menu, enter the BIOS/UEFI, disable Secure Boot temporarily, enable USB Boot, and disable Fast Boot. Secure Boot can stay on for most modern Hiren’s builds, but some motherboards still reject it without signed entries.

Step 3: Open Windows Login Unlocker

  1. Click the Start button in the Hiren’s BootCD PE taskbar.
  2. Open All Programs > Security > Passwords.
  3. Launch Windows Login Unlocker.

The tool auto-detects the Windows installation on the system drive (usually C:\) and enumerates every user account. Each row shows the account name, whether it is an Administrator, whether it is currently enabled, and a Live ID column that reads Yes for Microsoft accounts and No for local accounts.

Step 4: Reset or Unlock the Account

Click the row for your locked account. The Reset or Unlock button in the bottom toolbar activates.

Windows Login Unlocker tool with a user account selected, showing the Reset or Unlock button ready to clear the Windows password.

Local Account

  1. Select the account (Live ID = No).
  2. Click Reset or Unlock.
  3. Click OK to confirm. The password hash is cleared — the account will sign in with a blank password after reboot.

Microsoft Account

  1. Select the account (Live ID = Yes).
  2. Click Reset or Unlock.
  3. When prompted This will convert the Microsoft account to a local account. Continue?, click OK.
  4. The account now signs in as a local account with no password. You can re-link the Microsoft account from inside Windows after you are back in.
Windows Login Unlocker reporting that the selected Windows account password has been reset successfully in Hiren's BootCD PE.

Step 5: Reboot Into Windows

Close Windows Login Unlocker. Open the Hiren’s Start menu, click the arrow next to Shut Down, and pick Restart. Pull the USB drive out as the PC reboots. Windows comes up on the familiar login screen — click your account tile and Windows signs you in without prompting for a password.

After You Are Back In: Set a New Password

A blank password is not a permanent solution. Set a new one immediately:

  1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Del > Change a password.
  2. Leave Old password blank.
  3. Enter and confirm the new password.

To re-link a Microsoft account, open Settings > Accounts > Your info and click Sign in with a Microsoft account instead. Enter the Microsoft credentials and Windows reassociates the profile. If you prefer to stay on a local account permanently, see my Microsoft account bypass guide for the setup-time tricks that avoid the Microsoft sign-in entirely.

Troubleshooting

BitLocker prompts for a recovery key on boot. The system drive is encrypted. Sign in to aka.ms/myrecoverykey with the Microsoft account used to activate Windows and copy the 48-digit key. Enter it when prompted and the PC will boot into Hiren’s. Without the recovery key, the data on the drive cannot be accessed.

Windows Login Unlocker shows no users. The tool could not mount the Windows partition. Open Explorer, note which drive letter contains the Windows folder, and use the Browse button in Windows Login Unlocker to point at that drive’s SAM file manually.

Reset worked but Windows still asks for a PIN. Remove the PIN: click Sign-in options on the login screen, pick Password, and sign in with the blank password. Inside Windows, open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and remove the PIN, then set a new one.

The PC boots straight into Windows instead of the USB. Fast Boot is skipping the boot menu. Enter BIOS/UEFI (usually Del or F2), turn off Fast Boot, and retry the one-time boot menu key.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this delete my files?

No. Windows Login Unlocker only clears the password hash in the SAM registry hive. Your user profile folder, desktop, documents, and installed apps stay intact. The password reset is non-destructive.

Can I keep the Microsoft account instead of converting it?

Not directly — Windows Login Unlocker has to demote the account to a local account to clear the password, because a Microsoft account password lives on Microsoft’s servers rather than on your PC. After you sign in, you can re-link the account from Settings > Accounts > Your info, which restores the Microsoft sign-in.

Does this work if BitLocker is turned on?

Yes, but you must provide the BitLocker recovery key before the PC will boot into Hiren’s. Windows 11 enables BitLocker automatically on Microsoft-account PCs that meet the hardware requirements, so check aka.ms/myrecoverykey first.

Is Hiren’s BootCD PE safe to use?

Yes. Hiren’s BootCD PE is maintained by the team at hirensbootcd.org and is a long-standing WinPE rescue environment used by repair shops worldwide. Download only from the official site to avoid repackaged builds with unwanted software.

Can I reuse the same USB on other PCs?

Yes. The rescue USB is generic — it works on any Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC that can boot from USB. This is why I recommend Ventoy: one USB stick can carry Hiren’s plus a Windows install ISO, a memory test, and any other rescue ISO you need.

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