How to Change Your Password in Windows 11 (8 Methods)

In my experience so far, I have seen people choose a simple four-digit PIN over a complex password to protect their Windows PCs. The PIN is short, simple, and easy to remember. But once in a while, you require the account password to change the system settings, and in such a scenario, many people seem to forget the password they had set. But there’s nothing to worry about. You can easily change your computer’s password inWindows 11, and we have mentioned 8 different methods in this tutorial. So without any delay, let’s go ahead and learn how to set a new password in Windows 11 without knowing the old password.

Change Your Password in Windows 11 (2022)

Change Your Password in Windows 11 (2022)

In this tutorial, we have included 8 ways to change the password in Windows 11. If you remember the current password, changing your PIN or password is a piece of cake. However, if you don’t remember the old password of your Windows 11 PC, we have some handy solutions for you as well. So let’s dive in.

1. Change Password in Windows 11 (for Users Who Know Current Password)

If you know the current password of your Windows 11 PC, you can change it from the Settings app with ease. Just follow the steps below to learn how it works:

  1. Press theWindows 11 keyboard shortcut“Windows + I” to open the Settings app. Now, move toAccounts -> Sign-in options.

  2. Here, click to expand the “Password” section and then click the “Change” button.

  3. After that, enter thecurrent passwordof your Windows 11 PC and click on “Next”.

  4. On the next page, you can change the password easily. You can alsoadd a hintto help you recover your account in case you forget the password.

  5. Finally, click on “Finish“, and you are done. You have successfully changed your Windows 11 password.

2. Change PIN in Windows 11 (for Users Who Know Their Current PIN)

Some users set a PIN instead of a password to quickly log into their PCs. In case you want to change the PIN in Windows 11, follow our tutorial below.

  1. Similar to the above method, open the Settings app and move toAccounts ->Sign-in options.

  2. Here, click to expand the “PIN (Windows Hello)” section and then click the “Change PIN” button.

  3. On the next page, enter the current PIN in the first field and then set a new one right below. Enter the new PIN in the second and third text fields. Finally, click on “OK“, and that’s it. You have successfullychanged the PINon your Windows 11 PC.

3. Change Microsoft Account Password Linked to Windows 11 PC

If you have linked an online Microsoft account to your Windows 11 PC, you can change its password as well. Even if you have forgotten your Microsoft account password, don’t worry. Just follow our guide to change the password.

  1. If you remember the password of your online Microsoft account, head over toaccount.microsoft.com/securityand change the password.

  2. In case you have forgotten the password, go toaccount.live.com/ResetPassword.aspxand enter your Microsoft email address or phone number.

  3. After that,verify your identitythrough the phone number or recovery email account.

  4. Once you have verified that the account belongs to you, you can change the Microsoft account password with ease. You can create a new password and log in with the same on your Windows 11 PC. Moreover, after logging on, you canremove the online Microsoft account from your Windows 11 PCand switch to a local account.

4. Change Password in Windows 11 Without Knowing Current Password

If you don’t remember the current password and still want to change the password of your Windows 11 PC, you can do so with other built-in tools and commands. Having said that, bear in mind that this method only works withlocal accounts on Windows 11. So here’s how you can go about it.

  1. Press “Windows + R” to open the Run dialog box. Here, typenetplwizand hit Enter.

  2. Next, select your account from the pop-up window that appears and click on “Reset Password“.

  3. On the next window,set a new passwordfor your Windows 11 PC, and you are done. You have successfully changed your password in Windows 11 without knowing the current password.

Besides the netplwiz command, you can also change the password in Windows 11 through Command Prompt. You don’t need to remember the earlier password as well for this to work. Again, this will only work for local accounts, so follow the steps below:

  1. Press the Windows key and type “cmd” in the search box. Now, select“Run as administrator” from the right pane. In case you wish toalways run apps as an administrator on Windows 11, head to our linked article.

  2. In the Comand Prompt window, run the below command, and it will display all the user accounts. Then, note down the account name for which you want to change the password from the second column. For example – the account name here is Test.

  3. Now, run the below command to change the password in Windows 11. You need to replaceaccountnamewith theactual user namedisplayed in the second column. And set your own password in place ofnewpassword. Hit Enter after that, and you are done.

You can alsoopen the Control Panel in Windows 11and change the password without remembering the old password. But note that it just works for local accounts, and you will have to follow the steps in section #3 to change your online Microsoft account password. Follow the steps below for detailed instructions.

  1. Press the Windows key and type “control”. Now, open the “Control Panel“.

  2. Next, click on “Change account type” under “User Accounts”. You will need admin privileges to make this change.

  3. After that, click on thelocal accountfor which you want to change the password.

  4. Here, click on “Change the password“.

  5. On the next page,set a new passwordfor your Windows 11 computer, and you are done.

Computer Management also lets you set a new password for Windows 11 without having to remember the current password. However, this method also works only with local accounts on Windows 11. Here’s how to go about it.

  1. Press the Windows key and type “management”. Now, open “Computer Management“.

  2. Next, expand the “Local Users and Groups” menu on the left pane and open “Users”.

  3. Here, select the user account for which you want to change the password in the right pane and right-click on its name. Now, choose “Set Password” from the context menu.

  4. Click on “Proceed” in the pop-up window that appears.

  5. Finally,set a new passwordfor your Windows 11 PC.

5. Forgot Your Windows 11 Password and Locked Out of Your PC? Here’s How to Change the Password

If you have a local account and you arelocked out of your PCbecause you don’t seem to remember the current password, fret not. We have written a dedicated tutorial onhow to reset your Windows 11 passwordin case you have completely forgotten the password. The best part is that you don’t lose any data in this process. So I suggest going through our linked guide and following the step-by-step instructions over there. You will be able to change the password in Windows 11 from the lock screen.

Set a New Password on Your Windows 11 PC

Set a New Password on Your Windows 11 PC

So these are the 8 easy methods that can help you change the password in Windows 11. No matter if you have an online account associated with your PC or a local account, we have mentioned solutions for all sets of users. Anyway, that is all from us. If you want toperform a clean install of Windows 11, we have a handy guide linked here. And to learn about the differences betweenWindows 11 Home vs Proeditions, go through our detailed comparison. Finally, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.

Arjun Sha

Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.

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