Forgot Windows 11 password? Here's how to reset it without any software

Have you ever come home after a long day, exhausted and ready to relax in front of your computer, only to suddenly realize that you have completely forgotten your Windows 11 password?

You then feel a wave of panic and frustration rising in you, because without access to your precious computer, it is impossible for you to connect to your files, your applications and everything you had planned for your evening.

Fortunately, there is a solution to get you out of this sticky situation without even needing additional software. In this article, we will explore how to reset your windows 11 password quickly and easily, using only the tools built into the operating system.

Don't confuse Microsoft account with computer account

The first thing to note is that this technique will allow you to reset the Windows 11 password. That is to say the one that allows you to lock your machine at launch or after going to sleep.

This does not at all concern the Microsoft account which governs your use of the software. If this is your problem, we advise you to go to another article that may better meet your needs.

Start the procedure to reset Windows 11 password

Here are the essential steps to initiate Windows 11 password reset procedure without additional software.

  • Restart the computer while holding the Shift key pressed to access the special menu.
  • Select Troubleshoot .
  • Then click on Advanced options the menu.
  • Click on Command Prompt to access the command prompt tool.
  • Please enter "c:" or "d:" depending on where Windows is installed.
  • Then type cd windowsthen cd system32.

  • Then enter the command
    ren utilman.exe utilman1.exe
  • Then type the following command:
    ren cmd.exe utilman.exe

Then close the command prompt and choose to continue to Windows. We then find ourselves at the first menu. Then click on the small accessibility logo at the bottom right of your window, which will open a command prompt.

Open the Windows 11 password change menu

As you can imagine, once on the command prompt, you must enter the following command:

Control userpasswords2


Once done, a menu will open on your computer. Then simply click on the button that offers you to reset your Windows 11 password.

You can then either change the password, or simply leave the boxes empty. This will then have the effect of removing the password.

However, you can submit one later.

Note that if you are using Windows 10, the procedure for recovering a forgotten password is similar to that of Windows 11, with a few minor changes. We invite you to consult this computer guide to learn how to recover a forgotten password on Windows 10 without needing a recovery disc.

Reverse the first step

Now that everything is good on the Windows password side, all that remains is to put everything back in order. To do this, restart your computer, while holding the Shift button. Then go to the command prompt like the first time. All you have to do is type a series of commands.

  • Type cd windows, then cd system32
  • Enter ren utilman.exe cmd.exe
  • Then enter ren utilman1.exe utilman.exe

Then just continue on Windows and the accessibility logo should link to the accessibility menu again. If not, just restart your PC and everything should be back to normal.

Reset Windows 11 password

Finally, let's conclude this article by giving you the procedure to follow if you ever want to put a password on Windows 11. To do this, simply go to the settings. Then go to those of your account, then startup settings.

There you will have a menu that allows you to set up a password. all you have to do then is choose the one you want and validate so that it is set up on the next restart. For more details, see this article: How to put a password on Windows 11 ?

That's it, you now know everything there is to know about changing Windows 11 password, without having installed any software to do so. This is a procedure that may seem complex, but rest assured, it is not that much.

The hardest part is knowing the right commands. This is why we have indicated them to you in this article. That way, you will have no trouble getting to the manipulation yourself!