Getting locked out of your own computer is stressful, but in most cases it's completely fixable, and you usually won't lose any of your files. The trick is knowing which kind of password you forgot, because Windows 11 has two very different ways to sign in: a Microsoft account (an email and password you also use for things like Outlook, Xbox, or Office) and a local account (a name and password that lives only on that one computer).
Below we'll walk you through both, in plain English. If you sign in with an email address, you'll use the Microsoft account steps, you can reset it from the lock screen or from your phone. If you sign in with just a username, you'll use the local account steps and answer the security questions you set up. Take your time, and if you get stuck, we're right here in Valdosta and happy to help.
First, figure out which kind of account you have
Look at your sign-in screen. If the name you sign in with is an email address (like yourname@outlook.com or @gmail.com), you have a Microsoft account, follow steps 2 and 3. If it's just a first name or username with no email, you have a local account, skip to step 5.
💡 Not sure? If you've ever signed in to Outlook, Xbox, OneDrive, or Office with the same login, it's almost certainly a Microsoft account.
Reset a Microsoft account from the lock screen
On the sign-in screen, select 'I forgot my password' just below where you'd type your password. Windows will walk you through verifying it's really you and creating a new password right there.
Sign-in screenI forgot my password
💡 If you don't see that link, select 'Sign-in options', choose 'Web sign-in', then look for 'Forgot my password'.
Or reset your Microsoft account from your phone
On any phone, tablet, or other computer, open a web browser and go to account.microsoft.com. Try to sign in with your email, and on the password screen select 'Forgotten your password?' (or 'Reset password'). Windows will then take you to the verification step in step 4.
account.microsoft.comForgotten your password?
💡 Once your password is reset online, just type the new one on your locked computer to get back in.
Verify it's you and pick a new password
Choose how you want to receive a verification code, then select 'Next'. Confirm the masked details Microsoft shows (retype the first part of the email address, or the last four digits of the phone number) and select 'Get code'. Grab the code from your email or text messages, type it in, select 'Next', then enter your new password and select 'Next' again.
Choose how you want to receive a verification codeNextGet codeNext
💡 Write your new password down somewhere safe, or save it in your phone's notes, before you finish.
Reset a local account using security questions
On the sign-in screen, select the arrow next to the password box (or press Enter). Select 'OK', and then select 'Reset password' that appears below the box.
Sign-in screenOKReset password
Answer your security questions
Windows will show the security questions you chose when you set up the account. Type your answers, then enter a brand-new password and confirm it. You'll be signed straight in.
Reset passwordAnswer security questionsEnter new password
💡 If your answers don't work, check your spelling carefully and type them exactly the way you set them up.
If nothing works, don't keep guessing
If you can't receive a code and have no security questions or password reset disk, the password can't be recovered, and the only way back in is to reset the PC, which erases everything on it. Before you do anything drastic, give us a call.
💡 Browning PC can often recover your files and get you back in. Reach us at 229-561-1674 before resetting or wiping anything.
🛠️ Want a hand with this — or just don't want to mess with it?
Browning PC sets up and fixes this kind of thing for South Georgia homes and small businesses, in person or remotely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will resetting my Windows password delete my files or photos?
No. Resetting the password on a Microsoft account or answering your local account security questions does not touch your files. The only time you risk losing data is the last-resort option of fully resetting (wiping) the PC, which is why you should call us first before doing that.
What's the difference between a Microsoft account and a local account?
A Microsoft account uses an email address and password that also works for services like Outlook, Office, and Xbox, and it can be reset online from any device. A local account is a username and password stored only on that one computer, with no email attached, so you reset it by answering the security questions you set up.
I have a Microsoft account but no longer have access to my old email or phone number. What now?
Use Microsoft's account recovery (sign-in helper) tool, which asks you for additional information to prove the account is yours. It can take a few days. If you're stuck, bring the computer in and we'll help you sort out your options.
I forgot my PIN, not my password. Is that different?
Yes. A PIN is a quick code tied to one device, while your password is the master login. On the lock screen select 'I forgot my PIN', verify your identity, and you can set a new one. Your account password stays the same. (Note: the 'I forgot my PIN' option works for Microsoft accounts; with a local account you reset the PIN from Settings after signing in.)
There's no 'Reset password' link on my sign-in screen. Why?
That link only shows up for local accounts that had security questions set up ahead of time. If you never set them, Windows can't reset a local password by itself. Call Browning PC at 229-561-1674, there may still be a way to recover your access and your files.