I'm trying to help out a manager's spouse who can't access their Windows 10 computer. The previous user messed with some files and then signed out, claiming they forgot the password. I do know the local admin password, but the login screen only shows the old user's first name, with no options to sign in as a different user. I can access recovery options and the command prompt, but I can't make any changes as it's directing me to the recovery version of Windows. I've tried restarting multiple times and while guessing the password provides a 'reset password' option, it requires a reset key from a thumb drive. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting into this computer without the original user's password?
4 Answers
Have you tried pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete? That usually pops up options to sign in as a different user on Windows. Just be sure to try again if it didn't work the first time!
You should be able to just click on the name that's showing on the login screen. Hitting enter might log you in directly if there’s no password set for that user.
If that's not working out, I recommend getting a boot disk, like Hirem's BootCD, which allows you to clear the user's password. It can be really useful for situations like this!
No worries about the confusion! I wasn't trying to bypass the password, just the policy that's preventing me from logging in as a different user. I found an old boot utility to use, so I’m good for now. Thanks for your help!
Totally forgot about that! I used to have a utility that could clear passwords long ago, but I couldn't remember it until you mentioned Hirem's. Thanks for the reminder!