I recently dug out an old Samsung laptop from the loft since my main one died. I bought it years ago off Facebook Marketplace. When I started it up, it was cluttered with old files, so I thought a factory reset would be a good idea. After the reset, I was brought to a login screen with two usernames I don't recognize, likely from the previous owner. Both accounts are password protected. What are my options for getting into the laptop?
3 Answers
Consider upgrading to a new SSD and then install a modern OS like Linux from scratch. If you want to stick with Windows, you can use the Windows Media Creation Tool on another computer to get started.
Here are a couple of methods you can try:
1. Restart the laptop and repeatedly press the ESC, F9, F10, or F12 key as it starts up. This should take you to the BIOS or Recovery menu. Be warned, this will erase everything on the disk.
2. Alternatively, you can create a bootable USB drive with Windows, which can help you reset the password without deleting data. They're usually cheap on Amazon. I just used assistance online to guide me through the setup, but there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube too.
You could wipe the laptop completely and do a fresh install of Windows or whatever OS you prefer using a new installation disk. Check out guides online for the best way to set that up.
Did you mean the ESC key instead of 'exit'? I've never seen an 'exit' key on a keyboard. By the way, keys like F2 and DEL tend to be used for BIOS access more often than F9.