How To Unlock Laptop If Forgot Password?

Unlocking the laptop when you have forgotten the password will depend on the installed OS and security setting

As laptops have all our work data and personal details, many of us use passwords to prevent unauthorized access. Unlike web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge that have the option to automatically save passwords, there is no such option on the laptop login screen. If you have forgotten your laptop password, here are some options you can try to unlock it.

How to unlock Windows laptop if forgot password?

Across the globe, more than 70% of laptops use Windows OS. If you have forgotten the laptop password, unlocking it will depend on the OS version and security settings. The latest version is Windows 11, where you just need to use the ‘I Forgot My Password / PIN’ option shown on the login screen. This option can also be used on laptops running Windows 10. It will be possible when your laptop is linked to your Microsoft account at the time of device setup. Something similar to the security system seen with Android devices.

After you click ‘I Forgot My Password / PIN’, just follow the instructions to reset your password. Microsoft will first verify your identity via a code sent to your email or phone number. Once your identity is confirmed, you can reset your password and login to your laptop.

Safe Mode option

This is applicable to most versions of Windows software. You have to access ‘Safe Mode with Command Prompt’ option. On older Windows laptops such as Windows 7 and Windows 10, you will have to press F8 repeatedly at the time the laptop is restarting. From the ‘Advanced Boot Option’ menu, you need to choose ‘Safe Mode with Command Prompt’. Once here, you need to type the command – “net user Administrator /active:yes”. After this you need to restart the laptop. You will see an Administration Account, which you need to use to login to your laptop. This account will not have any password. After login, you can reset the password for your original user account.

For using the Safe Mode option on Windows 11, you will need to access the ‘Automatic Repair’ option. This can be done by repeatedly shutting down the PC using the power button while the laptop is starting. Once Automatic Repair starts, you need to choose Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart. When the laptop restarts, you need to choose ‘Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt’. And type net user <username> <newpassword>, as per your liking. Once you restart the laptop again, you can gain entry by using the new username and password you just created in the earlier step.

Third-party Windows laptop password recovery tools

For older Windows OS versions such as Windows 7 and Windows 10, you can try third-party password recovery tools. One option is Ophcrack, a free open-source tool to recover Windows log-in passwords. This tool uses LM hashes through rainbow tables to crack Windows login passwords. Another option you can try is PCUnlocker. It works by resetting lost or forgotten Windows administrator passwords.

Reinstall Windows

If everything fails, the last option is to reinstall Windows. Your data may be lost in the process, but you can still make a partial recovery using third-party data recovery tools. Data sectors that were left untouched during the windows reinstall process can be recovered. Some of the data recovery tools you can consider using include Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery, Disk Drill and MiniTool Power Data Recovery. After reinstalling Windows, make sure to use any of these data recovery tools before installing any other programs.

How to unlock MacBook / iMac if forgot password?

Similar to Windows 11, MacBook and iMac users can login to their device using the ‘Reset your password using your Apple ID’ option. This will show up when you enter the wrong password for a few times. You can then sign-in using your Apple ID and subsequently reset the device password.

Recovery Mode

When starting your MacBook / iMac, press and hold Command (⌘) + R. This will provide access to Recovery Mode. From the Utilities menu, you need to select Termina. Once there, type ‘resetpassword’ and press Enter. You can then reset the password.

FileVault Recovery Key

This can be used when you have saved a recovery key via Mac’s FileVault encryption feature. On the login screen, you have to choose the ‘FileVault recovery key’ option. From there, just follow the instructions to reset the password.

Time Machine

If you have Time Machine function activated on your Mac, you can easily recover your apps, music, photos, documents, and emails.

Reinstall macOS

As a last resort, you can reinstall macOS. Similar to Windows, you can hope to make a partial recovery of your data after reinstall. However, doing a recovery on devices running macOS is relatively trickier. Some third-party data recovery tools you can consider using include PhotoRec, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and Disk Drill. Chances of data recovery will be higher if your device is using HDD. In case of SSD, the activation of the default TRIM command could permanently delete all old files.