You can easily change your PIN or password for Windows 11 accounts, both Microsoft and Local, with or without knowing your current password. This is a step-by-step guide to Change PIN or Password in Windows 11 using many different methods.
Account protection from unauthorized access or privacy breaches, passwords are the first line of defence. Every account in digital space requires a password to grant access. It is the same for logging into Windows 11 computers.
It will prompt you to create a password when setting up Windows 11. This password will be utilized every time you log in to your Windows 11 computer. Although it might seem cumbersome, you can choose to skip this step. However, we strongly recommend it. It is essential to keep it in writing to refer it later.
Change PIN for an Account Signed-in with Microsoft Account
Your user profile behaves differently than a local account if you log in to your Microsoft account from Windows. To log in to your profile, you will need to use your Microsoft account password or a numerical PIN.
- If you’re using your Microsoft account password to log in to Windows and want to change the password of Microsoft Account, then visit Microsoft’s password recovery page at account.live.com/password/reset. If you’re using a PIN, then follow these given steps to change your account password in Windows 11.
Change PIN in Windows 11
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select Accounts, then click on Sign-in options from the left-hand panel.
- Under the Way to sign in range, click on PIN (Windows Hello), then select Change PIN.
- The screen will display a Windows Security dialog. Enter your current PIN, then enter the new one you want to change in the New PIN or Confirm Pin text fields. You may also choose to have your pin include symbols and letters by ticking the box below ‘Include symbols and letters.’
- After entering your new PIN, click the “OK” button. Your account’s PIN will change. You can test it by locking your PC by pressing Windows key + L. Then, unlock with the new PIN.
Change Password of Local Account in Windows 11
You can change your sign-in password if you have a Local account for Windows 11 that you did not sign up with a Microsoft account.
Change Password from Account Settings
- Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select Accounts, then click on the Sign-in option.
- Select Password and then hit on the Change button.
- The ‘Change your password’ window will open. First, enter your current password and then click the “Next” button.
- You can now enter your new password in the box next to “New password,” and then you will need to confirm it in the box next to “Confirm password.” Click Next.
- To finalize the password change, click on “Finish” After this, you will need to enter the new password each time you start up your computer.
Change Password from CTRL+ALT+DEL Menu
- Press CTRL + ALT + DEL key together to launch a hidden user interface in Windows 11, then click on Change a password option.
- A new screen appears. Fill your current password in the old password area, put the new password in the New password, and Confirm password fields.
- Hit Enter key when done.
- When you get the “Your password has been changed” screen, click on Ok to go back to the desktop screen.
Change Password without Knowing Current Password in Windows 11
You can change any password without knowing the current password for users if you have administrative access to the system.
Change Password using Command Prompt
It is quick and simple to change your password in Windows 11 using the Command Prompt. You will need to open the Command Prompt and type a few commands.
- Type cmd on the Search menu and click on Run as administrator.
- Type or Paste the given command and hit Enter key to get a list of all users on your computer.
- net user
- Type or paste the given command format to change any user’s password and hit Enter key.
- net user USERNAME NEWPASSWORD
- Note: Replace USERNAME with the account’s name you’re changing the password and replace NEWPASSWORD with a password you want to set.
- For Ex:- We will use net user Rahul 0123 command for changing the password of user Rahul on this PC.
- If everything worked well, you would see the message “The command completed successfully.” It means that you have changed the password successfully. You can now enter the new password to log in to Windows 11 on your computer.
Change Password using ‘netplwiz’ Command
- Press Windows key + R, then type netplwiz and tap Enter key.
- Select the account for which you desire to change your password. Next, click the “Reset Password” button.
- You will see the ‘Reset Password” dialog box On the screen. Insert the new password and confirm it. Click Ok to save the changes.
- The selected account password will change.
Change Password from Control Panel Account Settings
- Type Control panel on the Search menu and hit Enter key.
- Under the User Accounts, click on Change account type.
- Select the account you wish to change your password.
- After that, click on Change the password.
- Insert the new password and confirm the new password fields. In case your password is lost, you can leave a hint. After you have done that, click the “Change password” button at the bottom of the window.
Change Password from Computer Management
The Computer Management window offers various administrative tools and settings to manage a remote or local computer.
- Type Computer Management on the Search menu and hit Enter key.
- Double-click on ‘Local Users & Groups‘ in the System Tools section. Next, choose ‘Users’ from the expanded options. It will display a list of all user profiles currently on your computer.
- Right-click on the user and choose the Set Password option.
- A dialog box will appear. Click the “Proceed” button to continue.
- After that, a new dialog box appears to enter the desired password in the ‘New password’ and the ‘Confirm password fields. Click OK.
Why Can’t I Change Password in Windows 11?
You might not have the permission to change your sign-in password. It’s pretty simple to enable.
- Type Computer Management on the Search menu and hit Enter key.
- Double-click on ‘Local Users & Groups‘ in the System Tools section. Next, choose ‘Users’ from the expanded options. It will display a list of all user profiles currently on your computer.
- Right-click on the user you want to change password and choose Properties.
- Untick User cannot change password box, then click OK.
- Now, you can try to change the password of the user. Repeat this process for all users if you are unable to change the password.
This is how you can change the Pin or Password in Windows 11. If you have any queries, leave a comment.
Why should you consider changing your PC’s password?
- There are several reasons to change your password. Hackers can steal your password if your computer is connected to the Internet. Hackers can gain access to your PC’s password to access sensitive information. This is why it is important to change your Log-in password regularly.
- You should also consider changing your Log-in password if you have a computer you’ve given away or sold. Your Hard Drive stores the Windows Log-in password for your local account. Someone can thus extract the password from your Hard Drive and gain access to your current computer.
- Last but not least, ensure you have different passwords for Windows Log-in and other online accounts. If someone acquires access to any of your online accounts, they can use your password to gain access to your computer. Change your password if you’re using the same password.
How to Create a Strong Password
- Keep your password length between 8 and 10 characters to make it strong. A password with more than four or five characters can significantly increase the number and complexity of possible combinations. It will make it much harder to crack.
- Your password should be alphanumeric. It means that you can use numbers and letters in your password. Use lowercase and uppercase letters. Use special characters such as ‘_’ and ‘@.’ to strengthen your password.
- Avoid using apparent words, and don’t forget to write down the password to keep your password safe.
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