I have lost my password and cannot access Windows on my HP Notebook. Can you help?

If you have lost your password and cannot access your HP Notebook running Windows, you can use the System Restore feature to regain access. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Insert the Windows Installation Media: Use a Windows installation DVD or USB drive and restart your computer.
2. Boot from the Media: When prompted, press any key to boot from the CD or DVD.
3. Select Preferences: Choose your language, time, and keyboard preferences, then click Next.
4. Repair Your Computer: Click on Repair your computer and select the operating system you want to repair.
5. System Restore: Click on System Restore and then select a restore point where you could log in successfully.
6. Follow the Prompts: Confirm the disks to restore and click Next, then Finish to complete the process.
7. Restart Your Computer: After the restore is complete, restart your computer and try logging in with your old password or another account.

Note that you will need a System Restore point from when you could log in successfully, and you may need to reinstall some programs after the restore.

References:

• How to use System Restore to log on when you lose access to an account

Hi,

It is not possible to access your laptop if you have forgotten your password. Do you have any other sign-in method, such as a PIN? Have you tried resetting your password?

You can try resetting your password depending on the type of account you are using (Microsoft or local account). You can check the article below for a step-by-step guide.

Microsoft account: https://support.microsoft.com/account-billing/reset-a-forgotten-microsoft-account-password-eff4f067-5042-c1a3-fe72-b04d60556c37

Local account: https://support.microsoft.com/windows/change-or-reset-your-password-in-windows-8271d17c-9f9e-443f-835a-8318c8f68b9c

If none of the methods work, I'm sorry, but there is no way to bypass this for security purposes. Your only options are to reset Windows or perform a clean installation using a bootable USB.

You can also enable the built-in admin account to log into Windows first and then create a new account.

Step 1: Access the Command Prompt in Windows RE

On the PC's login screen, click the Power icon.

Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click Restart. Keep holding Shift until you see the Choose an option screen.

Select Troubleshoot.

Select Advanced options.

Select Command Prompt.

Step 2: Load the System Registry Hive

You must manually load the registry files from your Windows installation to modify them.

Determine the Windows Drive Letter: Try D: or C: and use the dir command to confirm the partition containing the Windows folder. Assume your Windows is on the D: drive.

1. Start the Registry Editor: regedit
2. Load the Hive:

In the Registry Editor, click and select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE in the left pane.

Click the File menu > Load Hive....

• Navigate to your Windows directory and find the SAM (Security Accounts Manager) registry file: D:\Windows\System32\config\SAM (Remember to replace D: with your actual drive letter) In the dialog box that appears, enter a temporary name (e.g., TempSAM) and click OK.

Step 3: Modify the Registry Key Value to Enable Administrator Account

Now you will modify the binary data under TempSAM to enable the built-in Administrator account.

1. Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TempSAM\Domains\Account\Users\Names\Administrator
   • In the right pane, note down the RID (Relative Identifier) corresponding to this account. This is usually found in the parent Users folder and is a four-digit hexadecimal value (e.g., 000001F4).
   1. Navigate to the account's data path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TempSAM\Domains\Account\Users\[Your RID, e.g., 000001F4] Double-click the F value in the right pane (this is a REG_BINARY value). In the binary editor, locate the 59th byte of data (or the 15th value on line 0038). Crucial: The default value for this byte is typically 11 (which indicates the account is disabled).
   2. Change this byte's value from 11 to 10.
   3. Click OK.

Step 4: Unload the Hive and Restart

In the left pane, click and select your temporary hive HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TempSAM.

Click the File menu > Unload Hive....

Close the Registry Editor and the Command Prompt.

On the Choose an option screen, select Continue to restart and boot into the Windows login screen.

Step 5: Log In and Recover

After the restart, you should now see the Administrator account listed on the login screen. It should not require a password (unless one was set previously).

1. Log in using the Administrator account.
2. Once logged in, you can create a new account.