A password reset disk is a must-have for every Windows user. Here are the simple steps to create a password reset disk in Windows 10.
For a vast majority of users, forgetting the Windows user account password doesn’t happen that often. However, when it happens, having a simple way to reset your forgotten password is very helpful. If you are using a Microsoft account to log in, you can easily reset your password on the Microsoft website. However, if you are using a local user account, you have two methods to reset the password.
The first method is to answer the security questions. The other way is to use a password reset disk. As you can guess, the password reset disk is handy when you cannot remember the answers to the security questions. A password reset disk prevents you from being locked out of your user account, potentially losing access to your personal files, or spending money on password reset software.
As such, every user using a local user account should always create a password reset disk after installing Windows. A Password Reset Disk is one of those things you don’t need until you really need it.
So, in this Windows 10 guide, I will show the steps to create a Windows 10 password reset disk in detail. Follow the steps as is, and it will be done in no time.
Using Windows 11? Follow these steps to create password reset disk in Windows 11
Before You Start
- The password reset disk will only work for local user accounts.
- You need a spare USB drive or SD card to create a password reset disk. Make sure there is no important data in it.
- The password reset disk is specific to your user account and computer. It will not work on other machines. In the same way, you cannot use a password reset disk created on another machine to unlock your user account.
Steps to Create a Password Reset Disk
You can make a password reset disk using the Password Reset Disk tool in Windows 10. Here is how to do it.
Step 1: Insert the USB drive or SD card into your computer/laptop. Keep in mind that creating a password reset disk will format the drive. So, make sure it is empty, or there are no important files in it.
Step 2: Click the Start menu, search for “Create a password reset disk“, and open it. This is the tool that lets you make a custom reset disk.
Step 3: In the tool wizard, click the “Next” button.
Step 4: Now, the wizard will ask you to choose a storage device to create the password reset disk. Select the USB drive or SD card from the dropdown menu and click “Next“.
Step 5: Type your local user account password and click “Next“.
Step 6: The wizard will start the reset disk creation process when you click the Next button. It will show a helpful progress bar to give you an estimate of progress.
Step 7: Once the progress bar is filled, click the “Next” and “Finish” buttons.
That is it. With that, you have successfully created a password reset disk in Windows 10. From now on, you can use this reset disk to reset the password and unlock the user account.
Important security note: Keep the password reset disk in a safe place. If someone has access to it, they can use it to get access to your user account.
Using the Password Reset Disk to Reset the User Account Password
If you forgot your Windows user account password, you could use the Password Reset Disk to reset and unlock the account. Remember that the password reset disk will only work for your account and only on your machine. That means you cannot use a reset disk created for another user account or another computer.
Step 1: Plug in the password reset disk into an available USB port.
Step 2: Start the computer. When you are on the login screen, type a password and press Enter. If the password is wrong, you will see the “Reset Password” link. Click on it.
Step 3: Clicking the option will open the Password Reset wizard. Click the “Next” button.
Step 4: Select the USB drive from the dropdown menu and click “Next“.
Step 5: It will now ask you to set a new password. Type the password of your choice twice, set a password hint, and press “Next“.
Step 6: Press the “Finish” button to close the reset wizard.
Step 7: Reboot the computer and log in with the new password.
That is it. It is that simple to create and use a password reset disk in Windows 10. As I said earlier, keep the reset disk safe and secure after using it. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
