How to Factory Reset Windows Without a Password (Windows 11 and 10)

Can’t sign in to a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, and you’re ready to wipe it because you’re selling it or the password is truly lost? On the sign-in screen, select the Power icon, hold Shift, select Restart, then choose Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything. Windows reinstalls itself and deletes every account, app and file, so the old password stops mattering.

Try this first if you only forgot the password

A reset is permanent. If the PC is yours and you simply can’t remember the password, spend five minutes on the recovery options before you wipe anything, because each of them keeps your files:

• Microsoft account (the sign-in screen shows an email address): select I forgot my password and verify with a code.
• Local account (the sign-in screen shows only a name): enter a wrong password, then use Reset password and your security questions, or a password reset disk.
• Another administrator on the PC can set a new password for you.

The full walkthrough for each of these is in how to get back into Windows when you forget the password. If it’s the PIN you forgot rather than the password, resetting a forgotten Windows PIN is quicker still. Come back here only when those fail or you want the PC empty anyway.

Which reset path fits your situation

Match what you see on the screen to the right section below.

What’s happening	Where to go
The PC starts and shows the sign-in screen	Method 1: reset from the sign-in screen
The PC restarts, crashes or shows a black screen before sign-in	Method 2: open Automatic Repair
Recovery tools fail, or the reset reports a problem	Method 3: use a Windows USB drive
You want the original factory image with the maker’s apps	Method 4: your PC maker’s recovery
A blue screen asks for a long recovery key	The BitLocker section next, before anything else
The PC belongs to an employer or school	Stop and contact IT (see the troubleshooting section)

Note on Windows 10: Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Home users can keep getting security updates for a limited time through Extended Security Updates (ESU). The reset steps below are the same on Windows 10 and current versions of Windows 11, but if the PC is eligible, a fresh start is a good moment to move to Windows 11.

Check for a BitLocker recovery key before you start

Many laptops encrypt the drive with BitLocker or device encryption without the owner ever noticing. When the drive is encrypted, Windows may ask for the BitLocker recovery key during the reset or when you open some recovery tools. That key is a 48-digit number, and Microsoft Support can’t retrieve it for you, so find it before you begin.

• Microsoft account: on a phone or another computer, sign in at aka.ms/myrecoverykey with the Microsoft account that was used on the PC.
• Work or school account: sign in at aka.ms/aadrecoverykey and look under Devices for View BitLocker Keys.
• Printout or USB drive: check anywhere you saved or printed the key when the PC was set up.

The recovery screen shows a Key ID. Match its first eight characters to the ID next to the key in your account so you enter the right one if several devices are listed. More places to look are covered in where to find a BitLocker recovery key.

If the key is truly gone, Microsoft’s advice is to reset the device with one of the Windows recovery options, which removes all of your files. If Reset this PC won’t continue without the key, a clean install from a USB drive that deletes the encrypted partitions (Method 3) still lets you reuse the PC. Either way, everything on that drive is lost for good.

Method 1: Reset from the sign-in screen

This is the main route and works on any PC that reaches the sign-in screen. Plug a laptop into its charger first: a reset that loses power halfway can leave Windows unable to start.

1. On the sign-in screen, select the Power icon in the lower-right corner.
2. Press and hold Shift, select Restart, and keep holding Shift until a blue Choose an option screen appears. This is the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).
3. Select Troubleshoot, then Reset this PC.
   

   

4. Choose Remove everything. The next section explains why Keep my files doesn’t solve a lost password.
5. Choose Cloud download or Local reinstall (see below for which to pick).
6. If the drive is encrypted, enter the BitLocker recovery key when asked.
7. Review the settings summary. Change them if you’re giving the PC away (Clean data is explained below).
8. Select Reset. The PC may restart on its own during the reset. Leave it alone until it shows the first setup screen.

Keep my files or Remove everything

Keep my files (Microsoft also calls it a refresh) reinstalls Windows but keeps your personal files. Apps and settings are removed. That sounds attractive, but the existing account and its password generally stay in place, so you’d still be stuck at the sign-in screen afterward. You may also be asked to pick an account and enter its password before this option will run. If that happens, back out and use Remove everything.

Remove everything deletes all accounts, files, apps and settings, then reinstalls Windows. During setup you create a brand-new account, which is what gets you past the lost password.

Cloud download or Local reinstall

• Cloud download fetches a fresh copy of Windows from Microsoft. It needs an internet connection during the reset, but it’s the better pick when the PC has been unstable, because it doesn’t rely on the possibly damaged files already on the drive. It also tends to include more recent updates.
• Local reinstall rebuilds Windows from files already on the PC. It works offline and is often faster on a slow connection, but it may need more updates afterward and can fail if the local files are corrupted.

On the sign-in screen you can usually connect to Wi-Fi with the network icon in the lower-right corner before you start, which helps Cloud download.

Clean data: turn it on before you sell or give away the PC

After you choose Remove everything, you can change the settings to turn on Clean data (depending on the Windows version, the screen may describe this as cleaning the drive rather than just removing files). With Clean data on, Windows removes files and cleans the drive so deleted files are much harder for other people to recover. It can make the reset take much longer. Microsoft says this data erasure is aimed at consumers and doesn’t meet government and industry data erasure standards, so a business disposing of PCs with sensitive data should follow its own wiping policy.

Leave Clean data off if you’re keeping the PC and just need a fresh start.

Restore preinstalled apps

On PCs that came with software from the maker, the settings may include Restore preinstalled apps. Turn it on to bring back the manufacturer’s apps and settings; turn it off for a cleaner Windows. The switch doesn’t appear on every PC.

Method 2: When the PC never reaches the sign-in screen

If Windows crashes, loops or goes black before you can sign in, you can still get into Windows RE. Windows opens it automatically after repeated failed starts. To trigger that on purpose:

1. Turn the PC on. As soon as the Windows logo appears, hold the power button until the PC turns off.
2. Do that a second time.
3. Turn the PC on a third time and let it start. Windows should show Preparing Automatic Repair, then an Automatic Repair screen.
4. Select Advanced options, then Troubleshoot > Reset this PC, and follow Method 1 from step 4.

Older advice says to tap F8, Shift + F8 or F11 during startup. Shift + F8 rarely works on modern PCs, which start too quickly, and F11 is a maker-specific shortcut rather than a Windows feature. Interrupting the boot twice is the method Microsoft documents. Other ways into Windows RE include a recovery drive you made earlier, Windows installation media, and, if you can sign in to any account, Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.

Method 3: Reset or reinstall with a Windows USB drive

Use a USB drive when Windows RE won’t open, the reset fails, the BitLocker key is lost, or you want a completely clean installation. You need another working computer and a blank USB flash drive of at least 8 GB (everything on it is erased).

Make the USB drive

1. On the working computer, open Microsoft’s Download Windows 11 page (or the Windows 10 page if the locked PC can’t run Windows 11).
2. Under the installation media section, download the Media Creation Tool and run it. It needs administrator rights on that computer.
3. Accept the license, keep or change the language and edition, choose USB flash drive, and select your drive. The tool downloads Windows and prepares the drive.

Boot the locked PC from the USB drive

1. Plug the USB drive into the locked PC and turn it on while tapping its one-time boot menu key. The key varies by maker and model (often a function key or Esc), and the first startup screen usually names it.
2. Choose the USB drive from the list. If it isn’t listed, you may need to change the boot order or temporarily turn off Secure Boot in the firmware settings, then turn Secure Boot back on after setup.
3. When Windows Setup loads, pick your language and keyboard.

Option A: Reset from the USB drive’s repair tools

On the Setup screen, select the repair link (Microsoft’s help calls it Repair my PC; on some installers it reads Repair your computer). That opens the same Choose an option screen, where Troubleshoot > Reset this PC works as in Method 1. This helps when the recovery tools on the drive itself are damaged.

Option B: Clean install that formats the drive

This is the most thorough wipe and the only route when an encrypted drive’s key is lost.

1. Continue through Setup. On Windows 11 media, choose Install Windows 11 on the setup options screen; on Windows 10 media, select Install now.
2. When asked for a product key, select I don’t have a product key if the PC was already activated. Pick the same edition (Home or Pro) the PC had before.
3. On Windows 10 media, choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
4. On the drive list, select each partition on Disk 0 and choose Delete Partition (or Delete) until only Unallocated Space remains. Make sure you’re deleting partitions on the PC’s internal drive, not the USB drive.
5. Select the unallocated space and choose Next or Install. Setup creates fresh partitions and installs Windows.
6. Remove the USB drive when the PC restarts into the setup screens, so it doesn’t boot back into Setup.

Deleting every partition also removes any maker recovery partition. For a longer walkthrough of this route, see reinstalling Windows from a USB drive.

Method 4: Use your PC maker’s recovery option

Many brand-name PCs include their own recovery tool, usually reached with a key or button at startup, that restores the original factory image with the maker’s drivers and apps. The key and menu names differ by brand and model, so check the support page for your exact model. Two common cases have their own walkthroughs: factory resetting a Lenovo laptop without a password (including the Novo button) and factory resetting an HP Stream laptop.

A maker’s recovery tool is a good choice when you want the PC exactly as it shipped. Windows’ own Reset this PC is usually the simpler choice when you just want working Windows.

How long the reset takes and what you’ll see

Microsoft doesn’t give a set time. As a rough guide, a plain Remove everything reset often takes from about half an hour to a few hours. Cloud download adds download time, Clean data adds a lot more, and older PCs with spinning hard drives are slower than PCs with SSDs.

• The PC may restart more than once and show progress screens while it resets and reinstalls Windows.
• Microsoft notes the screen can stay black for 15 minutes or longer. Don’t turn the PC off during that time; a manual restart can interrupt the reset.
• When it finishes, you see the first Windows setup screen (region or language), the same as a new PC.

What a reset removes, and what it doesn’t

Remove everything takes out every user account, the files in those accounts, installed apps and your settings. It doesn’t touch:

• Files already in the cloud. Anything synced to OneDrive or another cloud service before the lockout is still in that account.
• External drives that were unplugged during the reset. Unplug any you don’t want involved before you start.
• The Windows license. It’s tied to the hardware (see the next section).
• Firmware settings and firmware passwords. A password that appears before Windows starts belongs to the PC’s firmware, and a Windows reset can’t change it.

A reset removes most malware that lives inside Windows, but it won’t fix a firmware-level infection, and restoring an infected backup can bring the problem straight back. Scan old backups before restoring them.

If you need files from the locked account and the drive isn’t encrypted, the safest option is to have a repair shop or someone comfortable with hardware copy them off the drive with another computer before the reset. If the drive is encrypted, that only works with the BitLocker key.

After the reset: set up, activate and restore

1. Create an account. Windows 11 setup on Home edition expects an internet connection and a Microsoft account. If you’re selling the PC, you can stop at the first setup screen and turn it off so the buyer sets it up.
2. Check activation. If Windows was activated before, a digital license is tied to the hardware, and Windows normally activates once it’s online. You don’t need to type a product key when the same edition is reinstalled.
3. Run Windows Update until nothing new appears. It installs security fixes and most drivers.
4. Check drivers. Open Device Manager and look for yellow warning icons. Get missing drivers from the PC maker’s support site.
5. Restore your files from OneDrive or an external backup, and reinstall your apps.
6. Prevent the next lockout. Add a PIN, keep your Microsoft account recovery email and phone current, and save the new BitLocker recovery key somewhere you can reach.

For the version of this process that starts inside Windows when you can sign in, see restoring Windows 10 to factory settings.

When the reset fails or won’t start

“There was a problem resetting your PC”

Try again with Cloud download instead of Local reinstall, since a failed local rebuild often means damaged recovery files. If it still fails, use Method 3 and reset or reinstall from a USB drive.

Reset this PC is missing from Troubleshoot

Some PCs show Reset this PC only after you select Troubleshoot, not on the first screen, so check that you’ve gone one level in. If it’s truly absent, the recovery environment may be damaged or disabled; boot from a USB drive and use its repair link.

The PC asks for a recovery key you don’t have

Check every Microsoft account anyone in the household might have used on the PC. If the key can’t be found, the encrypted data can’t be recovered. Microsoft’s advice is to reset the device anyway, which removes everything; if Reset this PC won’t proceed, Method 3 Option B reuses the PC.

It’s a work or school PC

PCs managed by an organization may block Reset this PC, and many re-enroll themselves into the organization’s management after a reset. Resetting won’t free a device that’s still assigned to an employer or school. Contact that IT department; they can reset the account or release the device.

A password appears before the Windows logo

That’s a firmware (BIOS or power-on) password, not a Windows one. Windows recovery tools can’t remove it. Contact the PC maker or an authorized service center, which will usually ask for proof of ownership.

Reset questions

Can I keep my files if I can’t sign in at all?

Not through a reset. Keep my files leaves the locked account in place, and Remove everything deletes the files. Your files survive only if you get back into the account first, they’re already synced to OneDrive, or someone copies them off an unencrypted drive before the reset.

Will Windows still be activated afterward?

Usually yes. A PC that was activated with a digital license reactivates once it connects to the internet after a reset or a reinstall of the same edition. If it doesn’t, open the activation settings and run the troubleshooter.

Does a factory reset get around BitLocker?

No. If Windows asks for the recovery key, the reset waits for it. Without the key, the old data is gone. Microsoft’s advice is to reset the device with a recovery option that removes everything, and if Reset this PC won’t continue, a clean install that deletes the encrypted partitions works.

Is it the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10?

Yes. Shift + Restart, Troubleshoot, Reset this PC and the reset choices work the same way on both. The differences show up only during setup afterward and in the Settings path when you can sign in.

Is it legal to reset a used PC this way?

Resetting a computer you own, or one you’re authorized to manage, is fine. Resetting someone else’s PC to get into it is not.

Will a reset remove the old owner’s Microsoft account from the PC?

It removes the account from Windows. The previous owner should also remove the PC from their Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com/devices (Show details, then More actions > Remove) so it isn’t still linked to them.

Ready to go? Find your BitLocker key if the PC is encrypted, plug in the charger, and start with Shift + Restart on the sign-in screen. If the reset hits a snag, the USB method gets you to a clean Windows install from almost any state.