By Sophia | Last Updated
Q: "My mom forgot the administrator password for her Dell laptop, she just changed it not long ago, however, she only remembers the old password. Can we bypass the password on the Dell laptop if we forget the numbers?"
Laptops are an integral part of our daily life and work, and to protect our privacy, we usually set passwords for our devices. However, not all users possess a good memory, so forgetting passwords is a common problem. If you are also stuck in such a predicament, this article will guide you on how to unlock a Dell laptop without a password or disk.
If you have been locked out of the Windows system and there is no other way to verify your identity or provide the required password, in this case, using third-party software to reset your Dell laptop's password is the easiest solution.
One such program is iSunshare Windows Password Genius, which supports you to reset the passwords of any users on your Dell laptop without logging in, including the administrator's account, and no files on the device will be damaged during the whole process.
Step 1: Download and install iSunshare Windows Password Genius on another computer and run the software.
Select your media type, it can be USB or CD/DVD.
Step 2: Insert your USB drive and click "Begin Burning" to create a bootable reset disk.
Step 3: Insert the burned USB into the locked Dell laptop, turn on the computer and enter its BIOS menu, then boot the Windows system from the USB.
When iSunshare Windows Password Genius boots up, select the Dell laptop's Windows operating system, then select your user account and click on the "Reset Password" button, its password will be set as blank.
Step 4: Click the "Reboot" button to restart your computer, you can unlock your Dell laptop without entering a password.
In Windows 10 and Windows 11, users can set up multiple login options. So if your Dell computer had login options other than local accounts added before it was locked, such as PIN, biometric, and Microsoft account. They come in handy when you forget your local account password.
If you have used a Microsoft account to log in to your Dell Laptop, then you don't have to worry too much after forgetting its password. Microsoft provides the option to recover user's account password online and in just a few simple steps you can reset it and regain access to your laptop.
Step 1: On the password reset page, enter your Microsoft account and click "Next".
Step 2: Choose how you want to verify your identity (email, phone or Skype name) and then enter the verification code you received. You can now set a new password for your account.
How to unlock a dell laptop when you forgot the password for its local account? If you have set security questions for your Windows local account when you created it, they can be used to confirm your identity and help you create a new password if you can't remember it.
Step 1: Click on the "Reset password" option on the login screen and answer the security question.
Step 2: Set a new password and use it to unlock your locked laptop.
In Windows XP and previous versions, the system by default enables a built-in administrator account with the highest privileges. If a windows user is locked out of her computer, they can reset their user password by logging into that administrator account in Safe Mode.
Note: Since Windows Vista, if your computer is locked and the hidden administrator account is disabled, you usually cannot use it directly to reset the password. And if your computer is set up with a BIOS password or other hardware-level security measures, these steps may not be possible.
Step 1: On the login screen of your Dell laptop, click on the power icon and select the "Restart" option while holding down the "Shift" key on your keyboard.
Step 2: Select "Startup Settings" in "Advanced Options" to enter Safe Mode, at this time the system will usually display the built-in administrator account as the login option, click "Enter" to log in to it.
Step 3: Select the account you want to reset the password for in "User Accounts" and follow the instructions.
Step 4: Switch to the regular login account screen and then use the password you just reset to bypass the previous password of your Dell laptop.
Restoring a Dell computer to factory reset will erase all files and settings on its Windows system, including user accounts and passwords. It is a less-than-ideal solution for users who don't have a backup of their computer, which means they may lose some important data permanently and can't recover it.
Step 1: In the Windows Recovery interface, click "Troubleshoot" > "Reset This PC".
Step 2: Click "Remove everything" and then choose the way to reinstall Windows.
Step 3: Finally, click on the "Only the drive where Windows is installed" option and follow the system instructions to complete all the operations. After that, you can unlock your Dell laptop without a password.
Above are the methods summarized in this article to unlock a Dell laptop without password or disk, they can help you get back the control of your computer easily. If you are not confident enough in your PC skills or worried about possible damage to your device, then using a professional Windows unlocker is always the safest option.
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