How to Factory Reset Windows 11 Without the Admin Password

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There are two ways to get around the requirement for an admin password when resetting your Windows 11 computer.

A factory reset can enhance system performance and assist you in resolving serious issues. Using the Recovery option in the Settings app, you can factory reset your computer. To accomplish this, you must sign in using an administrator account. But what if you cannot boot into your computer or have lost your administrator password?

Windows 11 provides a couple additional methods to factory reset your machine for circumstances like this. Using a bootable Windows installation disk or the lock screen, you can factory reset Windows 11 without the administrator password. Let’s look at the two methods for removing a Windows admin password and resetting your computer.

1. How to Factory Reset Windows 11 Without a Password From the Login Screen

You can reset your Windows 11 PC from the login screen if it boots normally but you can’t log in. To access Windows Advanced Startup Options, you must first boot into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). It includes a variety of troubleshooting tools, such as the Reset this PC option that enables you to reset your computer without logging in.

Also, useful if you need to reinstall Windows 11 without deleting your personal files. This process will, however, remove your apps and settings.

It’s critical to know that there are clever Linux workarounds and other ways to reset the forgotten Windows administrator password. Only continue if your ultimate objective is to factory reset your machine rather than to reset the forgotten admin password.

Without an admin password, you can use the Windows Recovery Environment to completely factory reset Windows 11:

  1. Wait for the login screen to display after turning on your computer.Click on the Power choices in the lower right corner. The options to restart and shut down will be displayed. Don’t click yet either.
  2. On your keyboard, hold down the Shift key while clicking the Restart button. If necessary, press Restart Anyway to force your computer to restart. When you get the “please wait” screen, let go of the Shift key.
  3. Your computer will restart and go into Windows Recovery Environment at this point.
  4. Select the Troubleshoot option from the Choose an option screen.
  5. Click Reset this PC on the Troubleshoot screen.
  6. You will be given two choices on the Reset this PC screen. All of the third-party settings and apps will be deleted from your computer if you choose the Keep my files option, but your personal data, including documents and media, will remain. Select Remove everything if you wish to remove everything.
  7. After that, you will once more be given two choices for reinstalling Windows. If you choose Cloud Download, Windows will reinstall itself after downloading the necessary operating system files. In contrast, Local Reinstall will reinstall Windows using the device’s existing system files.
  8. Select Local reinstall to hasten the procedure. Use the Cloud download option if that doesn’t work.
  9. To begin the reset process and confirm your decision, click the Reset button on the Are you ready to reset this device screen.

If you chose the Keep my Data option, Windows will first reset your device and delete all of the data before reinstalling the operating system. So that it can finish the operation, leave your device plugged in and unattended while it does so.

Use the Cloud download option to perform a reset and try again if the reset process fails and needs more system files. This frequently occurs if important system files are missing from or corrupted in your current Windows installation.

2. How to Factory Reset Windows 11 Using a Windows Installation Media

You should be able to reset the computer by using the Reset This PC option to get around the Windows login password. If that does not succeed, you can use a bootable USB stick to perform a clean installation of the Windows OS. If Windows won’t boot or the system image is irreparably broken, this is helpful.

The hard disk will be completely erased throughout the Windows clean install process. Before completing the procedures below, make sure you have a backup of any important data.

During the Windows clean install process, the hard drive will be entirely deleted. Make sure you have a backup of any crucial data before completing the next steps.

  1. Connect the PC to the installation media for Windows 11.
  2. Press the F8, F9, or Esc key to launch the Boot menu as soon as your computer restarts. Select your USB flash drive from the Boot menu, then press Enter to make it the boot disk. You will need to open the BIOS or UEFI menu to change the boot order if your machine does not support the Boot Menu.
  3. Next, choose your chosen keyboard layout, language, time zone, and currency format from the Window setup screen.
  4. For the next step, click.
  5. Click the Install Now button after that.
  6. Select the I don’t have a product key link located on the Activate Windows page.
  7. Choose the version of Windows 11 that you wish to install next. If not, click Next after choosing the default selection.
  8. After agreeing to the terms, click Next.
  9. The setup procedure will offer you an upgrade after detecting your current Windows installation. Your apps, settings, and admin password will remain untouched if you choose the upgrading option. Therefore, choose Advanced: Custom: Install Windows alone.
  10. Click Next after selecting your installation drive. To finish the installation, adhere to the on-screen directions.

Windows will remove everything from your installation drive and put in a new copy of the operating system. Microsoft will ask you to sign in with your Microsoft account to finish the setup after the restart. Complete the setup by logging in with your Microsoft credentials if you have one.

Read our article on how to install and configure Windows 11 without an internet connection if you’d rather establish and utilize a local user account.

Factory Reset a Windows Computer Without an Admin Password

Even while you can factory reset the PC to remove the admin password, doing so requires tedious system setup. Think about utilizing a password manager to minimize this inconvenience. It not only saves complex and lengthy passwords and syncs them across devices, but it also encrypts them to keep them safe from hackers and other prying eyes.

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