Log into a PC that won’t recognise a password
When your Windows 10 login password fails you’ll need a recovery drive, writes Josh Norem
We’ve heard from a number of readers who have been unable to log into their PCs. In every instance they had not touched their computer nor changed anything, yet all of a sudden their password wouldn’t work. Microsoft hasn’t acknowledged this problem in its update log, so it could be a hardware/software malfunction, perhaps some problem with the installation of an update.
First, try the on-screen keyboard (accessed via the login screen) to enter your password, as it could be your regular input device isn’t working. Click the Ease of Access icon (it looks like a clock with a dotted circle) in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
Alternatively, you could use Windows System Restore to go back in time to when the previous password worked. Because you can’t log into Windows, you’ll need to access this via a recovery disk. Note, you’ll need to use a PC with the same version (32- or 64-bit) of Windows 10. The easiest way to find this feature is to type create a recovery drive into the search bar. You’ll need to use a USB key with between 8- and 16GB of free space.
If you don’t have a recovery drive, you could download the Windows 10 installation files. Once you’ve created a bootable disk, press Next at the first screen you see (after you select your language), then click Repair your computer. On the next screen, press Troubleshoot to access ‘System Restore’ and ‘Go back to previous build’. Click System Restore and select your OS. Follow the prompts to select an earlier time to restore your PC.