How to Change Your Windows Password and PIN in Windows 11 and 10 (Local, Microsoft and Work Accounts)

To change your password in Windows 11, first check which kind of account you have under Settings, Accounts, Your info. For a local account, open Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, Password, Change, or press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Change a password. For a Microsoft account, the password belongs to your account online: change it at account.microsoft.com under Security, and the new password works on every PC after it syncs. Your PIN is separate: change it under Sign-in options, PIN (Windows Hello), Change PIN. Administrators can set another local user's password with net user username * or Computer Management. If you have forgotten the password, changing it is not possible; use the reset options instead.

Ethan learned that his old email password had appeared in a data breach, and since he used a similar password for his Windows laptop, he wanted to change both that evening. He opened Settings, went to Sign-in options and found that the Password section only offered to change the password online, because his laptop used a Microsoft account. Meanwhile, his father's PC used a local account, and there the same Settings page changed the password on the spot. Jake changed Ethan's Microsoft account password at account.microsoft.com, signed out and back in so the laptop picked it up, changed Ethan's PIN for good measure, and set a new password on his father's local account. This page explains every way to change a Windows password and PIN, for local, Microsoft and work accounts, plus what to do when the option is missing or the change fails.

First: which kind of account and which lock?

"Change my Windows password" can mean four different things, and the right steps depend on which. Windows accounts come in three kinds. A local account exists only on that PC, and its password is stored there. A Microsoft account is the account you use for Outlook.com, OneDrive and the Microsoft Store; signing in to Windows with it means your Windows password is your Microsoft account password, managed online. A work or school account belongs to your organization, which manages its password and rules.

On top of the password, most Windows 11 PCs use a Windows Hello PIN, a face or a fingerprint for everyday sign-in. The PIN is tied to that one device and is separate from the account password, so changing one does not change the other. Many people who think they are typing their password every morning are actually typing their PIN. That matters after a breach: if your account password leaked, changing your PIN does nothing to protect the account online, and changing the account password does not change the PIN you type each morning. Most people who suspect a leak need to change the account password, and may change the PIN as well for peace of mind, as Ethan did.

To see which account you have, open Settings, Accounts, Your info. A Microsoft account shows your email address; a local account shows Local Account under your name; a work or school account shows your organization's address. Then open Sign-in options to see which sign-in methods are set up, and which ones you actually use day to day.

If you are not sure which one you type at the sign-in screen, look at the box: a PIN prompt usually says PIN, and a password prompt says Password. Selecting Sign-in options under the box shows the methods available on that PC, and lets you switch between them, which is also the way in when you have forgotten one but remember another.

Change a local account password in Windows 11

1. Open Settings with Windows + I.
2. Select Accounts, then Sign-in options.
3. Select Password to expand it, then Change.
4. Enter your current password, or confirm with your PIN if asked, and select Next.
5. Enter the new password, confirm it, and add a password hint, which is required for local accounts. Select Next, then Finish.

The new password works immediately, with no restart needed. Use it the next time you sign in with a password rather than your PIN. The hint appears on the sign-in screen after a wrong attempt, so make it something that reminds you without giving the password away; it is visible to anyone at the keyboard. Windows 11 local accounts created recently may also use security questions for recovery, which you can update by choosing Update your security questions under the Password section.

The quickest alternative is Ctrl + Alt + Delete, then Change a password. Enter the old password once and the new one twice, then press Enter. This route works for local accounts and for work accounts in organizations that allow it, and it is often faster than Settings.

Before you change it, decide where the new password will live. If you will remember it, choose a passphrase you can type easily; if you will store it in a password manager, let the manager generate it. Either way, sign out and back in once with the new password straight away, while it is fresh, to make sure it works before you need it after a restart. Ethan's father typed his new password three times in a row on the sign-in screen, which is old-fashioned but effective practice.

Password expired: changing it at sign-in

Sometimes Windows asks you to change your password before you can sign in, with a message that your password has expired or must be changed. This happens when a password policy sets a maximum age, common on work PCs, or when an administrator has set the account to require a new password at next sign-in. Enter the old password, then the new one twice, on the same screen, and Windows signs you in.

On a home PC, expiry is unusual, but it can be switched on by mistake, for example by a tweak tool or after joining and leaving a work network. On Pro editions, Computer Management, Local Users and Groups, Users, the user's properties, has a Password never expires checkbox. From an administrator Command Prompt, net accounts shows the maximum password age for the PC, and net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited removes expiry for local accounts. In PowerShell, Set-LocalUser -Name "Username" -PasswordNeverExpires $true sets it for one account. Forced expiry is no longer considered best practice for home users; a strong unique password plus two-step verification protects better than regular changes.

Change your Microsoft account password

If you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, your Windows password is that account's password, and it is changed online, not on the PC. Settings, Sign-in options, Password shows a link that takes you to the right page.

1. In a browser, go to account.microsoft.com and sign in.
2. Open Security, then choose the option to change your password, usually under Password security or Account security.
3. Verify your identity with a code sent to your email or phone, or with the Microsoft Authenticator app.
4. Enter your current password and the new one, and save. You can also choose to have Microsoft remind you to change it periodically.

The new password applies everywhere: Outlook.com, OneDrive, Xbox, other PCs, and Windows on this PC. Windows remembers your previous password for signing in while offline, so after changing it, make sure the PC is connected to the internet and sign in once with the new password, or sign out and back in, so the PC updates its stored copy. That is what Jake did on Ethan's laptop. Until then, the old password may still unlock the PC while it is offline, which surprises people but is expected.

If you use the same Microsoft account on several PCs, each picks up the new password the next time it is online and you sign in with it. A PC that stays offline for weeks, such as a laptop in a drawer, will still accept the old password until it connects, so connect it and sign in with the new password when you next use it. Windows Hello PINs on those PCs keep working throughout, since they are tied to each device, not to the password.

Microsoft increasingly encourages passwordless sign-in, with the Authenticator app, passkeys, Windows Hello and security keys, and some newer Microsoft accounts are created without a password at all. If your account is passwordless, there is no password to change; you manage sign-in methods instead under Security, Advanced security options. Our guide to what to do after a breach covers checking and securing your accounts more broadly.

Change a work or school password

Work and school accounts are managed by the organization, which sets the rules and usually the methods for changing passwords. On a PC joined to the organization, Ctrl + Alt + Delete, Change a password is the standard route, and changes the password for the whole organization, not just the PC. Many organizations also offer a self-service password page, linked from their sign-in pages or intranet, which works from any browser and handles forgotten passwords too.

Organizations often require changes at set intervals, enforce length and complexity rules, block reuse of recent passwords, and require two-step verification. If a change is refused, the error usually explains which rule failed. After changing a work password, expect Outlook, Teams and other work apps to ask you to sign in again, and update the password on any phone or tablet that receives work email. If you are working remotely on a work laptop, connect to the organization's network or VPN when changing the password, if your IT team asks you to, so the laptop's stored password stays in step with the organization's.

Change your Windows Hello PIN

The PIN is what most people type every day on Windows 11, and it is changed separately from the password.

1. Open Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options.
2. Select PIN (Windows Hello), then Change PIN.
3. Enter your current PIN, then the new PIN twice. Check Include letters and symbols if you want a PIN that is more than digits.
4. Select OK.

A PIN is tied to this device and its security chip, so even a short PIN is safer than it looks: it cannot be used from another PC, and the chip locks out guessing after repeated wrong attempts. Still, avoid obvious PINs such as 1234 or birthdays. If you have forgotten your PIN, choose I forgot my PIN under the PIN option, or on the sign-in screen, and verify with your account password to set a new one. Our guide to changing, resetting and fixing a Windows Hello PIN covers the details, and the separate guide to "Something happened and your PIN isn't available" covers the most common PIN error.

Password, PIN, face, fingerprint or passkey: how they compare

Windows 11 offers several ways to prove it is you, and understanding them helps decide what to change and what to rely on day to day.

A sensible setup for most people is a strong, unique account password that you rarely type, a PIN or biometric for daily sign-in, and two-step verification on the Microsoft account. With that combination, changing the password after a breach is a five-minute job, and daily sign-in stays quick.

Change another user's password as an administrator

An administrator can set a new password for another local account on the same PC, for example when a family member has forgotten theirs. Be aware of one important side effect first: when an administrator sets a password this way, rather than the user changing it themselves, Windows cannot carry over some protected data. Files encrypted with Windows' file encryption, and passwords saved in Windows for websites and network drives, may become inaccessible to that user. For family PCs without file encryption, this rarely matters, but it is worth knowing.

From an administrator Command Prompt, run net user to list accounts, then net user Username * using the account name; Windows prompts for the new password twice without showing it on screen. On Pro, Enterprise and Education editions, Computer Management, opened by right-clicking Start, has Local Users and Groups, Users; right-click the user and choose Set Password. The older netplwiz window, User Accounts, also has a Reset Password button for local accounts.

For a family member's Microsoft account, an administrator on the PC cannot change it; the account's owner changes it online, or uses Microsoft's account recovery if they have forgotten it. For children's Microsoft accounts in a Microsoft family group, the child can reset the password through account recovery with a parent's help. Our guide to resetting another user's password from an admin account walks through each case.

After setting another user's password, tell them the temporary password in person, and ask them to change it to one of their own the next time they sign in. On Pro editions, the user's properties in Computer Management include User must change password at next logon, which enforces that automatically; check it when you set the temporary password. That way, only the user knows their final password, which is better for everyone.

Passwords on a shared family PC

On a family PC, each person should have their own account, with their own password or PIN, rather than sharing one account. That keeps files, browser history and saved passwords separate, and lets each person change their own password without affecting anyone else. A parent with an administrator account can reset a child's local account password when needed, as described above, and children's Microsoft accounts can be managed through the family group.

For younger children, a PIN is easier to remember than a password and safe enough on a home PC, since it works only on that device. Older children and teenagers benefit from learning good password habits on their own Microsoft account, with two-step verification through a phone app. Write down the adult administrator password and keep it somewhere safe outside the PC, such as with important papers; a family PC where nobody remembers the administrator password is a common and frustrating situation.

Change a password from the command line

For local accounts, Command Prompt and PowerShell can change passwords too, which is useful for scripts and remote administration. In an administrator Command Prompt, net user Username * prompts for a new password securely; net user Username NewPassword sets it directly, but leaves the password visible on screen and in command history, so avoid that form. Our guide to running Command Prompt as administrator shows how to open the right kind of window.

In PowerShell as administrator, $p = Read-Host -AsSecureString followed by Set-LocalUser -Name "Username" -Password $p changes it without displaying the password. These commands work only for local accounts; Microsoft account passwords are changed online, and work accounts through the organization's systems. To change your own password from the command line without administrator rights, Ctrl + Alt + Delete is simpler.

Forgot the password? That is a reset, not a change

Changing a password needs the current one, or an administrator. If you have forgotten it, the steps are different, and depend on the account type. For a Microsoft account, select I forgot my password on the sign-in screen, or use the account recovery page on another device, and verify with your email, phone or Authenticator app. For a local account, answer your security questions on the sign-in screen, use a password reset disk if you made one, or have another administrator on the PC set a new password. For a work or school account, use your organization's self-service reset or contact IT.

Our full guide to forgotten Windows passwords covers every route, including what to do when there is no other administrator and no reset option. If you want to remove a password entirely rather than change it, our guide to removing an administrator password explains the safe way and the risks.

When the only administrator password is lost

The hardest situation is a PC whose only administrator account has a forgotten local password, with no reset disk, no security questions and no other administrator. Without administrator rights, nobody can change passwords, install software or manage the PC. For a Microsoft account administrator, online recovery solves it. For a local administrator, the supported routes are limited: a password reset disk if one exists, security questions if they were set, or, as a last resort, resetting Windows, which removes apps and settings and can keep personal files with the Keep my files option if you can reach the recovery environment.

Tools that claim to remove or bypass Windows passwords exist, but they are risky, often bundled with malware, and can damage encrypted data; our guide to removing an administrator password explains why it recommends against them and what to do instead. The real fix is prevention: keep a second administrator account, or make sure the main one is a Microsoft account with up-to-date recovery details, and note the password somewhere safe outside the PC.

Make a password reset disk for a local account

For local accounts, a password reset disk is a simple insurance policy: a USB drive that lets you set a new password if you forget the current one, without needing another administrator. You make it once, while you still know the password, and it keeps working even if you change the password later.

1. Insert a USB drive.
2. Open Control Panel, select User Accounts, then User Accounts again, and choose Create a password reset disk in the left pane. You can also search the Start menu for create a password reset disk.
3. Follow the Forgotten Password Wizard, select the USB drive, and enter your current password when asked.
4. Label the drive and store it somewhere safe; anyone with it can reset your local password.

Reset disks work only for local accounts; Microsoft accounts use online recovery instead. Local accounts on recent Windows versions also have security questions as a recovery option, which you can update under Sign-in options, Password, Update your security questions. Choose answers that are not easy to look up, since anyone who knows them can reset your password at the sign-in screen.

Change password option missing or not working

If Settings has no Change button for the password, the cause is usually one of these. The account is a Microsoft account, so the option links to the website instead of changing it locally. The PC is set to only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts, an option under Sign-in options, Additional settings, which hides the password option to encourage passwordless sign-in; turn it off to see the password option again. The account is a work or school account managed by an organization that changes passwords through its own portal. Or a policy prevents users from changing their password, common on shared and kiosk PCs.

If the change fails with an error, check these. The new password may not meet the password policy on the PC, such as a minimum length or complexity, which work PCs and some home PCs have set; the error usually says so. The new password may match a recent one, which some policies forbid. The current password may be typed wrong, especially with Caps Lock on or a different keyboard layout active; check the language indicator on the taskbar. And for Microsoft accounts, the change needs an internet connection.

On Pro editions, the local password rules are in Local Security Policy, under Account Policies, Password Policy, where you can see the minimum length, maximum age and complexity requirements. net accounts in Command Prompt shows the same settings quickly. On a personal PC, these are rarely set; on a work PC, they come from IT.

Common mistakes when changing a Windows password

A handful of mistakes cause most password change problems. The first is changing the wrong thing: changing the PIN when the password was the problem, or trying to change a Microsoft account password on the PC instead of online. The second is keyboard state: Caps Lock or a different keyboard layout active during the change sets a password you then cannot type normally; check the language indicator on the taskbar before you start, and type the new password in a text box first if you are unsure.

The third is forgetting offline devices: a laptop that was offline when you changed your Microsoft account password still accepts the old one until it syncs, which can make you think the change failed. The fourth is a revealing hint: local account hints are visible to anyone at the sign-in screen, so a hint that is effectively the password defeats the point. And the fifth is not writing down a new administrator password on a PC with only one administrator account, which can lock everyone out of administrative tasks later. A minute of care avoids all five.

A sixth, less common mistake is changing a password on a PC that uses BitLocker or device encryption and assuming the recovery key changes too. It does not: the BitLocker recovery key is separate from your password and stays the same, stored in your Microsoft account or wherever it was saved. Changing your password never locks you out of an encrypted drive, but losing the recovery key can, so confirm you know where it is while you are thinking about sign-in security.

Windows 10: the same steps, older menus

Windows 10 handles passwords the same way, with slightly different labels. Local account passwords are changed under Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, Password, Change, or with Ctrl + Alt + Delete. Microsoft account passwords are changed online. The PIN is under Sign-in options, Windows Hello PIN, Change. Administrators use the same net user command, Computer Management and netplwiz to set other users' passwords.

Mainstream support for Windows 10 ended in October 2025; home PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates keep getting patches until October 2027. A PC that no longer gets security updates is more exposed, which makes a strong, unique password and a PIN for daily sign-in even more important until it is updated or replaced.

Choosing a good new password

A new password is only an improvement if it is strong and unique. The best passwords today are long rather than complicated: a passphrase of four or five unrelated words, at 16 characters or more, is both easier to remember and harder to crack than a short jumble of symbols. Never reuse a password from another site, since breaches of one site lead attackers to try the same password everywhere else, which is exactly the risk Ethan was closing.

A password manager makes unique passwords practical: it generates and remembers them for you, so you only remember one strong master password. For your Microsoft account, turn on two-step verification, so a stolen password alone is not enough to get in. And for everyday Windows sign-in, a Windows Hello PIN, face or fingerprint is both convenient and secure, since it never leaves the device. With those in place, the password itself is mostly for recovery and for signing in on new devices.

Changing a Windows password is quick once you know which lock you are changing: the local password on the PC, the Microsoft account password online, the work password through your organization, or the PIN on the device. Ethan's Microsoft account and PIN are new, his father's local account has a fresh password and a better hint, and neither will be reused anywhere else. Two-step verification and a password manager mean the next breach headline will be a shrug rather than an evening of changes.

Revision note. Written October 3, 2026, expanding our 2015 guide to changing a user account password into a complete guide for Windows 11 and 10. It covers account types, local, Microsoft and work passwords, the PIN, changing another user's password, the command line, forgotten passwords, missing options and failed changes, and choosing a strong password. May your passwords be long, unique and forgotten only by attackers.