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6 Step-by-Step Ways: How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password

By Vernon Roderick, Last updated: January 3, 2024

We all know that Windows 10 is prone to many issues from update problems to missing files. There are also reports of crashing and freezing from many users. That is why it is quite crucial for users to know how to factory reset Windows 10 without password.

After all, factory reset is one of the easiest ways to resolve issues on Windows PC. Alas, it requires you to enter your password, so if you forgot it, it’s your funeral, except, that’s not completely true.

This article will be talking about how you can do factory reset even after forgetting your password. Let’s begin with what users normally do in the beginning.

Before We Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password:

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Part 1: 6 Ways on How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without PasswordPart 2: How to Recover Files after a Factory ResetPart 3: Conclusion

Part 1: 6 Ways on How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password

#1 How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password Normally

Our first entry is the most commonly used method by users. After all, it is the usual method developed by Windows PC and is the one that should be used if there’s no emergency. In other words, it is not a way on how to factory reset Windows 10 without password.

However, since it is connected to the next sections, you will have to learn how to do it normally first. Here are the steps on how you can use this method:

  1. Go to the Settings by pressing the gear icon on your Start menu.
  2. The Settings window should appear now. Select Update & Security.
  3. Go to the Recovery tab from the left panel.
  4. Under the Reset this PC, click on Get started.

Note: This will be the turning point of the process since making a mistake at this point would be very devastating to your Windows PC.

  1. Now there will be two options shown on the next page namely Keep my files and Remove everything. Depending on whether you want to keep your files or not, you can choose what you prefer.
  2. Next, if you selected Remove everything, you have to select whether you want to clean your drive or not. This will also be up to your preferences. If you didn’t choose to Remove everything, proceed to the next step and ignore this step.
  3. The next page should just be a warning. Simply click on Next.
  4. Click on Reset.
  5. Finally, select Continue.

How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password Normally

This will allow you to factory reset your computer. Now if you are wondering why this section got into this guide on how to factory reset Windows 10 without password, there is actually a reason.

On the Update & security window, you will be offered three options to recover your computer. The real method to factory reset even without the password is here, and that would be the Advanced startup section and the Go back to an earlier build under the Reset this PC section.

Let’s proceed on how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password by discussing how you can do it through the Advanced startup section.

After a factory reset, you might want to know how to recover files after a factory reset on Windows 10. Read on!

#2 How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password with Advanced Startup

The Advanced startup section has a lot of features to offer. However, the highlight of this is that it can help you learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without password.

This is because once you access Advanced startup, you can do things without even having to log in to your Windows 10 PC. However, there will be consequences if you happen to make a mistake when trying to use this feature.

With that said, you have to be careful when using this method. Also, you have to prepare the system image first:

  1. Insert the USB drive that you want to use for the system image.
  2. Launch ControlPanel on your Windows PC.
  3. Select Backup and Restore from the list of options.
  4. A window should appear by now. On the left side of the window, click on Create a system image.
  5. Now a new page will be shown. On a hard disk menu, click on the dropdown menu and select the USB drive where you want to save the system image.
  6. Click on Next.

This should create a system image on the said USB drive. With that system image, you’d be able to learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password now. So let’s proceed with the actual steps:

  1. Go to the Update & Security window the same way you did before.
  2. Select Recovery.
  3. Now this time, instead of the Reset this PC section, click the Restart now button under the Advanced startup
  4. This should promptly restart your PC and boot to the options menu. This menu should be familiar to you now since the first section also made use of this menu.
  5. Select Troubleshootthis time.
  6. Now click on Advanced options.
  7. Select System Image Recovery.
  8. Follow the onscreen instructions.

With this, you can easily learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password. The only downside is that you will need a USB drive for this method. If you don’t have one, then try using the next method.
How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password with Advanced Startup

#3 How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password If Computer is Acting Up

Sometimes, your computer will act up as if there is a problem with booting up. Unfortunately, this issue isn’t very easy to solve. This is because you won’t be able to access the Settings menu, thus making you unable to use any functions for repairing the PC.

However, learning how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password would solve the problem, but how can you do that without the Settings menu? Lucky for you, there is actually a method made especially for such occasions. Here’s how you can use this method:

  1. Press the Win key + Lon your keyboard to take you to the sign-in screen of your computer. Make sure you don’t actually log in.
  2. Click on the Power button at the bottom-right corner.
  3. Press and hold Shift key then select Restart from the resulting options.
  4. The PC should start in a different environment this time. So you should be seeing various options, but what you need to do is select Troubleshootfrom those options.
  5. Select Reset this PC.

With this, you can easily learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without password even if you can’t even log in to your Windows PC. Of course, you can always opt for easier methods if your computer is working fine.

#4 How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password Using Installation Media

Another way on how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password is to use an installation media that was created beforehand. An installation media is a drive that is used to install an operating system into a PC. However, in our case, we are simply installing the operating system you used before into your PC so that it can be factory reset.

  1. On your Windows 10 PC, go to the download website of Microsoft through this link.
  2. Now look for Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and then download it.
  3. Open the tool once it is installed.
  4. Select the Create installation media for another PC option once it is shown.
  5. Select the language, edition, and other information that you need. This should be according to your preferences, as well as the specs of your computer.
  6. Now follow the onscreen instructions and click on Finish at the end of the process.

You have now successfully created the installation media. All you have to do now is to restore from that installation media with these steps:

  1. Connect the installation media into the PC.
  2. Open a session of FileExplorer on your PC.
  3. On the File Explorer, select the drive that contains the installation media.
  4. There should be an executable file here. Simply open that file and click on Yes if prompted. This is usually shown to ask if you want to make any changes to your PC.
  5. Now select Change what to keep.
  6. There will be a couple of options. Simply select the one you want. You should be able to deduct what each option means since their description is straightforward.
  7. Click on Next.
  8. Select Install.

You have now successfully started the reinstallation, or in our case, factory reset, of your Windows PC. That’s pretty much how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password. If you don’t have a storage drive to store the installation media just like before, then perhaps a more simple method would suffice.
How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password Using Installation Media

#5 How to Factory Reset Windows 10 without Password with a New PC

Although it’s not as common a method as the previous four, there is a way on how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password but unfortunately, it is only limited to when you have only recently bought the Windows PC. To be more precise, this will only be effective for a limited time after the Windows 10 operating system is updated.

To use this method, you will have to follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Start menu by pressing the Win key on your keyboard.
  2. Now select the gear icon just like before to go to the Settings. Sometimes, there is also a text saying “Settings” beside the gear icon.
  3. Now go to Update &Security.
  4. Click on the Recovery option from the left panel.
  5. There should be a Go back to the previous version section as you might remember in the previous sections. Click on the Get started button under this section.
  6. Now follow the onscreen instructions.

This should be everything you need to know to learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password. However, to avoid further issues, you have to follow these tips as well:

  • Don’t try to delete the folders with the name windows.old in them. Those are the folders that contain the files that were previously on your computer.
  • Remove user accounts before you go back to the previous version.
  • Make sure you don’t do anything to the storage drive

Fortunately, this method on how to factory reset Windows 10 without password will keep your personal files, so it is safer than most methods. However, there is another easier method that might have slipped your mind.

#6 Reset Password

Remember that our goal is to learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password, however, what if you don’t need a password anymore? Fortunately, there’s a way to make our situation into that. This involves resetting your password. Since it is easier than resetting the operating system altogether, you will find this method to be a lot easier.

  1. Go to the sign-in screen the same way you did in one of the previous sections.
  2. Now answer the security questions that you have chosen when you were first setting up the Windows PC.

That is how you can reset the password. That way, you don’t even have to learn how to factory reset Windows 10 without password. However, the downside of this is that there are conditions for you to be able to do this.

For one, you have to know the answer to the security questions. If you don’t, you need to at least connect to the administrator. Without these conditions, you won’t be able to fulfill your goal.

Part 2: How to Recover Files after a Factory Reset

This section is not for learning how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password but for finding out how you can recover your files after a factory reset. After all, there is quite a huge chance that you will lose your files permanently if you don’t do anything. That is why I recommend FoneDog Data Recovery.

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FoneDog Data Recovery is a tool that allows users to quickly recover files of all kinds. Plus, it is available on Windows 10, so there shouldn’t be any compatibility issues. Nonetheless, try to look at this software up on the internet.

Part 3: Conclusion

There is no guarantee that you will always remember your password. After all, there are a lot of users that have already forgotten their passwords. Unfortunately, forgetting the password is equivalent to losing out on a lot of perks.

With this article, you should still be able to do one of the most important things to an expert, and that would be how to factory reset Windows 10 without a password.

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Vernon Roderick

Technical Expertise for PC/Website Optimization

One of my passion is to develop software of my own

I write articles to share knowledge about IT technology and some experience in developing my own software, and developing my own software is one of my passions for work.

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