How To Factory Reset Windows Laptop Without Password

Posted by technationdude May 28, 2024

We have probably all been here before when we forgot what password was used on our Windows 10 or Windows 11 laptop whether the laptop is our current or an older laptop we have had stored away for a while.

Now you are looking to either sell it or pass it down to a family member but realize you don’t remember the password to log into Windows well the best thing to do is factory reset the Windows laptop without the need to login, it’s a much faster way too.

What Will A Factory Reset Do To My Windows Laptop?

A factory reset will wipe all the data and programs you have added to the laptop over time and restore the laptop to its factory store brought condition as if it was a brand new laptop again.

A factory reset is the best option if you are selling or giving your laptop away and you want to make sure you clear all your data, music, photos, application, and history from it which is always the best option when it comes to selling your Windows laptop.

In the below methods, we will be teaching you how to factory reset your windows 10 laptop or windows 11 without needing the password.

How To Factory Reset Windows PC Without The Password

If you are already logged into the windows Pc or laptop then you can go to System then Recovery and finally Reset This PC.

But if you are ready for this article most likely it’s the other way around where you do not have access to log into Windows so if this is the case you can follow the below steps below.

See Which Is Better Windows 10 & 11 Or Macbooks, iMacs, and Mac Minis For Programming.

Factory Reset From The Windows Recovery Mode

Windows Recovery Mode is a system that can be accessible when you are first booting up your windows laptop but depending on your laptop manufacturer there are different methods to access this system.

Normally you can power on your laptop and keep pressing the F11 button but when you see Windows booting and this should get you to the Windows 10 or Windows 11 recovery mode system.

If not then check either your manufacturer user manual or search Google to find how to boot into this menu on your specific brand of laptop.

Please note: You can also use a Windows live CD or Windows Live Recovery USB to bypass your Windows login and can then go into recovery mode this way.

Once you have booted into the Windows Recovery mode you will need to follow the below steps to factory reset your windows PC.

  1. From the Windows Recovery Menu choose Troubleshoot.
  2. Then click on Reset This PC.
  3. Now you will see 2 options which are Keep my files and Remove everything.
  4. We recommend if you are not keeping the Windows laptop Remove everything to give the laptop a full factory reset.
  5. You will now see another 2 options which are cloud download and local reinstall.
  6. We recommend choosing Local reinstall.
  7. Now choose fully clean the drive.
  8. then click the Reset button to start the full factory reset procedure.
  9. This process could take over 1 hour depending on how big your hard drive is.
  10. Once it has been completed you will be met with the Windows setup screen.
  11. You can make a Microsoft account and log in or add a new Administrator user.

How To Factory Reset Using The Laptop Recovery Partition Without The Password

Something you may not know is every laptop manufacturer has added a special recovery partition on the hard drive of your Windows laptop so you can access it in case of emergencies such as needing to factory reset and forgetting your password.

You will need to consult your laptop manufacturer’s user manual on how to access their special recovery partition but we have made a list of some of the more popular laptop brands below and how to enter the recovery partition.

Factory Reset A Dell Laptop In Recovery Mode

If you own a Dell laptop, they use a recovery partition which you can access using SupportAssist OS which is built into your Dell laptop.

  1. Power on your Dell laptop or PC and press F12 multiple times.
  2. Now you will enter Dell’s BIOS system.
  3. Go to other options then press the enter key on SupportAssist OS Recovery.
  4. Then give it roughly a minute or two until you see a screen that has the icon Restore System.
  5. Click on the Restore System icon then on the blue button labeled Restore Now.
  6. Now keep pressing next until you get to the section which says Do you want to backup your files?
  7. We suggest if you are selling or giving the laptop away, choose the Skip button which will wipe all data.
  8. Now select a reason why you are doing the factory reset and click the next button.
  9. Wait for the process to finish then click on the Finish button.

That’s it your Dell laptop will now have been fully factory reset you can proceed to set up a new Windows 10 or Windows 11 on it.

Factory Reset A Lenovo Laptop In Recovery Mode

Lenovo uses its own proprietary system called OneKey Recovery which helps you factory reset the laptop without needing a password.

This option is only on the Ideapad versions of the Lenovo laptop series.

Follow the below steps to factory reset a Lenovo easily.

  1. Get a pointed object such as a paperclip or hairpin.
  2. There will be a button called Novo and it’s located on the left-hand side of your Lenovo laptop next to the ethernet jack.
  3. Turn on the laptop and then press and hold the Novo button from above.
  4. You will now see a menu called the Novo Button Menu.
  5. Choose System Recovery from this menu. (On some models of Lenovo you can press F10, F8, or F12 when the Lenovo is turning on to enter the System Recovery)
  6. Now, wait until the OneKey Recovery window appears.
  7. You can now select Restore From Initial Backup then click the Start button on the bottom right of the screen.
  8. This will now start the full factory reset of your Lenovo laptop you will need to wait up to an hour for this to complete or longer.
  9. Once this has finished you will be met with the normal Windows setup screen so you can go and make a new Windows account on the laptop again.

Reinstall Windows Using A USB Flash Drive IF you Have Forgotten The Password

If you have not been able to factory reset your Windows 10 laptop or Windows 11 laptop then this will be a surefire way for you being able to achieve the factory reset.

You will need to get a USB flash drive and make sure it is at least 8GB and over of space to make it bootable.

You will be formatting the USB drive so make sure you have saved any data from it you need.

  1. Download the official Windows 10 or 11 ISO from Microsoft
  2. Now download a free software called Rufus on your Windows PC.
  3. Now open the new program you just downloaded called Rufus.
  4. Under device select your USB flash drive.
  5. Now under the boot selection click select then find the Windows 10 ISO or Windows 11 ISO you just downloaded.
  6. Scroll to the bottom and click on Start to being burning the ISO to your USB flash drive.
  7. If a warning message pops up choose OK.
  8. Once the process has finished unplug the USB stick and put it in the Windows laptop you are looking to reinstall Windows on.
  9. Turn the Windows laptop on and you will now see the Windows setup screen.
  10. Proceed to set up the Windows laptop as if it was a new installation.

Final Thoughts

We have shown you how to factory reset a windows laptop without a password and give you many different methods on how to do it including factory resetting certain models of laptops and more.

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