If you forgot your Windows 10 or Windows 11 password and you can’t get into your PC, in this video I walk you through the method that actually works in 2026—without reinstalling Windows and without losing your files. The first thing I clarify is the account type, because that changes everything: you either have a local user account saved on the computer, or a Microsoft online account tied to an email address. I can reset a local account password directly, but I can’t “reset” the Microsoft online password from inside Windows the same way. What I do is create a bootable USB (8GB or higher) using another computer. I download Hiren’s BootCD PE (the x64 ISO), then I use Rufus to write it to the USB. After that, I boot the locked laptop from the USB using the correct boot menu key (like F12/F11/F2 depending on your model). Inside Hiren’s, I open the password tool, select the user, and change the password for local accounts. If the machine is using a Microsoft online account, my workaround is activating the built-in Administrator account, setting a password, and rebooting. Once you log in as Administrator, you have access to the folders and files on the PC—so you can copy what you need immediately.