How to change your Windows Password

  • December 17, 2012
  • Read 64,133 times
 

A basic task that all Windows users should know how to do is to change their password. If your computer becomes compromised or you are concerned that someone may know your password, you should immediately change it in Windows. To do this, please following the steps for the version of Windows you are currently using.

If you find that you do not have the ability to change your password when following these steps, please see this troubleshooting step.

If you have any questions regarding these steps, please ask in the tech support forums.

 

How to change your Windows password in Windows XP

To change your password in Windows XP, click on the Start button and then click on the Control Panel option. When the Control Panel opens, switch to Classic View and then double-click on the User Accounts icon. If you are an administrator of the computer, you will be shown a screen where you can select the account whose password you would like to change. Please select the account that you wish to manage and you will be at a screen similar to the one below. If you are not an administrator you will automatically be brought to the screen below for your account.

 

XP User Accounts Control Panel

 

Click on the Change my password option and you will be brought to a page where you can change your password.

 

Change Password screen

 

Enter in your current password and then the password that you would like to switch it to. You can also add a hint that will be used if you forget your password. Once you have entered the new password, please click on the Change Password button. Your Windows password will now be changed and you can close the User Accounts and Control Panel windows.

 

How to change your Windows password in Windows Vista and Windows 7

To change your password in Windows Vista or Windows 7 click on the Start button and then type Change Password in the search field. When the search results appear, please click on the Change your Windows Password option. This will open up the User Accounts control panel screen as shown below.

 

Windows 7 User Accounts Control Panel

 

Click on the Change your password option and a screen will appear where you can enter the new password.

 

Windows 7 Change your Password screen

 

Type in your current password and then enter the new one you wish to use. When you are ready to change the password, click on the Change password button. Your Windows password has now been changed and you can close the User Accounts screen and the Control Panel.

 

How to change your Windows password in Windows 8

To change your password in Windows 8, type change password at the Windows Start Screen. When the search results appear, click on the Settings category and then click on the Change your password option. This will open the Users settings screen where you can change your password.

 

Users Settings screen

 

Click on the Change your password option and you will be brought to a screen where you need to confirm your existing password.

 

Windows 8 confirm current password

 

Enter your current password and press the Next button.

 

Windows 8 Change password screen

 

Enter your new password and a hint that will be shown in the event that you forget it. When you are ready click on the Next button and you will be brought to a page where Windows 8 confirms that you wish to makes the changes.

 

Windows 8 Change password confirmation

 

If you wish to change your password click on the Finish button. Your Windows 8 password will now have been changed and you can close the PC Settings screen.

 

What to do if you cant change your password

It is possible for an Administrator to specify that a particular user is unable to change their password. You will know if this was done to your account as you will use the above steps, but not see an option to change your password. If you are not the Administrator of your computer then you will need to contact them to allow you to change your password. If you are the Administrator and you would like a particular account to be able to change their password, please follow the steps below.

On Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 click on the Start button and then right click on the Computer option and then select Manage. In Windows 8, type Computer at the Windows 8 Start Screen. When it appears in the search results, right-click on Computer and then left-click on Manage. You will now be shown the Computer Management screen as shown below.

 

Computer Management screen

 

Expand the Local Users and Group category by clicking on the little triangle to the left of it. This will expand the view so that you can see the Users and Groups folders underneath it. Click on the Users folder and you will see a list of all the accounts on your computer in the right pane.

 

Users folder

 

Double-click on the account that you wish to give permission to change their password. This will open the account's properties screen.

 

Account Properties screen

 

Uncheck the checkbox labeled User cannot change password and then click on the Apply button followed by the OK button. You can then close the Computer Management screen.

This account now has the ability to change their password.

Users who read this also read:

  • How to find the License Agreement for the Installed version of Windows Image
    How to find the License Agreement for the Installed version of Windows

    When you install Windows, you are shown the Windows license agreement that provides all the legal language about what you can and cannot do with Windows and the responsibilities of Microsoft. Finding this license agreement, afterwards, is not as easy.  This tutorial will explain how to find the license agreement for the edition of Windows installed on your computer.

  • How to reset your Windows Password using a Windows Password Reset Disk Image
    How to reset your Windows Password using a Windows Password Reset Disk

    If you have forgotten your Windows password and have previously created a Windows Password Reset Disk, you can use this disk to change your password to a new one. This will allow you to login to Windows again using the new password. This tutorial will walk you through the steps of resetting a Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 password using a Password Reset Disk.

  • How to create a command-line toolkit for Windows Image
    How to create a command-line toolkit for Windows

    If you are a system administrator, IT professional, or a power user it is common to find yourself using the command prompt to perform administrative tasks in Windows. Whether it be copying files, accessing the Registry, searching for files, or modifying disk partitions, command-line tools can be faster and more powerful than their graphical alternatives. This tutorial will walk you through ...

  • How to create a Windows Password Reset Disk Image
    How to create a Windows Password Reset Disk

    Whenever you create a new account in Windows, you should create a password reset disk that allows you to reset your Windows account password if you forget it. If you have a lot of users and do not wish to create a reset disk for each one, then you should at least create one for the administrator account on that computer. You can then use that administrator account to change any other user's ...

  • How to use a picture password in Windows 8 Image
    How to use a picture password in Windows 8

    Windows 8 includes a feature called picture passwords that allow you to login to your account by using gestures on an image with your finger or your mouse. This is especially useful for tablets where you want to avoid typing if you can. Instead of typing in a password, you select a picture and then create three gestures on it to act as your password. When you create the picture password you can ...

 

Comments:

blog comments powered by Disqus
search tutorials
Mandiant mWise Conference 2024

Login