Can You Recover a Forgotten Win10 Password Without Resetting?

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A user is seeking assistance for a friend who has forgotten her password on a standalone PC. They are exploring options to log in without resetting the device to factory settings. Key considerations include checking for an administrator account and whether the friend has a Microsoft account for potential recovery. There are third-party programs available, some of which can disable the password requirement instead of changing it, but caution is advised due to potential risks of data loss associated with certain Microsoft security features. Resources for password recovery tools for Windows 10 are also suggested.
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TL;DR
Forgotten password, unable to log in in Windows10.
Hi All,
A friend has forgotten her password and is unable to log in. Just clarifying, I have knoen her for long and I am sure it is her PC, on which I have worked a few times, so it is not a rando who may have stolen a PC. Is it possible to login without resetting to factory condition?
 
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Is there an administrator account on this PC? Does she have a Microsoft account she can log into?
 
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It's a stand alone PC. I will have to check those details. Thanks.
 
There are also many third party programs available, some free for home use.

At least some of them turn off the password requirement rather than change it. This may or may not trigger the Microsoft function of killing some files/information. Suggest you investigate that MS 'feature' before running anything.

https://www.google.com/search?&q=password+recovery+tool+windows+10+free+download

Cheers,
Tom
 

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