How to Log Onto Windows 7 Laptop without a Password

Lucas Seltzer Updated on Apr 15, 2022 5:58 PM

I forgot my Dell laptop password and locked out of it, now I have to use the machine to finish my project. How can I open my laptop without the stupid password? I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate.

One strange thing you learn after setting up a password in the Windows 7 laptop is that your memory is pretty terrible and you couldn't remember what the password is all of a sudden. So as long your laptop is not badly damaged, you have ways to access Windows 7 without password.

Logging into someone's laptop without permission is committed a crime. With that in mind, check out these methods to get into Windows 7 laptop by resetting or removing the forgotten password.

1. By Resetting a Password on Windows 7 Laptop

This part involves resetting password on the login screen instead of totally bypassing it, but only works if you already have a password reset disk before you're locked out.

Boot the laptop to the log-in screen, and press Enter.
Click the "Reset password" link right beneath the password box
Pop the previously created password reset disk into the locked laptop.
Follow Windows Password Reset Wizards to change or reset password for Windows 7 laptop.

Once you regain access to your Windows 7 laptop as usual, use Windows built-in feature to create a password reset disk for Windows 7 local user account in case forgetting current password again.

2. By Removing Password in Locked Windows 7 Laptop

If you cannot find the password reset disk or you've never created one, go straight to this part that is aimed to log on a Windows 7 laptop without using a password . There' re three ways of doing this. All are effective and usually work.

Method 1: Use a Program (the most efficient solution)

The headaches of losing a Windows 7 password on a laptop are thing of the past, and Spower Windows Password Reset tool makes getting into the Windows 7 laptop without asking for password a possible.

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As a password cracker, the desktop application is developed nicely for actually removing password from the login screen and thus you have great chance of accessing laptop's hard drive without going to logging in Windows 7. It's easy-to-use and literally takes a few minutes to create a password reset disk and then reset lost password of a local admin account or standard user account. You can even create a new user account using the Ultimate edition of the software (Edition comparisons among Standard, Platinum and Ultimate).

Besides working on Windows 7 (32-bit & 64-bit), it can reset Windows 10, 8.1, 8, Vista, XP password on any brand of laptops as well. Follow the tutorial closely and you could then get in a Windows 7 laptop with no password required. Everything should work safe and it won't damage the system and wipe of any accounts or files stored on it.

Step 1: Download and Installation

Download the software and use the on-screen prompts to get it installed on another computer that you've available for access.

Step 2: Create a password reset USB drive

Run it and you'll need to burn a bootable password reset disk. Insert an empty CD/DVD or USB to accessible computer.

When it's recognized, choose it from the drop-down list, and then press CD/DVD button, or the USB device button to start burning.

Step 3: Boot locked laptop from password reset disk

Connect the password reset disk to the locked Windows 7 laptop. Start or restart the computer and set it boot from CD/DVD or USB.

Tip: There's slight difference among the computer manufactures on configuring the boot order in Windows, If need more details, you can refer to the articles below:

Step 4: Reset password to blank in Windows 7 laptop

After the locked laptop booting up, you will get into a window like the image below. You just select Windows 7 system and the account whose password you need to remove, then click Reset button.

Next up, click Reboot button to restart the system, then again you can access locked laptop without Windows 7 password and bypass the login screen.

Method 2: Use (Hidden) Administrator Account

Windows 7 allows creating more than one user account in the system. If there's an admin account (not the hidden admin) on the machine, take advantage of its privileges to regain access to locked Windows 7 laptop without using the forgotten password.

Turn on Windows 7 laptop, and access it with admin password.
Click Start, then select Control Panel from the menu.
Click "User Accounts" link, then "Manage another account" link located at the bottom of "Make changes to your user account" area.
Choose that user account you tend to delete the password, and click "Remove the password" link, and you're able to login to the laptop in Windows 7 with no password needed.
You can also click on "Change the password" link to reset the forgotten one to a new password. There's no need to remember or know the current password.

If you've enabled the built-in admin account, you need to implement these steps before going to Control Panel.

Boot or reboot laptop and press F8 repeatedly.
From the Advanced Boot Options screen, choose Safe Mode.
Type in 'Administrator' in Username, and leave the password blank to login to the hidden admin account.
Then navigate to Control Panel and remove password from Windows 7 laptop.

Method 3: Force to Launch Command Prompt

It's possible to use command prompt to enable a disabled administrator account, so you can unlock your own laptop and get access to Window 7 system without password.

Power on Windows 7 PC, tap F8 continuously to open Advanced Boot Options window.
Use arrow keys to choose "Start Windows Normally" and press Enter.
Turn on the laptop again, and on the screen, choose "Launch Startup Repair" option to let Windows search for problems.
When it completes, click on "View problems details" arrow, scroll down and click the last link.
Then on the top of the opening windows, click File > Open. Navigate to C: drive (or whatever drive on which windows is installed), and then open the Windows\System32 folder. Change to Type of File to "all files" rather than just text files.
Scroll down and look for a file named "sethc". Right click on it and choose Rename to change it to anything else.
Now scroll down to cmd, right click on it and choose Copy. Then paste it and rename it as "sethc".
Close all Windows, reboot the laptop. When it's at login screen, press Shift key 5 times to launch Command Prompt.
Type net user and press Enter. All the windows accounts will be listed, then type the account you wish to change, such as net user Lucas *.
You can type a new password for that account. Or if you want to get to Windows 7 account on a laptop without login, just leave it that way and press Enter.
Now close Command Prompt window and you can now log on Windows 7 laptop without a password.