Follow these steps in order, stopping as soon as one works.
- Try the built‑in reset options on the sign‑in screen
- On the password box, select I forgot my password (for Microsoft account) or follow the guidance for a local account reset.
- For a Microsoft account, use the online reset flow described in Change or reset your Windows password and Forgot your Microsoft account password.
- For a local account, follow Reset your Windows local account password from the sign‑in screen.
If the password reset succeeds, sign in and then review your sign‑in options and update methods so this doesn’t recur.
- Use Safe Mode sign‑in (password only) If PIN/Hello are blocking access but the account password still works:
- At the sign‑in screen, select Power > Restart while holding Shift.
- After restart, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
- Sign in using the account password (PIN and biometrics are not available here).
- Once signed in, remove and re‑set Windows Hello/PIN if needed.
- Try another account If there is another account on the device:
- On the sign‑in screen, pick a different account in the lower‑left, or choose Other user and enter its credentials.
- Once signed in with an admin account, open Settings and manage the locked account (change password, enable/disable, etc.).
- If none of the above work Use the targeted help articles for the specific symptom:
- If the message is about not being able to sign in to the account or a corrupted profile, see:
- "We can't sign in to your account" error message
- Fix a corrupted user profile
- If the issue is with PIN/Windows Hello, use:
- Forgot your PIN / Change or reset your PIN in Windows
- Windows Hello common issues and troubleshooting tips
If no method allows sign‑in and password reset fails for both Microsoft and local accounts, the remaining option is usually to back up data using external means (if possible) and perform a clean install, which will remove installed apps and settings.
References: