Forgot Windows Admin Password? Fix it Now [2025]

Introduction

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the steps to regain access to your local admin account using Windows’ built-in tools.

If your computer is BitLocker-protected, this guide will show you how to unlock it and regain access. However, the method also works for systems without BitLocker, so you can follow along regardless of your setup. 🙂

Get Your BitLocker Recovery Key

To proceed, you need your BitLocker recovery key. If you don’t have it yet, follow these steps:

Go to your Microsoft account on another device:
- Visit https://account.microsoft.com/devices
Find your PC in the list of registered devices.
Look for the Recovery Key, which is a 48-digit key—you’ll need this later.

Scenario 1 – Completely Locked Out

If you cannot log into your PC at all and don’t have another admin account, follow these steps:

Step 1: Boot Into Windows Setup & Open Command Prompt

Create a bootable USB drive:
- Download a Windows 10/11 ISO from Microsoft.
- Use Rufus to create a bootable USB.
Boot from the USB:
- Plug the USB into your PC.
- Restart your PC and enter the boot menu (press F2, F12, ESC, or DEL, depending on your PC).
- Select the USB drive and boot into the Windows Setup screen.
Open Command Prompt:
- At the Windows Setup screen, press Shift + F10.
- This will open the Command Prompt.

Step 2: Identify Your Windows Partition

1. At the Command Prompt, type:

diskpart

(This will open the Disk Partition Tool.)

2. List all available drives:

list disk

Identify the disk containing Windows (usually Disk 0).

3. Select the correct disk:

select disk 0

(Replace 0 with the correct disk number if needed.)

Step 3: Show and Mount the Hidden Partition

1. List all partitions on the selected disk:

list partition

2. Identify the system partition (usually the largest one). Select this partition:

select partition x

(Replace X with the correct partition number.)

3. Assign a drive letter:

assign letter=C

(Now, the hidden partition should be mounted as C:)

Step 4: Unlock the BitLocker Drive

1. Now that the drive is mounted, you need to unlock it:

manage-bde -unlock C: -RecoveryPassword YOUR-48-DIGIT-KEY

Example:

manage-bde -unlock C: -RecoveryPassword 123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456-123456

2. If successful, your drive should now be accessible.

Step 5: Modify System Files

1. Change the directory to the System32 folder:

cd c:\windows\system32

2. Backup the Sticky Keys file to the C:\windows\ folder:

copy sethc.exe ..

3. Replace sethc.exe with the Command Prompt executable:

copy cmd.exe sethc.exe

4. Close the Command Prompt and boot back into Windows.

Step 6: Create a New Admin Account

1. At the Windows login screen, press Shift 5 times.

(This will open the Command Prompt.)

2. Create a new admin user and add it to the local administrators group:

net user "username" "password" /add
net localgroup administrators "username" /add

(Replace "username" and "password" with your desired name and password.)

3. Close the command prompt and restart your computer. Now, you can log in with your newly created admin account.

Step 7: Restore System Files

1. Once you regain access, restore sethc.exe to its original state:

robocopy C:\windows C:\windows\system32 sethc.exe /B
del C:\windows\sethc.exe

(This ensures Sticky Keys functions normally again.)

Scenario 2 – Have Another Admin Account

If you can log into your PC with a different account but need to recover access to another admin account, follow these steps instead.

Step 1: Boot Into Recovery Mode

Restart your PC while holding Shift.
Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
Windows will ask for your BitLocker key—enter your 48-digit recovery key.

Step 2: Modify System Files