Windows lacks a password setting.
Windows lacks a password setting.
She recently bought a new computer and replaced her old one. Now she needs access to its files but can’t recall the password. The system is running Windows 10 with a Windows Live account. Since the device was already using that account, changing it through email isn’t possible.
Insert the HDD into her existing PC and simply retrieve the files without any password requirements.
Have you considered connecting the drive to another system as a slave, like the D: drive? This would let you access files (photos, documents, videos, etc.) without relying on the main operating system (Windows). After retrieving the desired data, use tools such as AOMEI Partition Manager to remove the partition, rebuild it, and format it. Start fresh with a clean slate by installing Windows via the Windows Media Creation Tool on the new machine.
Switch the boot drive to the new PC HDD and it's ready to use...
Not unless the new laptop is designed to be sealed and only supports a single hard drive...
This method won't function with Live accounts, especially without risking login access after modifying system files—something Microsoft emphasized to prevent. Instead, consider using an external drive enclosure connected via USB or SATA, ensuring you boot from a fresh drive rather than the original one. This avoids BitLocker issues and keeps your password removal process safe.