Windows 10: Local Accounts Forgotten Passwords

I will describe my situation as best I can. I don't know what I did to get into this situation. Please be gentle with me. I'm not 25 anymore and in the intervening years since I was 25 I have killed a lot of braincells as decribed in the Baggar Vance movie. I am a one man show with no IT dept.
It seems that on my Windows 10 computer in my home office I have three Local accounts:

Administrator
User 1
User 2

There does not appear to be a password associated with Administrator
There is a pin associated with user 2 which I know
There is a password associated with user 1 which I do not know and the password hint is not meaningful. I have seen reference to a recovery file but if I made one I have no idea where it is now. I must have set it up the password and associated hint at some time in the past and at that moment it must have made sense but not anymore. The answer to the password hint must have been in some of the brain cells I killed off.

Now comes the really strange part. I am the only user of this computer. User 1 and User 2 are slight variations of my name. Most of my files were created with User 1. I don't know how but for the last few days my files have been updated in either user 2 or administrator and I cannot get access to user 1. I don't know what predicated the switch of accounts.

By now you will have realised that I am totally befuddled. Here's what I would like to do unless there is some reason that it is not a good idea.
1. As I am the only user of this computer I would like to get rid of all the passwords, pins, etc. Until this latest debacle I did not even know I had them.
2. Consolidate all the files into one account.

I have written down the url, username, and password for this forum as my memory is now useless and obviously I need to get back here to gather your pearls of wisdom. Thanks in anticipation.

:)

 

Local Account password changed to Online Account Password

Hi,

I suggest you to follow the steps on how to switch from Microsoft account to Local account:

• Click on search in taskbar and type account.
• Click on Accounts.
• Now, under Your account, click on Sign in with Local account instead.
• Enter your Microsoft account password for confirmation and then follow the screen instruction.
• Enter User name credentials for your the Local account and click OK.
• Now, login to Local account.

Hope it helps.

 

local account password forgotten

Hi,

Thank you for your response.

Apologize for delay in reply.

I suggest you to perform Safe Mode with Networking and check if you’re able to login using your Microsoft account.

Method 1: Safe mode.

Please follow below steps:

• • 
    Click on power button at left bottom corner, press and hold
    Shift key and click on Restart.
    
  • 
    Click on Troubleshoot.
    
  • 
    Click on Advanced options.
    
  • 
    Click on Startup Settings.
    
  • 
    Click on Restart.
    
  • 
    Login to Microsoft Account and create a new administrator account.
    

If you’re not able to login using Microsoft account then refer to below steps and check if it helps.

Method 2:
Activate Inbuilt Administrator Account.

Follow the below steps:

• • 
    Click on power button at left bottom corner, press and hold
    Shift key and click on Restart.
    
  • 
    Click on Troubleshoot.
    
  • 
    Click on Advanced options.
    
  • 
    Click on Command Prompt and enter following command.
    
    net user Administrator /active:yes
    

Now reboot your system and login to inbuilt admin account and try to reset password for other account. Once you reset password login to other account and to deactivate inbuilt admin account enter following command in elevated command prompt.

net user Administrator /active:no



Hope these information helps, please get back to us for future support, we’ll be glad to assist you further.

Thank you.

 

Forgotten Password!!

Thanks, Brink!

Was successful in changing the password on the person's local account. But leaving the 2 accounts showing on the login screen will be very confusing for the 82 yr old person owning the laptop..

As suggested, I signed in to the built-in Administrator account, and now both accounts are local account and Administrator?? Did I do something wrong?

Is this way to stop the built-in Administrator account from showing on the login screen:

1. Hold the Windows Key while pressing “R” to bring up the Windows Run dialog box.
2. Type: net user administrator /active:no
3. Press “Enter“.