Two years ago I forgot my windows password and I've been using a pin to login ever since. Today I restarted in safemode and found the pin is not available for safe mode login. Windows 10 only allows the forgotten password to enter from safe mode. I can't get in! This is my whole life! Please help. Locked down in Asia now with a phone and nothing else.
I'm using an Asus "BIOS Utility" (I guess my attempt to update drivers some time ago replaced the familiar BIOS).
A system restore point was created earlier this week.
1. Is there a way to restore to that point from BIOS?
2. Is there a way to use the older default BIOS instead of this "utility" upgrade?
3. Is there a way to boot normally (I have no boot disk setup) but do have empty USB (they always want the passwprd evem when loged in with the pin). Any way to get out of safemode to login using my pin?
What else can I do? Even Asus chat support seems only to function as an FAQ (unless this is off hours).
Trying twice, second attempt says "additional free space is needed on the drive where windows is installed. Free up some space and try again." ughhh...what?
I told it to delete everything. Maybe I should try the multi-hour clean wipe ~"for who are not keeping their PC."
No that will probably wipe your D. I think a risky option.
Do you have 2 drives (some laptops do)
Does it give you the option to format C Partition only?
If you’re still stuck in safe mode:
Try booting your machine with Windows 10 installation media
At the Install screen, click on "Repair" on the lower left.
Then Troubleshoot.
Advanced.
Command Prompt with Admin.
Select Command Prompt and type in the following:
bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot
If that gives an error, use:
bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot
Okay, after the new-user 24 waiting period I had to stop posting. UPDATE: SOLVED!!!
How? Well, I tried to do something seen elsewhere online, which was remove hardrive and plug it back in. That did NOT solve the "not enough space" to reset windows (totally weird, because I took out D drive too, and told it to erase everything on C - - MS engineers - - go figure; like you can't erase things first and then use the install partition?); HOWEVER, the shop with the special screwdriver, happened to have a techi boss. He used a thing that the mod here told us we're not allowed to talk about. Long story short, I dont have a password anymore. No reset required, only a click through "sign in". I still have my local account and C drive files, and if I want to I can set a password (the bane of my existance) again.
Glad you got it sorted.
I hope you understand that without knowing who owns the computer we can't help crack passwords.
If someone stole your laptop I am sure you would not want us to help them get access.
Cheers
PeterOz
I understand, and though I'm thankful for your help, it's quite possible that had I not accidentally stumbled upon the solution, I'd have maybe ended up with a brick. It seems that others like me might have lost everything many times, not knowing how easy it could have been to solve. Maybe, after all other efforts have been exausted, it's becomes legally and ethically okay to at least advise, that such advice is available elswhere. Lives, careers, savings, the people man! Don't let policies get in the way of the right thing. I'm not saying you can know the right thing without matching my signin ID to my governement ID. You're right, it's a sticky issue, however; the information is out there and the criminals already have it, what about the rest of us?
This is why it's so important that people create backups to external media regularly then there is no danger of losing important data or photos, etc. when things go south. You should do this immediately now that you have access again.
As for our policy, we feel it is ethical and doing the right thing by protecting access by potentially unauthorized individuals to data they may not own. I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate it if your idenity was stolen as a result and then you could possibly have many more serious problems for years to come.
We don't refer to other sites as that would in effect be helping which is against our policy. I think users know we are not the only website providing technical assistance but many do have the same type of policy when it comes to passwords/PINs. But there's also always the option of actually taking a computer to a tech shop as a sure way of getting these types of issues fixed which is what you did in the end.
I hope you understand that we don't put these restrictions in place to give people a hard time but rather in a concerted effort to protect them.
This is why we stress backups SO much. All hard drives fail; it is only a question of when your drive will fail.
A month or two ago, my father-in-law got scammed by a caller from "microsoft" Whatever he did changed his password. I was able to boot a linux live usb and reset his password for him.
While this is not difficult, we [generally] do not assist with resetting or removing passwords because it is impossible for us to determine who owns the machine.
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