Set or reset a Windows

administrator password

Set the administrator password

Universal steps
These steps work in every case as long as you're able to log in as an
administrator.

1. Press Win-r. In the "Open:" field, type compmgmt.msc, and then

press Enter.
2. Double-click the Users folder. On the right, in the list of local users,
right-click the account name for the Administrator account, and
select Set Password.

On some computers, the account will not be named

"Administrator" because the owner or administrator either
changed that name or added administrative accounts with
different usernames. In either case, you will need to know which
of the accounts in the list is the designated Administrator
account.

Note:

Security of Information Technology Resources policy (IT-12)  requires that

you normally refrain from running your Windows computer as an
administrator. For more, see About the principle of least privilege.

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Alternate methods
You can also change the administrator password using the "User
Accounts" control in the Control Panel. Some people may prefer this
method to the universal steps above. Follow the instructions below for
your situation and operating system.

If your computer is joined to Indiana University's

Active Directory
These instructions are for changing passwords for accounts residing
directly on your computer, not for Active Directory passwords. This
holds true even if your Active Directory account is an administrator on
the computer.

Windows 10 and Windows 8.x

1. Press Win-r. In the dialog box, type compmgmt.msc, and then press Enter.

2. Expand Local Users and Groups and select the Users folder.

3. Right-click the Administrator account and select Password.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete t