How to Create a Password in Windows

Go to the User Accounts area of Control Panel to set a computer password

This article explains how to create a password on a computer running Windows.

The specific steps you need to follow to put a password on your computer differ somewhat depending on the version of Windows you have.

You can create a password from Control Panel. Once you do, use it to log on to Windows from that point forward, unless you remove your Windows password someday or set up your computer to log in automatically.

Open Control Panel. The easiest way to do that is by entering the word control in the Start menu or Run dialog box. Another way in Windows 8 is through the Power User Menu by pressing Win+X.

Select User Accounts (Windows 11/10) or User Accounts and Family Safety (Windows 8).

If you're viewing the applets by their icons instead of in category view on Windows 11 or 10, proceed to Step 4 after choosing User Accounts. If you're on Windows 8 in this view, you won't even see this option; open User Accounts instead and then skip down to Step 4.

Open User Accounts.

Choose Make changes to my account in PC settings.

Select Sign-in options. If you're using Windows 11, you'll see this only after selecting Accounts on the left

Under the Password area, choose Add.

Enter the new password in the first two text fields. You have to do it twice to make sure you type the password correctly.

In the Password hint field, enter something that will help you remember the password should you forget it, and then select Next.

Choose Finish to complete the new password setup.

You can now exit out of any windows you opened to make the password, like Settings or PC settings.

It's always a good idea to create a password reset disk after creating a new password. If your password is really complex and you don't want to make a reset disk, consider storing it in a password manager.

Control Panel is used to set a password on Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

Open Control Panel from the Start menu.

Select User Accounts and Family Safety (Windows 7) or User Accounts (Windows Vista).

If you don't see this link while creating or resetting your password in Windows 7, it's because you're using Control Panel in a view that just shows icons or links to the applets, and this one isn't included. Open User Accounts instead, and then go on to Step 4.

Choose User Accounts.

In the Make changes to your user account area, select Create a password for your account.

Type the password you want to use in the first two text boxes.

Enter something useful in the Type a password hint text box. This step is optional but we highly recommend that you use it. If you try logging in to Windows but enter the wrong password, this hint will pop up, hopefully jogging your memory.

Choose Create password to confirm your new password.

You can now close out of any open windows you used to reach the page for changing the password.

Follow these steps to put a password on your computer if it has Windows XP installed:

Navigate to Start > Control Panel.

Choose User Accounts.

If you're in the Category View of Control Panel, you'll need to select it again on the next screen.

Select your username in the or pick an account to change area.

Choose the Create a password link.

In the first two text boxes, enter the password you would like to start using.

Choose Create Password to confirm your new password.

The next screen might ask Do you want to make your files and folders private?. If other user accounts will be set up on this PC and you'd like to keep your personal files private, select Yes, Make Private.

If you're not concerned about this kind of security or this account is the only account on your PC, you can choose No.

You can now close the User Accounts window and the Control Panel window.

To find the Wi-Fi password in Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Network and Sharing Center. Go to Connections, choose your Wi-Fi network, select Wireless Properties, and choose the Securities tab. Check the Show Characters box to view your password.

To reset your Windows password if you log in with your Microsoft account, you'll need to reset your Microsoft account password. Go to Microsoft's Recover Your Account page, enter your email, and follow the prompts to validate your identity and set a new password.

To remove your Windows password, go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options. Open the Password menu, select Change, enter the current password, and select Next. In the box that appears, leave everything blank and click Next again. Select Finish to remove your password.

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