How to Reset Your Microsoft Account Password

You are staring at a sign-in box that keeps rejecting you, or you simply want a fresh, stronger password before something goes wrong. Either way, getting back into your Microsoft account comes down to picking the right path.

The correct path depends on one thing: whether you still know your current password. If you do, you change it from the security dashboard or from inside Windows. If you are locked out, you reset it through verification, and only if that fails do you fall back to the recovery form.

This guide walks through every verified method, fastest and most common first, with the exact buttons to press on the web, on the Windows sign-in screen, in Windows Settings, and for work or school accounts.

Reset a Forgotten Password From the Web

This is the most common situation: you are locked out and need a new password. Microsoft must confirm your identity using a recovery email or phone before it lets you set one.

1. 1.On the sign-in page select "Forgotten your password?", or go directly to the Reset password link.
2. 2.Enter the username (email, phone, or Skype) for the account, then select "Next".
3. 3.Choose how you want to receive a verification code from the options shown, then select "Next".
4. 4.Retype the first part of your email address, or the last four digits of the phone number shown, then select "Get code".
5. 5.Retrieve the code from your recovery email or phone, type it, then select "Next".
6. 6.Type your new password, then select "Next" to finish.

If no option appears for where to send a code, or you no longer have access to any verification option listed, use the sign-in helper tool instead. That tool is the bridge between the standard reset and the recovery form below.

Change a Password You Already Know From the Web

If you can still sign in and just want a routine update (or you suspect someone else has access), change it from the account security dashboard. Changing the password is the recommended move for a compromised account, because it signs out other sessions.

1. 1.Sign in at account.microsoft.com.
2. 2.Select the "Security" (shield) section, then select the "Change Password" (key icon) link at the top.
3. 3.Enter your new password in the field provided.
4. 4.Optionally check the box to update your password every 72 days.
5. 5.Select "Save".

If you cannot complete these steps for any reason, switch to the forgotten-password reset flow above instead.

Reset From the Windows Sign-In Screen

Locked out of a PC that signs in with your Microsoft account? You can start the reset right from the lock screen.

1. 1.At the Windows sign-in screen, select "I forgot my password".
2. 2.Follow the prompts to verify your identity and create a new password.

If that option is not visible, use the alternative path: at the sign-in screen select "Sign-in options", then select "Web sign-in", follow the prompts to begin signing in, then select "Forgot my password".

Change Your Password From Within Windows Settings

Already signed in to Windows and know your current password? Update it without leaving your desktop.

1. 1.Open the Settings app and go to Accounts > "Sign-in options" (or run the shortcut ms-settings:signinoptions).
2. 2.Select "Password", then select "Change".
3. 3.Enter your old password, then follow the instructions to enter and confirm your new password.

If you have forgotten the current password during this flow, select "Forgot my current password", complete verification, and create a new password.

Recover the Account When No Verification Method Works

This is the last resort, for when you have lost access to every registered phone and email and the sign-in helper could not get you in. The recovery form asks you to prove ownership by answering account-specific questions.

1. 1.Open the account recovery form (use it only after trying the Sign-in Helper tool first).
2. 2.Provide a working email account you can access; Microsoft will send instructions there, and it can even belong to a friend or relative.
3. 3.Answer the account-specific questions: contacts and exact email subject lines for Outlook or Hotmail, Skype ID and contacts for Skype, console hardware IDs for Xbox, and previous passwords you have used.
4. 4.Answer as many as you can, as thoroughly as you can; guessing is fine because wrong answers do not count against you.
5. 5.Submit the form. Microsoft reviews your answers and responds within 24 hours.

To improve your odds, enter email subject lines exactly, check saved passwords in Edge, Chrome, or your device keychain, and submit from a device and location you normally use. If it does not work, you can try again, up to two times per day. On success, Microsoft uses that same working email to send instructions for signing back in.

Reset a Work or School Account Password

Organizational accounts (the ones issued by an employer or school) use a separate self-service flow tied to your registered security info. This only works if your administrator enabled the feature and you previously registered at least one verification method.

1. 1.Go to the security info sign-in page at mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info.
2. 2.At the sign-in screen, select "Can't access your account?".
3. 3.Enter your work or school email or username, complete the CAPTCHA by typing the characters shown, then select "Next".
4. 4.Choose one verification method (Authenticator app, phone call, text message, email, security questions, or security key) and supply the requested information.
5. 5.Complete a second verification step if your administrator requires it.
6. 6.Enter and confirm a new password that meets your organization's complexity rules.

If you see "Please contact your administrator", the password is managed on-premises or the feature is not enabled. If you see "We couldn't verify your account", you are not registered or the feature is disabled. In both cases, your administrator is the next stop.

If the New Password Is Rejected or Nothing Works

A new password can be refused if it is too weak or guessable; choose a stronger one. If you see "The Microsoft account you've entered does not exist", that points to an inactive or closed account rather than a wrong password, which is a separate recovery scenario.

One hard limit to know in advance: if two-step verification is turned on and you cannot reach any of your alternate verification methods, Microsoft states it cannot recover the account for you. Microsoft support agents are not permitted to send reset links or change account details on your behalf, so the self-service routes above are the only ways back in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Microsoft support reset my password over the phone or chat?

No. Support agents are not allowed to send password reset links or access and change account details, so they cannot retrieve, bypass, or reset a forgotten password for you. You must use the self-service reset, the sign-in helper, or the recovery form.

What if I lost access to every phone and email on the account?

First try the sign-in helper tool. If that fails, use the account recovery form and answer the identity questions. Note that if two-step verification is on and you cannot reach any alternate verification method, Microsoft says it cannot recover the account.

How many times can I submit the account recovery form?

You can submit it up to two times per day. Microsoft reviews each attempt and responds within 24 hours, sending instructions to the working email you provided.

Why does my new password keep getting rejected?

The most common reason is that the password is too weak or guessable. Pick a stronger password. For work or school accounts, it must also meet your organization's complexity rules.

Why can't I reset my work or school account myself?

Self-service reset only works if your administrator enabled the feature and you pre-registered at least one verification method. Messages like "Please contact your administrator" or "We couldn't verify your account" mean the feature is off, you are not registered, or the password is managed on-premises.

Should I change my password if I think my account was hacked?

Yes. Changing the password is the recommended action when you believe the account is compromised, because it signs out other active sessions. Do it from the Security section at account.microsoft.com if you can still sign in.