If you've been locked out of your Dell Inspiron laptop, we can understand your frustration. Forgetting the laptop's password would probably be the last thing you'd want, especially when there is important data inside. At this point, many people don't know how to unlock a Dell Inspiron laptop without the password would prefer reinstalling their OS to unlock the laptop. Are you really willing to lose data? So, to help you get out of such annoy thing. Keep reading to check it out!
- Part 1: How to Unlock A Dell Inspiron Laptop without the Password Using USB
- Part 2: How to Unlock A Dell Inspiron Laptop with Microsoft Account
- Part 3: How to Unlock A Dell Inspiron Laptop with Installation Disk
Part 1: How to Unlock A Dell Inspiron Laptop without the Password Using USB
One of the most reliable solutions to unlock a Dell password without a password is to use a dedicated password reset disk. This will help you reset your laptop's password without having to manipulate any OS settings.
Now, even if you don't have a password reset disk, you can create one using PassFab 4WinKey for free. It is an exclusive password recovery software that's specifically designed to help users unlock their devices when they don't remember the password. Know how it works!
Step 1: Get the tool downloaded installed on another computer. Launch the program and insert an empty CD/DVD/USB flash drive to get a password reset disk created for locked Dell.
Step 2: Go for the media that you just inserted like "USB Flash Drive" option given in the software window. Click on "Next" button for confirmations. You will notice the tool starting creating the password reset disk.
Step 3: Detach the password reset USB insert it in the locked Dell laptop. Then, reboot Dell laptop and use "F12/Esc" key to get boot menu. Choose "USB device" as the boot media.
Step 4: Pick out the operating system from where you've been locked out and press "Next".
Step 5: You will see a list of user accounts available in selected OS. Choose whose password you want to reset. Click "Reset Account Password" now and then "Next".
Step 6: Enter the new password and click on "Reset". Press "Reboot" and restart PC. Congrats!
Part 2: How to Unlock A Dell Inspiron Laptop with Microsoft Account
If you've signed in with a Microsoft account on your laptop, you can also use it to unlock a Dell Inspiron 15 laptop without the password. Forot Microsoft account? You may also wanna know how to recover Microsoft account password.
Step 1: Go to account.live.com/password/reset on any device that's connected to the Internet.
Step 2: Type in your Outlook email ID and click "Next".
Step 3: You'll be asked to verify your identity. Enter the last 4 digits of your registered mobile number and click "Get Code" to generate your code.
Step 4: Enter the received code and click "Next".
Step 5: Once you're in the password reset window, enter your new password and tap "Next".
Step 6: Power on your Dell Inspiron laptop and unlock it by entering the new Microsoft account password.
If you don't want to go through the hassle of creating a password-recovery disk and have signed in with your Outlook account, this is the most suitable solution to unlock your laptop.
Part 3: How to Unlock A Dell Inspiron Laptop with Installation Disk
The previous method will only work if you've logged in with a Microsoft account. However, if you're using a local account, you'll have to look for other solutions. One such solution that'll help you to unlock a Dell Inspiron laptop without the password is to use a Windows installation disk.
Step 1: Insert the installation disk and make your laptop boot from it by pressing F12 during the startup.
Step 2: Press "Shift+F10" to open Command Prompt and execute the following commands.
- move d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe d:\
- copy d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe
Step 3: Once these commands are executed successfully, remove the installation disk and type in "wpeutil reboot" to reboot your system in normal mode.
Step 4: Now, tap the "Utility Manager" button in the bottom-right corner. If the previous commands were executed successfully, this will open the Command Prompt window instead.
Step 5: Execute the "net user" command twice (as shown in the image below) to add a new admin account.
Step 6: Close "Command Prompt" and again insert the installation disk. Reboot your system and make it boot from the disk once again.
Step 7: Now, launch command prompt by pressing "Shift+F10" and execute the following command.
- copy d:\utilman.exe d:\windows\system32\utilman.exe
Step 8: Type "Yes" to restore "Utility Manager" and remove the installation disk. Restart your laptop in normal mode and unlock it using the new "Admin Account". You can also use this account to reset passwords for your local account.
Conclusion
That concludes our guide on how to unlock a Dell Inspiron 11 laptop without the password. Unlike installing a new OS, the above-mentioned tricks will help you unlock the laptop without losing your data whatsoever.