Getting Rid of Your Windows 7 Password

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 13, 2015)

5

A lot of people use passwords to log into their Windows 7 systems. They are a great idea because they help to protect your system from use by others. Even so, you may want to get rid of a password that is associated with your account. You can remove the password by following these steps:

  1. Click Start and then click Control Panel. Windows 7 displays the Control Panel.
  2. At the right side of the screen, under the main heading of User Accounts and Family Safety, click Add or Remove User Accounts. Windows 7 displays the Manage Accounts screen.
  3. Click the account whose password you want to delete. Windows 7 displays the Change an Account screen. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Change an Account screen.

  5. At the left side of the screen click Remove the Password. Windows 7 asks you to confirm the action.
  6. Click Remove Password.

It is not a good idea to get rid of your password if your computer system is used by others or if it is generally accessible by others. If your computer is used only by you, then getting rid of the password can save a little time each day, at the expense of a bit of security.

 This tip (10713) applies to Windows 7.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is two more than 7?

2015-07-13 14:05:03

Henry Noble

If you are curious about the hidden Administrator account, take a look at this article, or many similar ones on the web.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/

You do, of course, have to be in Windows to enable the account.


2015-07-13 11:06:23

BHershman

To Steve Mackey
I think a password is not required for scheduling tasks to run only when the user is logged on. I know I have scheduled some such tasks under Windows 7, and they are still running as scheduled.
------------------
To Henry Noble:
There is only one enabled account on my PC and it has administrator privileges. So if I am locked out because of forgetting a password, I cannot even get to the point of running anything to help me, at least not on my own PC. But I shall look at the link you provided anyhow. Thanks


2015-07-13 10:00:55

Steve Mackey

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I think a password is required if you want to set up scheduled tasks. The last time I did this was several years ago on a home Windows XP system (which did not have a password) and it wouldn't let me do it until I added a password to my account.


2015-07-13 09:36:44

Henry Noble

If you have enabled the built-in Administrator account, or have another user account with administrative privileges, then sign in to one of those accounts and reset your password.

But life is never that simple, is it?

If your password is not too complex, one of the tools listed here may get you in: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/tp/passrecovery.htm


2015-07-13 08:01:09

BHershman

As I am the only user of my Windows 7 PC, I do not have to log on when I boot up and so have no need of a password.

When I shut down, I never log off either.

But what would happen at boot-up if I had logged off and then forgotten my password?
How could I get back in?


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