How to change a user's password

To change a user's password

 

Passwords add a level of security to your computer. When sharing a computer with others, your customized settings, computer programs, and system resources are more secure when you assign a password to your logon name or user account name.
The steps to perform this task differ depending on whether your computer is a member of a network domain or is part of a workgroup (or is a stand-alone computer).
My computer is on a domain
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

1.	Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
2.	On the Users tab, click the name of the user whose password you want to change, and then click Reset Password.
3.	In New password and Confirm new password, type the new password, and then click OK.

Note

•	You can change passwords only for local computer accounts, such as guest, administrator, or accounts you create for your computer.
•	You cannot change your network logon password in User Accounts. To change your own password, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE and then click Change Password.

My computer is not on a domain
If no password has been assigned to the user's account, a password will need to be created before it can be changed. For information about creating a password, click Related Topics.
The steps to perform this task differ depending on the type of user account you have.
If you have a computer administrator account

1.	Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
2.	Click your account name.
3.	Click Change my password.
4.	In Type your current password, type your current password. In Type a new password and Type the new password again to confirm, type your new password. You can also enter descriptive or meaningful text in Type a word or phrase to use as a password hint to help you remember your password.
5.	Click Change Password.

If you have a limited account

1.	Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
2.	Click Change my password.
3.	In Type your current password, type your current password.
4.	In Type a new password and Type the new password again to confirm, type the new password.  You can also enter descriptive or meaningful text in Type a word or phrase to use as a password hint to help you remember your password.
5.	Click Change Password.

Note

•	A user with a computer administrator account can create and change passwords for all users on the computer. Users with limited accounts can create and change their own passwords, as well as create their own password hints.
•	If a user with a computer administrator account changes the password for another user, that user will lose all EFS-encrypted files, personal certificates, and stored passwords for Web sites or network resources.

Note

•	To open User Accounts, click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
•	For more information about user accounts, click Related Topics.