How to Unlock a Locked Out Account on Windows 11

Don’t know how to unlock a locked out account on Windows 11?

User privacy and security are extremely important for Microsoft. For this reason, it has embedded an Account Lockout policy in almost all of its Windows systems, preventing unauthorized access to your account. According to this, your system will lock you out of your account once the threshold for failed login attempts is reached.

Currently, this limit is set to 10 attempts in Windows 11 so that no malicious user may attempt to determine the user account password by trial and error method. And the default duration for which you’ll be locked out is 10 minutes. But what if you forget your password and cannot gain back access to your Windows account?

Luckily, there are a few ways you can unlock a locked out account on Windows 11, all of which we’ve discussed below. So look no further, as you’ve landed on just the right page. Simply read through and follow the methods carefully to resolve the stated issue.

Now without any delay, let’s get started!

1. Unlock With an Admin Account.

The first account created on your Windows system is the admin account, with complete access to all files, folders, directories, services, etc., on your computer. The accounts created after that are local accounts which can be admin, normal, or guest. 

When you get locked out of your account, you can quickly gain back its access by using the admin account. From there, you can use the Local Users and Groups utility to manage single local computers or remote computers. 

Here’s how you can use this tool to unlock a locked out account on Windows 11:

1. Begin by pressing the Win + R keys from your keyboard to access the Run dialog box.
2. Type in ‘lusrmgr.msc’ in the text field and click on OK. 

3. A new window will show up on the screen. Now, click on Users from the left pane. 

4. From the right pane, choose the user account you wish to unlock to open a new window. 
5. From there, stay on the General tab, then check the box next to Account is locked out. 

6. Finally, select Apply and click on OK to save these changes. 

In case you run a Windows 11 Home edition, the Local User and Groups will not be available for you. In that case, you have the option to use Windows Terminal, which is basically a host that runs multiple command-line apps or shells simultaneously. Remember that this method also requires you to use the admin account.

Below are the steps you must follow:

1. Head over to the Start menu. 
2. In the search bar, type in ‘terminal’ and right-click on Terminal from the search results. 
3. Select Run as administrator to launch Terminal with administrative privileges.

4. From the User Account Control prompt that appears, choose Yes to continue. 

5. Now, type in the following command and hit Enter:

net user <username> /active:yes

6. Don’t forget to change <username> with the account name you want to unlock. 

This should unlock a locked out account on Windows 11. If not, consider unlocking via Command Prompt by following the next method from this guide. 

2. Unlock Via Command Prompt.

If you can’t use the admin account and unlock a locked account on Windows 11 with the Terminal or Local Users or Groups tool for some reason, don’t worry. You can also use Command Prompt from the Advanced Startup Recovery mode to do the job.

Follow the steps below to do it:

1. Press and hold the Power button for around ten seconds to force your computer to power off.
2. Now, perform the same step three times and allow your PC to power on properly the fourth time. 
3. This will boot your computer into Advanced Startup Recovery mode. From the Choose an option screen, click on the Troubleshoot tile. 

4. Now, select Advanced options and click on Command Prompt to continue. 

5. This will launch a Command Prompt window. Now, enter the following command and press the Enter key:

net user <username> /active:yes

6. Keep in mind to replace <username> with the account username you wish to unlock. 
7. After the command is executed, the screen will display The command completed successfully. 

Your locked account should be unlocked by using this method. If not, follow the next method to resolve your problem. 

3. Reset Your Password.

Like many social media accounts, you can also reset your Windows user account using the password reset option. When you initially create your Windows account, you’re asked to select a few security questions, which can be used as an alternate login method in case you’re ever locked out of it.

Simply answer the security questions correctly to create a new password and regain access to your Windows account.

Here’s how:

1. Boot your computer and from the Sign in screen, click on Reset password. 

2. In the next screen, click on the text fields and enter the correct answers to the security questions to reset your password.

4. Boot Into Safe Mode.

You can also get locked out of your Windows account due to a bug in the system or a glitch in an application that you recently installed. Usually, third-party programs cause great interference, which results in various issues, and getting your Windows account locked is the worst-case scenario.

Luckily, you can block such interference by booting your computer into Safe mode. This allows your PC to start with the minimum resources required so that there are fewer hindrances and analyzing the issue becomes easier.

Follow the steps below to do it:

1. Start by turning on your computer by pressing the Power button. 
2. As your PC boots up, press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds. Then, release the button to turn it off.
3. Now, perform these steps around three times and let your PC power on the next time to access Advanced Startup Recovery mode. 
4. Select the Troubleshoot tile. 
5. Then, click on Advanced options and choose Startup Settings. 

6. From the next screen, click on the Restart button. 
7. Your PC will restart. Now, press 4 or 5 from your keyboard to enable Safe Mode. 

8. This will reboot your computer into Safe Mode. Now, check if the issue is fixed by logging in to your account.

This concludes our guide on how to unlock a locked out account on Windows 11. For more questions, head over to the comment section below. We’ll respond to you as soon as possible.

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