If you have taken the preliminary preventive measures, I would say just don’t get chagrined, for unlocking your Dell Inspiron without the password, is a child’s play then.
Well, if you think that you have only two way-outs in such a situation i.e. either factory resetting your device, or reinstalling the entire operating system again, you are totally wrong. Both these methods instead of abating it would even add to your frustration by wiping everything out of your device.
So, what to do then? How to Unlock a Dell Inspiron Laptop Without the Password?
Starting from what preventive measures you need to consider to keep such a situation from happening (or what steps you should have taken), to discussing each possible solution to this issue, this is one detailed guide for you.
So, let’s start with a few questions.
Did You?
I know you have been locked out of your laptop and you are finding a fix, but if you could kindly bother to answer these queries, things will get even easier.
- Did you use a Microsoft account to sign in to the laptop?
- Did you have a second administrator account on your laptop (and do you remember its password)?
- Did you ever create the password reset disk on this (locked) system?
If you`ve said “Yes” to any of these, congrats because getting back into your laptop is way too easy now. Well, let`s explore the different possible way-outs that you can consider.
Different Methods to Unlock Your Dell Inspiron Laptop Without Password
Some of them are amazingly unchallenging, whereas some are a little intricate, but here are all the widely applicable and sort of guaranteed solutions for you.
- Using your Microsoft account
- Using the second administrator account
- Using the Windows password reset/recovery disk
- By factory resetting your device
Let’s get down to each one in detail.
#1. Using Your Microsoft Account
The latest versions of Windows, say Windows 10 especially, feature some top-notch security features, and using your secured Microsoft account for laptop sign-in, is of course one of those ultimate features.
I would say, you are on the safest side if you’ve used this sign-in method. Yes, you can easily use your MS account to unlock your locked Dell laptop.
Here’s how.
Well, if your locked device is, in case, connected to the internet, just straight away click on the “I forgot my password”, and you`ll be prompted to the new i.e. account recovery, screen. Perhaps it takes a couple of seconds, so don`t panic.
But if it’s not connected, then.
- On any other device, say your smartphone, for instance, get into https://account.live.com/password/reset.
- You’ll land on Microsoft’s account recovery i.e. Recover your account, screen.
- Type down your Microsoft ID i.e. your email ID (whose password you wanna recover), into the empty field. (Know that your email ID is your Microsoft ID too). Well, click “Next”.
- To confirm your identity and that it’s not spam, they will ask you regarding your (currently in use) email account, so that they can send you a confirmation code there. Hence, provide them.
- Straight away go to your account’s inbox and you’ll see a new mail containing the verification code, from Microsoft.
- Note it down, go back to the “Verify your identity” screen, and enter the received code.
- Finally, it’s now the “Reset your password” stage. So, just simply enter a new password, reenter it to confirm, and you are done.
Just wake your laptop, type this newly set password, and “enter”. Congrats, your laptop is unlocked. Note that, from now on, this one is your laptop’s default password.
Well, if your locked device is connected to the internet, you’ve clicked on “forgot password”, and you’re on the “account recovery” screen, just follow the same method i.e. step iii and onwards.
#2. Using the Second Administrator Account to Unlock Your Windows 10 Dell Inspiron
If you’ve said “Yes” to this i.e. my 2nd question, it means you have a second administrator account on your system. Hence from your login screen, use the administrator (the second account) to log-in.
Once you’re in, follow these steps.
- You’d need to go to “Computer Management”.
- Type “computer management” in the device’s search box, or type “comptmgmt.msc” in the “Run-dialogue box” and enter, or go to “My computer” and instead of opening it, right-click on it, click “Manage”, and you’ll get to the “Computer Management”.
- From the left pane, below the “System tools”, click on “Local Users and Groups”, and then on “Users”.
- Therein, seek out your primary (locked out) user account, right-click on it, and click “Set Password”.
- Simply set a new password now.
Get back and give your laptop a restart. When the login screen appears, choose your main account for signing in, enter the password that you’ve set a while ago (to this user account), and boom! You are back into your Dell Inspiron.
#3. Using the Windows Password Reset Disk
Know that, if you’ve not used your Microsoft account for sign-in, but a local user account, try going for this method.
A password recovery disk allows you to access your account on a local computer by resetting the password, in case of the password is forgotten.
Anyways, if you have answered “Yes” to this question above, it means you know everything and you’ve already created a password reset disk. So, just get back the USB flash drive or whatever external hard drive it was, that you’ve used for and as the password reset disk.
Say it’s a USB for instance, so, got it? Now, follow these steps.
- When you enter the password and the laptop prompts that it’s incorrect, click on the “Forgot my password” or “Reset password” button.
- Insert the USB (password reset disk), and a new screen i.e. “password reset wizard”, will appear up, hence, select this specific reset disk from there. And “Next”.
- Now, it’s up to you. Either type a new password or just leave the field blank.
If you’ve set a new password, you’ll, from now on, use it to unlock your laptop. But if you’ve left the field blank, it means your laptop isn’t password-protected anymore. Whatever, you have ultimately unlocked your Dell Inspiron, and that`s it.
If You Don’t Have One and You Want to Create A New Password Reset Disk
Well, if you still have the question that how to unlock a dell Inspiron laptop without the password? Don’t worry, it’s not any rocket science. Just make sure that you have a, better if empty, USB flash drive, a second laptop/computer, and an internet connection.
If you have all that, here’s what to do.
- Shut down your locked laptop.
- Get to the second system and make sure it’s connected. Search for a “Windows password recovery tool”, you’ll find plenty of them on the internet, both free as well as paid too. Certainly, the free ones are quite limited in features as compared to the paid ones.
- Anyways, download one and install it.
- Insert the USB flash drive in that system, launch the installed software and wait until you see the USB (the password reset disk) appear on the software’s new screen.
- All you’ve to do is, select this specific USB device, and click on “Begin burning”. And “Yes” to confirm.
- When it gets to 100%, eject the USB. It’s your password recovery disk now.
How to Use It to Unlock the Locked Dell Inspiron Without Password
Since you have the password reset disk now, check out how to use it and what to do to recover and unlock your locked Dell laptop.
- Turn that (locked) laptop “On”, and immediately when the first screen (brand’s logo) appears, press the “F12” key from your laptop keyboard, so that you can get into the Boot menu.
- Use the arrow keys for up/down and select the “USB Hard disk” as your bootup device. Hence, the laptop will start booting from it.
- In a matter of seconds, you’ll see the password reset tool being appeared incorporating all the “Windows” and “user accounts” details, etc.
- Select your Windows system, and the exact (problematic) user account, from down there.
- Set a new password for that user account, or leave it blank rather, click “Reset password” and “Yes” to confirm it.
- Click on “Reboot”, eject the USB, and your system will restart now.
Done! Windows will start normally and you’ll be able to get into your laptop now (based on what you’ve selected i.e. either a new password or no password).
#4. By Factory Resetting Your Laptop
It’s the last one on my list, and I say, you too must consider this as the last fix i.e. when everything else failed to work for you because it’s gonna completely wash out your device.
Anyways, to restore the system to factory defaults, you’ll need to follow this how-to guide.
- On your login (lock) screen, click on the “Power icon” that’s on the bottom rightmost corner of the screen.
- Press and hold the “Shift” key and click on “Restart”.
- The system will restart but you’ll see a new screen asking you to “Choose an option”, from the given options. Select the “Troubleshoot” and go further.
- Therein, click on “Reset your PC”. Wait for a while and when prompted to a new screen, you’ll have two new, sort of backup options.
- From the two options on the new screen
- If you have an external backup hard drive at the moment and you want your important data to be safe, just click on “Keep my files”. The system will copy down things to it and when the computer restarts, you’ll be able to get your data back.
- But if you don’t have any arrangement for backups, click on “Remove everything”.
- It will take a couple of minutes now, hence, wait for a while. When the new screen appears, you’ll see two options i.e. “Just remove my files”, and “Fully clean the drive”.
“Fully clean the drive”, would take even hours, so I suggest, going for the first option. Otherwise, it`s up to you.
- Click on any one of the options and done.
Your laptop will start restoring. Once it’s done, congrats, you have a brand-new laptop now. No password issues, nothing, just get into it and do all the settings, etc. again, from the scratch.
Ending Note
Well, it was all about “How to Unlock a Dell Inspiron Laptop Without the Password?“
Need not panic now if you are logged out of your laptop or if it’s not accepting the password, and if you can not, in either way, get back in.
Don’t just worry, thinking that, you have no other solution except for either going for the factory reset to the laptop or reinstalling the OS again, and that all your data will go erased.
No, there are lots of other easiest and safest ways to unlock your Dell Inspiron without the password.
So, just get back above and read this article. It has everything that you need to know. I, bet you will take a sigh of relief, finding it a detailed “how-to” guide for you.
