How to Change a Computers Login Password

Level of difficulty: Easy

Changing a computer’s login password may sometimes be necessary. This is especially true when a computer has been hacked, a worm has entered it through a password cracker, or the user has revealed the password to someone else but does not want to give that someone else permanent access to the system. For whatever reason, it is a good idea to know how a computer login password can be changed, just in case it suddenly becomes a necessary thing to do.

Materials Needed:
- Computer
- Windows OS
Step 1
Go to My Computer and access the Control Panel. For other Windows Operating System versions, the Control Panel may also be accessed through the 'Start' button.
Step 2
Look for the User Accounts icon. Double-click this icon.
Step 3
When a user accounts window is opened, tasks such as changing an account, creating a new account, and changing the way a user logs on or off may be done by clicking on the 'Change an account' option.
Step 4
The instruction, 'Pick an account to change' appears and the list of user accounts on the computer is displayed. Pick the account which needs to have the login password changed.
Step 5
The user is asked the question, 'What do you want to change about your account'. Five different options are made available to the user: Change my name, Create a password (or Change my password if the account already has a password), Change my picture, Change my account type, and Set up my account to use a .NET Passport. Choose Change my password.
Step 6
The user is then led directly to the change password window. Type the user accounts’ current password on the available text box.
Step 7
Type a new password on the supplied text box.
Step 8
Type the new password on another supplied text box. This confirms that the user is typing the exact characters wanted for the new password. The two password entries should match in order for it to be approved. The password is case sensitive. This means that if a certain letter is in capital form, then the user should type in that letter in a capital form in all instances the account password is required to be written.
Step 9
An optional password hint is available. A word or phrase may be typed in. This ensures that in the case a user forgets a password; they can be made to remember the password through a password hint. This gives the user an idea what the password is without revealing too much.
Step 10
Afterwards, click 'Change Password'. The password is saved. The new password is needed at the next instance of a user account password prompt.