Locked out of your own Windows PC?
You sit down at a computer and the password you were sure you remembered gets rejected. Or you've bought a used machine, or taken over a PC from an employee who left, and nobody knows the login. PCUnlocker Professional is a bootable utility for this situation. You start the locked computer from a CD, DVD or USB drive, and the tool lets you reset the password or unlock the account without reinstalling Windows.
Quick facts
- Version: 8.0
- Edition: Professional (Standard and Enterprise editions also exist)
- Price: $29.95
- Works on: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows Server editions, 32-bit and 64-bit
- Needs: a CD/DVD or USB flash drive to boot from
- Trial: the demo lists all Windows accounts on the PC but cannot reset passwords
Key features
Reset or bypass a local administrator or user password
You can reset Windows local administrator and user passwords. You can also bypass a local account's password without changing the old one, which helps if you don't want the user to notice anything.
Unlock accounts that are locked, disabled or expired
If you know the password but the account is disabled or locked out, PCUnlocker can unlock or enable the local account. It can also remove logon time restrictions.
Create a new admin account when the profile won't load
When Windows can't load an existing account's profile, you can create a new local admin account. You can also promote a standard or limited user to administrator.
Microsoft account and UEFI support
It supports password reset for local accounts and Microsoft accounts on Windows 11, 10 and 8. It also handles RAID, SCSI, SATA and NVMe drives, and Secure Boot machines such as Surface Pro, Mac hardware and ThinkPad tablets. Note that the vendor lists booting UEFI computers from CD or USB with Windows 11 support as an Enterprise feature.
Reset virtual machine passwords
You can reset the administrator password of a virtual machine running in VMware, Parallels, VirtualBox, Microsoft Virtual PC or Hyper-V. The tool can also mount VHD, VHDX and ISO files.
Disable the smart card login requirement
If a smart card is lost, you can turn off the "Force Smart Card Login" setting. You can also reset DSRM account passwords.
Who it's for
PCUnlocker suits home users who are locked out of a family PC. It also suits small-office admins and technicians who inherit machines with unknown passwords. The vendor lists these typical situations: a forgotten password, a second-hand computer, a departed employee, a disabled account, or a hacked machine whose password was changed. If you need to reset domain passwords on an Active Directory controller, that's an Enterprise feature, not Professional.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Works from a bootable CD, DVD or USB drive, so you don't need to log in first.
- Covers many Windows versions, from old XP machines to Windows 11, plus server editions in Professional.
- Lets you bypass a local password without changing it.
- Free technical support and a satisfaction guarantee are included.
- Priced in the middle of the three editions at $29.95.
Cons
- No domain or Active Directory password reset in this edition.
- UEFI boot with Windows 11 support and PXE network boot are Enterprise-only.
- The trial only displays accounts and can't reset anything, so you can't test the actual reset before buying.
- You need a second working computer to prepare the boot disc or drive.
FAQs
Which edition do I need?
The Standard edition costs $19.95 and covers local accounts on desktop Windows. Professional adds Windows Server support and creating a new local admin account. Enterprise adds domain password reset, Active Directory unlocking, UEFI boot with Windows 11 support, and PXE network boot.
Do I need to reinstall Windows?
No. You boot the locked PC from the disc or USB drive, pick the account and reset or unlock it, and your files stay where they are.
Can I try it first?
Yes, there is a demo. It displays all Windows accounts on the PC but cannot reset passwords.
What do I need to run it?
You need a machine with at least 512 MB of RAM and a CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
System requirements
- Operating systems: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows Server editions down to 2003 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Memory: at least 512 MB physical RAM
- Media: a CD/DVD or USB flash drive