Windows Password Expired: Here’s How to Sign In and Turn Off Password Expiry

This article show you how to fix Windows Password Expired Issue. Seeing the “Your password has expired and must be changed” message on your Windows login screen? This happens because Windows local account passwords expire every 42 days by default. Luckily, you can quickly bypass this and turn off the setting.

How to Sign In with an Expired Password

When your local account password expires and you see the “Your password has expired” message, you need to create a new password to log in. To do this, you must remember your current password. Here’s how:

1. On the login screen, click OK to go to the password reset screen.
2. Enter your current password. If you don’t have a sign-in password, leave it blank.
3. Enter your new password and confirm it by typing it again. You can use your old password if you want. If you don’t want a password, leave the new password fields blank.
4. Click Next.
5. Once you see the confirmation message, click OK. You can now log in with your new password.

Disable Password Expiry for Local Accounts

Once you’re logged in, you can disable the password expiration feature for Windows accounts using the Local Users and Groups tool. This tool isn’t available in Windows 11 Home edition, so if you have the Home version, you’ll need to enable Local Users and Groups Management first. Here’s how to proceed:

1. Open the Start menu, search for Computer Management, and select it from the search results.
2. In the Computer Management window, expand Local Users and Groups on the left side.
3. Click on the Users folder to view all the user accounts on your computer.
4. Right-click on the account you want to modify and choose Properties.
5. In the Properties window, check the box labeled Password never expires.
6. Click OK and then Apply to confirm and save your changes.

This will ensure that the password for the selected account will no longer expire.

Disable Password Expiry for Microsoft Accounts

Turning off password expiry for your Microsoft account is simple and doesn’t need any special tools. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open a browser and go to account.microsoft.com. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Click on Security in the left sidebar, then choose Change password in the top-right corner.
3. On the Change your password page, enter your current password and your new password.
4. Uncheck the Make me change my password every 72 days option, then click Save.

You can now log in to your Microsoft account using the new password.

While using a Microsoft account offers benefits like automatic backup and sync, a local account might be better for privacy and security. Plus, it’s easier to reset a local account password.

Password expiry is meant to enhance security by rotating passwords regularly. However, changing your password every few weeks can be inconvenient and is less effective compared to using two-factor authentication.

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FAQ: Windows Password Expired

How do I fix an expired Windows password?

You can try to reset your Windows password if you can’t remember it. Depending on Windows version and setup, you can accomplish this using recovery drive, your Microsoft account or other recovery techniques.

How do I reset my expired Microsoft password?

To reset an expired Microsoft password, provide additional information such as your email address, phone number, or security codes. Follow the steps provided on Microsoft’s website.

How do I turn off Windows password expiration?

To stop your Windows password from expiring, adjust the password policy settings. This typically involves using the Local Security Policy or command-line tools. Note that turning off password expiration may lower your security.

How long until a Windows password expires?

By default, Windows passwords expire every 42 days. This setting can be changed by system administrators.

What happens if your password expires?

If your Windows password expires, you won’t be able to log in until you reset or change the password.

How do I reactivate my expired Windows 10?

If you need to reactivate your Windows 10 license, that’s different from resetting an expired password. To reactivate, you might need to troubleshoot activation issues or contact Microsoft support.