How to Reset a Password

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: July 16, 2021 References

In the event you forget a password for your computer, email, or social media accounts, you can reset your password directly through the system or application you’re using. In most cases, you can reset your password by answering a series of security questions or by requesting an email that contains a password reset link.

Method 1

Method 1 of 10:

Resetting Google Password

1
Navigate to the Google Accounts login page at https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin.
2
Click on “Need Help?” below the sign-in section.

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3
Select “I don’t know my password.”
4
Enter your Gmail address into the field provided and click on “Continue.”
5
Type the characters provided to you on-screen by Google and click “Continue.”
6
Enter the last password you recall using for your Google account.
- If you don’t remember any previous passwords, click on “I don’t know.”
7
Follow the on-screen prompts to reset your password with Google. Google may require you to answer a series of security questions to verify your identity; such as your phone number, the name of your first pet, your current address, etc.
8
Enter a new password for your Google account. The password you choose will be applicable for all Google products you use with that particular username.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 10:

Resetting Apple ID Password

1
Navigate to the “My Apple ID” home page at https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/.
2
Click on “Reset your password” on the right side of the Web page.
3
Enter your Apple ID and click on “Next.”
4
Select “Answer security questions” and click on “Next.”
5
Select your birth date and click on “Next.”
6
Answer all security questions displayed on-screen. You may be asked to provide the name of your favorite sport, your favorite teacher, etc.
7
Enter a new password and click on “Reset Password.” Your password will now be changed.^{[2]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 10:

Resetting Windows 8 Password

1
Go to the Microsoft Live password reset Web page at account.live.com/password/reset.
- Contact your system administrator to reset your password if your computer resides on a domain.
2
Select “I forgot my password” and click on “Next.”
3
Type the username for your Microsoft account and the characters displayed on-screen.
4
Click on “Next.”
5
Follow the on-screen prompts provided by Microsoft to reset your password.
- If you still cannot sign in to Windows 8 as a result of having an incorrect password, you will be required to reinstall Windows 8 on your computer.^{[3]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 10:

Resetting Windows 7 Password

1
Insert your password reset disk into the drive of your Windows 7 computer.
- Contact your system administrator to reset the password if your computer resides on a domain or workgroup.
- If your Windows 7 computer is not part of a domain or workgroup, and there are no other user accounts, you will be required to reinstall Windows.^{[4]
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2
Click on “Reset password.” The Password Reset Wizard will display on-screen.
3
Click on “Next” and select the drive into which your password reset disk has been inserted.
4
Click on “Next.”
5
Enter a new password into the fields provided, as well as a hint that will help you remember your new password.
6
Click on “Next” and then on “Finish.” Your Windows 7 password will now be reset.^{[5]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 10:

Resetting Mac OS X Password

1
Insert the Mac OS X Install disk into your computer.
- If your computer is part of a domain, contact your system administrator to reset your password.
2
Restart your computer and hold down the “C” button to launch the Startup Manager.
3
Select a language and click on the right arrow button.
4
Select “Utilities” menu and click "Terminal".
5
Type "resetpassword" in Terminal.
- If using Mac OS X v10.3, select “Reset Password” from the “Installer” menu.
6
Click on the Mac OS X disk for which you want to reset your password.
7
Select the user account for which you want the password reset.
8
Enter a new password into the fields provided and click on “Save.”
9
Exit the Startup Manager and restart your computer. Your Mac OS X password will now be reset.^{[6]
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Method 6

Method 6 of 10:

Resetting Facebook Password

1
Navigate to the main Facebook login page at https://www.facebook.com.
2
Click on “Forgot Password” located at the top right corner of your Facebook session.
3
Enter the username for your Facebook account and click on “Search.”
4
Follow the on-screen prompts to reset your password. Facebook will send you an email that contains a link that will allow you to reset and change your password.^{[7]
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Method 7

Method 7 of 10:

Resetting Twitter Password

1
Navigate to Twitter’s website at https://twitter.com/.
2
Click on “Forgot password?” below the sign-in section.
3
Enter your email address or Twitter username and click on “Submit.” Twitter will immediately send you an email that contains a link you can use to reset your password.
4
Open the email from Twitter and click on the password reset link.
5
Enter a new Twitter password. Your password will now be reset.^{[8]
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- If the password reset link fails to reset your password, repeat the steps to receive a new email. Twitter’s password-reset emails are time-sensitive, and will need to be accessed immediately when resetting your password.

Method 8

Method 8 of 10:

Resetting LinkedIn Password

1
Navigate to LinkedIn’s sign-in Web page at https://www.linkedin.com/uas/login.
2
Click on “Forgot password?”
3
Enter the email address you use for LinkedIn and click “Submit Address.” LinkedIn will send you an email that contains a password reset link.
4
Open the LinkedIn email and click on the password reset link provided.
5
Follow the on-screen prompts to create a new LinkedIn password.^{[9]
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- Reset your password within one day of receiving the password reset email, since the link will expire after that timeframe.

Method 9

Method 9 of 10:

Resetting Instagram Password

1
Navigate to Instagram’s login screen at https://instagram.com/accounts/login/#.
2
Click on “Forgot password?”
3
Enter your Instagram username or email address into the field provided.
4
Type the text displayed on-screen and click on “Reset Password.” Instagram will send you an email that contains a password reset link.
5
Open the Instagram email and click on the password reset link.
6
Follow the on-screen prompts to create a new password. Your Instagram password will now be reset.^{[10]
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Method 10

Method 10 of 10:

Resetting Pinterest Password

1
Navigate to Pinterest’s login page at https://www.pinterest.com/login/.
2
Click on “Forgot your password?” below the sign-in section.
3
Enter your email address and click on “Reset Password.” Pinterest will send you an email that contains a password reset link.
4
Open the Pinterest email and click on the password reset link.
5
Follow the on-screen prompts to create a new password. Your Pinterest password will now be reset.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I help my child remember their password?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

For kids, there are two ways to do this. You can have them jot it down in the margins of a book and then they can refer to the book if they ever forget. The only thing with this is that you have to make sure they never take the book out of the home. The other option is to use a service like LastPass, which is just a password manager.