I forgot my PIN of my admin user

[Fernanda16]

Hello, I hope this email finds you well. 

I've been having problems with my laptop. I wanted to change the S mode, and it says that I have to put a password and a user admin, the thing is that I forgot my password of that account (I tried to reset the PIN with three questions, but it says that one or more answers are wrong). I tried to reset the computer so I can delete that account and be the admin, but it also required the same password. 

I hope that someone can help me, thank you. 

Fernanda. 

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Fernanda16,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand you forgot the PIN/password for the administrator account on your laptop and this is preventing you from switching out of S mode or resetting the computer. Let’s go through a few steps to check what options are available.

Check if the admin account is a Microsoft account
If the admin account was set up with an email address, it is a Microsoft account. Go to the Microsoft password recovery page on another device and reset the password, then restart the laptop and sign in with the new password.

Try signing in with the password instead of the PIN
On the sign-in screen, select Sign-in options and choose Password instead of PIN. If you recently changed the Microsoft account password, use the updated one.

Verify internet connection on the sign-in screen
Make sure the laptop is connected to Wi-Fi before signing in. Password changes for Microsoft accounts will not be recognized if the device is offline.

Check for another administrator account
If there is another admin user on the laptop, sign in to that account and change the password or PIN for the locked admin account from Settings > Accounts > Other users.

Attempt PIN reset again carefully
When answering the security questions, make sure capitalization and spelling exactly match the original answers. Even small differences will cause the reset to fail.

Use “Reset this PC” with cloud download
Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC and choose Cloud download if available. This option can sometimes proceed without the local admin password, depending on how the device was set up.

Understand S mode limitations
Switching out of S mode always requires administrator credentials. There is no supported way to bypass the admin password specifically for S mode changes.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,