cant log in

[Nanner301]

I am attempting to log in to my hp laptop after a few years of not using it. The computer does not recognize my fingerprint and is saying my password is incorrect. I attempted to do a factory reset on the computer by resetting and holding shift ... nothing happened. I tried doing the same but holding f11 ... nothing happened.  Can someone please tell me how to factory reset or reset my password?

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Nanner301,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I understand how frustrating this can be, especially after years of not using the laptop. Let’s get you back in! Here are accurate HP steps for both resetting your password and performing a factory reset on an HP laptop running Windows:

Option 1: Reset Your Password (Recommended First)

If you were using a Microsoft account to sign in:

1. On another device, go to Microsoft Account Password Reset.
2. Follow the prompts to reset your password.
3. Use the new password to log in.

If it were a local account:

• You’ll need to use the Password Reset Disk (if created) or proceed to factory reset.

Option 2: Factory Reset Your HP Laptop

Since Shift + Restart and F11 didn’t work, try these:

Method A: Use Windows Recovery Environment

1. Power OFF the laptop.
2. Power ON and immediately press Esc repeatedly until the Startup Menu appears.
3. Press F11 for System Recovery. 
   • If F11 still doesn’t work, the recovery partition may be missing.

Method B: Use HP Cloud Recovery Tool

If the recovery partition is gone:

• Download HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Support on another PC.
• Create a USB recovery drive.
• Boot your HP laptop from that USB and follow the prompts to reinstall Windows.

💡 Important: Factory reset will erase all files. If you need data, consider backing up via an external bootable OS or professional service before proceeding.

🔗 HP Official Guide: HP Computer and Laptop System Recovery for Windows | HP® Support

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Regards,

VikramTheGreat