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Lost laptop login

jn.barraclough
jn.barraclough
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I have two user accounts on my laptop. I recently changed the password for one account and I'm now locked out. All my data is in this account. I don't have any back-up keys etc. I have tried changing my Windows password, but this doesn't seem to work. Is there any way of finding my previous password, or re-setting my current one without losing my data?

I have two user accounts on my laptop. I recently changed the password for one account and I'm now locked out. All my data is in this account. I don't have any back-up keys etc. I have tried changing my Windows password, but this doesn't seem to work. Is there any way of finding my previous password, or re-setting my current one without losing my data?

Modified by jn.barraclough

All Replies (1)

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 25 Contributor
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I don't know about recovering/changing Windows passwords in Windows 10 on a personal system (my login is on a work system). A Windows forum probably would be better for that question.

To recover Firefox data from the Windows user you can't log in under, if your working user account has administrator privileges, you can try grabbing those files this way:

(1) Set Windows to show hidden files and folders

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/show-hidden-files-0320fe58-0117-fd59-6851-9b7f9840fdb2

(2) Explore up this path

C:\Users\locked_user\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla

(3) Right-click the Firefox folder and click copy; Windows may require admin approval for the paste

(4) On your working user desktop, right-click > Paste the folder; Windows may require admin approval for the paste

(5) Right-click the pasted folder and click Rename, and add something like OLD or BACKUP or the other user name here for reference

That folder should contain your key Firefox data from your other Windows user. Is there anything in particular you are looking for? Depending on your needs, either a selective or a wholesale restore might be the next thing to try.