Windows 10 boasts a suite of security features to protect your PC. What if you need to remove a password or security key? This guide shows you how to remove your PIN and other sign-in options from Windows 10.
This guide will talk about the PIN, facial recognition, fingerprint scans and security keys. Since you can't delete a password, this guide also walks you through deleting your account from a Windows 10 PC. You can always create another account that doesn't have a password associated with it.
What is System Restore?
Remove a PIN, face or finger
Click the Windows button followed by the gear icon located on the left edge of the Start menu. This opens the Settings app.
Click on the “Account” box in the following window.
The "Account" section opens to "Personal Information" by default. Click on the “Login Options” item in the menu followed by “Windows Hello PIN” listed on the right. This entry expands to reveal a "Remove" button. Click once.
Windows 10 presents a warning. Click the “Remove” button again to confirm.
The steps to remove the face and finger are almost identical to removing a PIN. Just choose “Window Hello Face” or “Windows Hello Finger” instead and then follow the removal steps above.
How to reactivate Windows 10 after a hardware change
Remove a security key
Click the Windows button followed by the gear icon located on the left edge of the Start menu. This opens the Settings app.
Click on the “Account” box in the following window.
The "Account" section opens to "Personal Information" by default. Click on "Login Options" in the menu followed by "Security Key" listed on the right. This entry expands to reveal a "Manage" button. Click once.
Insert your security key into an open USB port as required and tap the flashing key icon. Once Windows 10 has verified the key, click the "Reset" button followed by the "Close" button.
What is a restore point?
Remove your account (administrator)
If you're looking to remove the only account from a PC you own, you can't just delete it. Instead, you need to create a local user account, set it as an administrator, log into that account, and then delete the original account. The alternative is to reset your PC.
Click the Windows button followed by the gear icon located on the left edge of the Start menu. This opens the Settings app.
Click on the “Account” box in the following window.
The "Account" section opens to "Personal Information" by default. Click on the “Family and other users” item in the menu followed by the “+” button next to “Add someone else to this PC” listed under “Other users” on the right.
Click the “I don't have this person's login information” link in the following window.
Click the "Add a user without a Microsoft account" option.
Enter a username, password (twice), establish three security questions, then click the “Next” button.
You can create an account without a password, but it will serve as an administrative account, so not establishing a password is a bad idea if you don't sell or give the PC to another individual. Again, a hard reset is the best option.
How to access advanced startup options in Windows 10 or 8
When finished, you will see the new local account listed under “Other users”. Select the new account and click the “Change Account Type” button.
In the “Change Account Type” pop-up window, select “Administrator” in the drop-down menu and click the “OK” button.
Then, click the Windows button, click your profile icon and select the new account in a pop-up menu to log into Windows 10 using that account.
Click the Windows button followed by the gear icon located on the left edge of the Start menu. This opens the Settings app.
Click on the “Account” box in the following window.
The "Account" section opens to "Personal Information" by default. Click on the “Family and other users” item in the menu. Select your account on the right listed under “Other Users” to expand its options. Click the "Remove" button.
