DSA awarded Apple MacBook or other laptop from Study Tech, Sight and Sound or Assistive Solutions and are unable to log in due to it requiring a password.

How to reset (local) passwords on laptops, default passwords provided by Study Tech.

Good starting places for password issues.

Some laptops will have no password/can be accessed by just pressing enter. If a Mac/a password was required:

We are aware that non or poorly configured University policies can affect laptops/break passwords as the account exists, but then the password does not meet the minimum security requirement set by Windows/Uni domain policy.

After an update for domain policies from Microsoft/Windows this seems to have become more common.

We recommend not applying any University domain/organisational policy if/when signing in, installing Office 365 or accessing Uni Systems or software.

Better yet, DO NOT use your University email to sign into your laptop on your main user profile, restrict it to a browser or browser profile and/or office but do not let the profile take over the laptop fully/become your log in.
Instead, set up a second user profile for the Uni policy to take over, as some Uni software/resources do require you to accept the uni policies.
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The simple password reset methods listed below in this article or those employed by any competent IT individual/department can usually side step this in under 5 minutes. University IT support should be able able to help.

The one way we CANNOT HELP RESET A PASSWORD.

The password reset USB alluded to by some laptops on the sign in screen is specifically a Password reset disk, it is something Study Tech do not make/provide, this is a security feature that Microsoft have as an option, but needs to be actioned by the user/student.


A local Windows account password can’t be reset remotely because the password is stored and validated only on the device itself, with no external authentication authority that can be contacted from outside. Everything about a local account is self‑contained, and that design creates several hard technical boundaries.

How local accounts store and validate passwords

Local accounts use the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database on the machine.

  • The SAM is encrypted and tied to the device’s hardware.

  • Password hashes never leave the machine.

  • No cloud service, domain controller, or remote API has a copy of the credentials.

Because nothing external knows the password or its hash, there is no remote mechanism to overwrite it safely.

Why remote reset isn’t allowed

1. No trust chain exists

Remote password resets require a trusted identity authority (Azure AD, AD DS, Apple MDM, Google Workspace). Local accounts have no identity provider, so Windows has no way to verify that a remote request is legitimate.

2. Security boundaries prevent remote tampering

Allowing remote password resets for local accounts would create a major attack vector:

  • Malware could reset passwords remotely.

  • Attackers could lock out users without needing physical access.

  • RDP brute‑force attacks could escalate into full account takeover.

Microsoft intentionally restricts this to avoid catastrophic compromise.

3. Encryption ties the password to the device

The password is part of the key material used for:

  • DPAPI (Data Protection API)

  • Credential Manager

  • EFS (Encrypted File System)

Changing the password incorrectly or externally could break access to encrypted data. Windows therefore requires the reset to happen locally, where it can safely re‑derive keys.

4. No remote API exists for local accounts

Domain accounts → reset via Active Directory Microsoft accounts → reset via Microsoft’s cloud Local accounts → no remote endpoint exists

Windows simply doesn’t expose a remote password‑reset interface for local accounts.

This means, if you cannot login, locally/on site with an admin account, you cannot reset a local password.
You can "blank" a password or create a new Admin user locally though, then reset a password with that Admin user.

What can be done remotely

There are only two legitimate remote options, and both require prior preparation:

  • Remote management tools (Intune, RMM, MDM) can reset Azure AD / Entra ID or domain passwords, not local ones.

  • LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) can rotate a managed local admin password, but only because the device reports the password to a directory service first.

Neither applies to arbitrary local user accounts.

When you can reset a local password

A local password can only be reset when:

  • You have physical access, or

  • You have another admin account on the machine (local or domain) and can connect via RDP/WinRM/PSRemoting after authenticating.

Even then, the reset happens on the device, not through a cloud service.

Possible passwords set by Study Tech.

A password is not a pin, they are usually set as two different things by Apple/Microsoft.
if the laptop asks for or mentions a pin, change to password.
If the pin does not work/has not been set make sure the screen specifically mentions a password and not a pin.

We do not set pins, only passwords.

The password has most likely been set to "1234" if a Mac.

If a Windows machine or in some instances some Mac's the password may be "12345678". It is also worth just pressing enter as the password on a Windows machine can be blank.

If received before October 2024 there is a chance it may be three, four or five blank spaces "    " or your first name all in lower case, or with a capital.

Some windows updates can affect the password, as a last result try "AVeryGoodPassword".

If you sign into any application on your Mac or Windows machine using your Apple ID, Microsoft or Chrome ID. Please bear in mind your device password could also change to your "online" password.

Local Password reset help

The Reset password option on the windows log in screen WILL NOT WORK unless you have set it up as an option using a USB beforehand.

Use Advanced Startup & Command Prompt

This method works for Windows 10/11 and doesn’t require a reset disk.

Steps:
Trigger Advanced Startup:

Power on your PC and force shutdown/hold down the power button as soon as Windows starts loading. 
Repeat this 3 times to enter Automatic Repair mode.
Select Advanced options → Troubleshoot → Command Prompt.
Enable Hidden Administrator Account by typing the following, including spaces:

net user administrator /act

Restart and Log in as Administrator.

Reset Your Account Password using "other users" in Windows settings 


Run NETPLWIZ from the search bar:

Disable Administrator Account (for security if you wish to do so), and or/add another user, reset your local password etc

Third-party bootable tools (semi advanced, for those IT support comfortable).

  • Cons: 
    Requires a separate, working computer to download the tool and create the bootable USB drive. 
    Some tools, like PCUnlocker, may require a license for full functionality.
  • Require secure boot, fast boot and Intel optane/SSD virtualisation to be disabled in most instances.
  • Will require a bitlocker key or similar for any bitlocker secured drive.

How to do use a third party tool (general steps):

  1. Download a tool like Hiren's Boot CD, Gandalf, Strelec, Medicat, PCUnlocker, or Trinity Rescue Kit and Rufus to create the bootable drive on a working computer. 
  2. Use Rufus to create a bootable USB drive from the tool's ISO file.
  3. Insert the bootable USB into the locked computer and restart it.
  4. Enter the computer's BIOS/UEFI and change the boot order to prioritise the USB drive, boot from it and disable fast boot, secure boot and any SSD/HDD virtualisation to allow the USB to "see" your computers "c Drive/Operating System drive".
  5. The system will boot into the bootable tool's environment, where you can select a password reset utility to unlock the account.

You can watch this video to learn how to reset a Windows password using Hiren's Boot CD:
49s
TechWise
YouTube · 25 Mar 2024
Our Tech Support team can help with Mac and Windows password resets FOR LOCAL ACCOUNTS ONLY as a last resort. Though for Windows we will most likely just do this/follow the instructions in this video, which takes five minutes. This WILL INCLUDE GETTING THE LAPTOP IN AND CANNOT BE DONE REMOTELY.

For online we will be unable to help, see below.

Online password reset help.

Once an "online" user profile or ID has been used we will be unable to help. If you see an email address and or picture when you sign in, the sis likely the case/you most likely have an online account.
You would need to follow the Apple ID/online account/Email reset process for Apple email addresses such as those that end in:
Icloud.com
Me.com
Mac.com

You would need to follow the Live ID/online account/Email reset process for Microsoft email addresses such as those that end in:
msn.com
passport.com
windowslive.com
hotmail.co.uk
live.co.uk
Outlook.com
Outlook.co.uk
Hotmail.com
Live.com

You would need to follow the Google account ID/online account/Email reset process for Microsoft email addresses such as those that end in:
Googlemail.com
Gmail.com

Other, less common federated MACOS or Windows login providers, some used with/by/for some University accounts



Additional info from external sources