# Change Windows password w/o CNTL+ALT+DEL? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 14, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426 "2017-04-14T02:43:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/1 "2017-04-14T02:43:36Z")
Is there a way to change the Windows password without using Control+Alt+Delete? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/2 "2017-04-14T02:48:40Z")
Probably. Which version of Windows are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/3 "2017-04-14T03:00:46Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Probably. Which version of Windows are you using? No idea. I think it has ‘Professional’ in it, but I could be wrong. Windows used to just tell you what version you’re using when you click the Start button. Now they’re hiding it. In any case, I was poking around, trying to find the version, and it seems I can hit Start|Windows Security. I’ll give it a try Sunday or Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/4 "2017-04-14T03:16:05Z")
Is the computer locked now? IOW, are you trying to get past the password? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/5 "2017-04-14T03:18:33Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Is the computer locked now? IOW, are you trying to get past the password? No, my password will expire in five days and I wanted to see if there’s a way to change it remotely if I don’t go into the office. Control-Alt-Delete doesn’t work on the Mac. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/6 "2017-04-14T03:26:36Z")
What app are you using to remote in? Most remote control apps have a way to send a CtrlAltDel. Sent from mTalk ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/7 "2017-04-14T03:26:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No, my password will expire in five days and I wanted to see if there’s a way to change it remotely if I don’t go into the office. Control-Alt-Delete doesn’t work on the Mac. Have you tried Control-Alt-End? That is the way to emulate Control-Alt-Delete on remote sessions when running it from a Windows computer. If your Mac keyboard doesn’t have an END key, look up how to do it. There has to be a way although I don’t work enough with modern Macs to know how to send that sequence if your keyboard does not support it. Still, figure that out and you should be good. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/8 "2017-04-14T03:34:07Z")
On Windows 10, click on the Windows (start) button on the lower left, then click on Settings, then Accounts, and Sign-In Options, and you’ll find an option there to change your password. Windows 8 is similar, but after you go into Settings you have to click on Change PC Settings. After that, it’s the same (Accounts, Sign-In Options, etc). On Windows 7, go to Control Panel then User Accounts and the option to change the passwords is under there. ETA: By the way, “Professional” doesn’t narrow it down much. Every Windows since XP has had a Professional version available. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/9 "2017-04-14T03:42:44Z")
BTW, if you click on the Windows/Start button, type “Winver” in the search box, and run that, and it will tell you exactly what version of windows you have. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/10 "2017-04-14T03:49:59Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > What app are you using to remote in? Most remote control apps have a way to send a CtrlAltDel. VPN, then RDC. > [@Shagnasty](#): > > Have you tried Control-Alt-End? That is the way to emulate Control-Alt-Delete on remote sessions when running it from a Windows computer. If your Mac keyboard doesn’t have an END key, look up how to do it. There has to be a way although I don’t work enough with modern Macs to know how to send that sequence if your keyboard does not support it. Still, figure that out and you should be good. I don’t see an End key. Anyway, I get the same screen with Start|Windows Security as I do when I do CRTL+ALT+DEL on the PC, so I think I’m good. Using winver, I have Windows 7 Professional on the office computer. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/11 "2017-04-14T03:54:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No, my password will expire in five days and I wanted to see if there’s a way to change it remotely if I don’t go into the office. Control-Alt-Delete doesn’t work on the Mac. Click Start Type osk Hit enter Once the On screen Keyboard is open, hold ctrl+Alt on your physical keyboard, then click on the del key in the on screen keyboard. Minimize the on screen Keyboard Click Change a password. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/12 "2017-04-14T17:10:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > No idea. I think it has ‘Professional’ in it, but I could be wrong. Windows used to just tell you what version you’re using when you click the Start button. Now they’re hiding it. If it’s Win 10 pro, go to “This PC” in the file manager, right click, and choose “properties”. You can also go to “Settings”-\>“System”-\>“About”. You can do something similar in other versions of Windows. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/change-windows-password-w-o-cntl-alt-del/784426/13 "2017-04-14T17:37:25Z")
In Windows 10 you simply right click the start menu and select system.