Windows rejects a password you know is right
My password is correct but Windows will not let me in. What now?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
Usually Caps Lock, a wrong keyboard layout, a changed Microsoft account password, or a machine offline that cannot verify the account against the server. The quickest thing to try first: check caps lock and layout — Type the password into the username box first so you can see it. Click the keyboard layout icon near the clock and confirm it matches your keyboard. Most people are done in about 10 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 4 steps for Windows, rated medium.
Sounds like this
- •The password is incorrect. Try again
- •Sign in stuck on Welcome
- •Only a temporary profile loads
Why it happens
Usually Caps Lock, a wrong keyboard layout, a changed Microsoft account password, or a machine offline that cannot verify the account against the server.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Check Caps Lock and layout
Type the password into the username box first so you can see it. Click the keyboard layout icon near the clock and confirm it matches your keyboard.
- 2
Use the Microsoft account password
If the account is a Microsoft one, the password is the online password, not an old local one. Reset it at account.live.com from a phone, then sign in with the machine online.
- 3
Sign in with the PIN or another method
On the sign in screen click Sign-in options and try the PIN, or use I forgot my PIN to reset it with your Microsoft account.
- 4
Fix a temporary profile
If you get in but everything looks new, restart twice. If it persists, the profile folder is locked, and signing in from Safe Mode usually releases it.
If none of that worked
For a local account with no reset disk, a technician can reset the password from recovery media. Note that this loses saved browser passwords encrypted with the old one.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
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CommonFixes review desk
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Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.