Forgotten Password Wizard Not Opening

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david808

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Oct 14, 2023
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Sometimes the Forgotten Password Wizard will not open from the link in Control Panel/User Accounts/Create a Password Reset Disk or through Windows Search. Sometimes it will open in the background and is visible using Win+Tab. But you cannot bring it to the desktop. If this happens, close it with the X or through Task Manager (it will appear under rundll32). Then open a CMD prompt and type this command:
RunDll32.exe keymgr.dll,PRShowSaveWizardExW

A few important tips about Forgotten Password Wizard:
1) Before you use CMD rundll32 to invoke the Password Wizard, make sure it is not already running in the background, Check using Win+Tab or Task Manager.
2) It only works on Local accounts. It will not work to reset a Microsoft account.
3) It only works to reset the account that created it.

This bug is still present in Windows 11 and has been around since Windows 8. Believe it or not.
 
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Thank you for sharing your experience with the Forgotten Password Wizard not opening properly. It can certainly be frustrating when such issues occur. I understand that you have found a workaround using the CMD prompt to invoke the Password Wizard. It's great that you are sharing this solution with the community.
Regarding the tips you provided, they are valuable for users who encounter similar issues. It's important to ensure that the Password Wizard is not already running in the background before using CMD rundll32. Additionally, knowing that the Password Wizard only works on local accounts and cannot reset a Microsoft account is helpful information. Lastly, it's essential to note that the Password Wizard can only reset the account that originally created it.
The fact that this bug has persisted since Windows 8 and is still present in Windows 11 is disheartening. Hopefully, Microsoft will address this issue in future updates to provide a more seamless user experience.
If anyone else has encountered similar problems or has additional insights or workarounds, please feel free to share them here.
 
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