How do I switch from Windows Live login/password to local without Live password, but with Administrator access?

A friend recently passed away, and his wife asked me to gain access to his Windows laptop for which she doesn't know the password.

When I try to guess the password, I get this error message:

You can't sign into your device right now. Go to account.live.com to fix the problem, or try the last password you used on this device.

I can't change the password on account.live.com, because the email address associated with the account no longer exists.

I took the computer offline and tried again, and I get this error message:

Your device is offline. Please sign in with the last password used on this device.

I tried this method, which got me access to cmd.exe and allowed me to change the passwords for all of the local users. But that doesn't allow me to log in; it still tells me I need "the last password used on this device".

So it seems that changing the local password isn't good enough, and that I actually need to know the last password used. Or at least be able to change that.

Does anybody know how I can hack this computer so that I can log in?

Thanks.

Update: I am now able to log in as Administrator, thanks to the help below. I still cannot log into the target account (same error message). I also cannot figure out how to switch it from Live to local login whilst logged in as Administrator.

Update: I changed the title to reflect my current situation: I have Administrator access to the laptop, and can change the target account's password. But I can't figure out how to change the target account from Live to local.

2 Answers

Here are some methods which might help.

Create an alternative administrative account

If you can get into cmd, try to create a new user account :

net user /add [username] [password]

You may then adds it to the Local Administrators Group :

net localgroup administrators [username] /add

This will not work if cmd doesn't have elevated permissions.

Use PCUnlocker

I don't know PCUnlocker, but it's referred to in more than one article.

From the articleLocked out of Microsoft Account? Get Back into Windows 10 By Changing to Local Account:

1. Download the trial package ofPCUnlocker Enterprise. Unzip to extract the pcunlocker.iso file.

2. Burn the ISO file to a CD, for example using the freewareISO2Disc.

3. Boot the locked computer using the PCUnlocker Live CD to start the PCUnlocker utility. You may need to change the boot order in the BIOS.

4. By default, the program lists all local user accounts that it can find on your computer.

5. Select the linked local account and click on the Reset Password button. The program will convert your locked Microsoft account to local account and you can set a new password for the converted local account. You'll get the message saying your password is reset successfully. Click OK.

6. Restart after removing the CD and login.

The Microsoft Support method

You could use Microsoft Support to reset your password of online, if you have access to the deceased's email, phone, or Skype name. Otherwise, phone support for your country can be found in theGlobal Customer Service phone numbers. If you are able to supply proof to your claim, the Support technician will be able to suggest a solution.

Note: If Bitlocker or another disk encryption system was used on the Windows 10 PC, this procedure will not work. Is there a blue screen asking for the Bitlocker PIN or passphrase, this process will not work.

On another Windows PC, create a Linux Live USB by downloading the Universal USB Installer which allows you to select the Linux distibution of your choice without first downloading it. I favor using Xubuntu or Cinnamon Mint since their desktops are more Windows-like than most, but your mileage may vary.

Create the Live USB with persistence, as you will need to add an app once you have made it. That's selected in item 4 of the Universal USB Installer.

Reboot from the Live Linux USB. The keyboard choice to boot from USB varies; on my Lenovo Think Pad, there's a blue button which lets me choose how to boot. Other PCs can use F10, F11, F12, or other keys.

Install the cntpnw app by opening a terminal window and doing

sudo dnf install -y chntpw

which is described for the Fedora distribution of Linux in step 4 of .

The two Linux versions I mentioned above, Mint, and Xubuntu, are Debian-based. The installation command with Debian-based Linux distributions is

sudo apt-get install chntpw 

Once installed, follow steps 5-8 of the aforementioned which I will test once I get home tonight where I have a Linux machine to test with. (I post this without the full detail I would prefer in the interests of your time and sanity.)