How to Create & Use Security Questions in Windows 10/11

Section 1: Create Security Questions and Setup Answers in Windows 10/11.

When you install or re-install Windows 10/11 on your computer and choose setup Windows with a local account, Microsoft will ask you to create three security questions and create three answers to them. This is the first time to use this secure way for preventing local account password forgotten. Of course, Microsoft wants you to use a Microsoft account so she make it hard to see the option of creating local account. Fortunately, it's still doable and works the same in Windows 10 and 11. Here I ignore the steps before setup Windows with a user account and begin detailing how to setup Windows with a local admin account and create security questions.

Step 1: From the Windows setup screen, you will see that Microsoft asks you to use a Microsoft account to use Windows. If you’d like to use a local account instead, directly select Offline account in Windows 10 and jump to step 3. In Windows 11, click “Sign-in options” link.

Step 2: Under “Sign-in options”, select “Offline account”.

Step 3: Now it is time to create a local administrator account for your PC. At this screen, Microsoft tries its best to steer you away from a local account. But stay strong. In Windows 10, select Limited experience. In Windows 11, select Skip for now. After entered a new user name and password, Windows would ask you to add security questions for preventing a forgotten password. Please choose three security questions from which Microsoft provided:

“What was your first pet's name?
What's the name of the city where you were born?
What was your childhood nickname?
What's the name of the city where your parents met?
What's the first name of your oldest cousin?
What's the name of the first school you attended?”

Please set answers for the security questions you chose. To ensure that you can recover your password when you don’t remember it, make sure your answers are unforgettable. This is important. After that, click “Next” and complete your new Windows setup.

Section 2: Update Security Questions and Answers in Windows 10.

For some reasons, you have not setup security questions when you setup a new Windows on your computer. Or you need to change your answers to the security questions. Please complete the following steps to create/update security questions and answers in Windows 10. Note that this guide only works for Windows 10 1803 and previous versions. If you are using a newly version of Windows 10, please follow the instructions in Section 3.

Step 1: Click Windows key to open Start menu. Select “Settings”.

Step 2: In the list items, select “Accounts”.

Step 3: Under accounts, select “Sign-in options”. Then you could see an option of “Update your security questions” displayed ender password section. Open the link. If you have not seen the link, please follow instructions in Section 3.

Step 4: Now select three security questions from pull down list and setup answer for each question. It is better to write down the answers if you are forgetful because these answers can help you recover your sign in password in case that you forgot it. After that, click “Finish” to complete this task.

Section 3: Update Security Questions and Answers in Windows 11 or Newer Version of Windows 10.

In newer versions of Windows 10 or Windows 11 system, Microsoft no longer provides the link of “create or update security questions”. It means that you still need to create a password reset disk on a USB drive if you want to prevent a forgotten local account password. However, please believe that nothing is difficult if you set your mind to it. Here I will show you an easy way to create or update security questions on Windows 10 or 11. This is working perfectly for any version of Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Step 1: Turn on your computer and sign in your local admin account. Press “WinKey+R” keys at the same time to open the Run box. Now type “ms-cxh://setsqsalocalonly” in the box and then hit Enter key.

Step 2: Update security questions dialog is open. First, enter your local account password to verify your account info.

Step 3: Now, choose three security questions and set answers to them. Please write down the answers and keep them in a safe place. After that, click “Finish”. That is all.

Section 4: Use Security Questions to Reset Local Account Password in Windows 10/11.

When you forget your Windows local account password, the first thing to reset password you should try is using the security questions you setup before. In this section, I will tell how to use the security questions to easily reset your password without knowing it or losing anything. The only thing you should prepare is finding out your security questions. Then complete the following steps. For more tips of resetting Windows 11 Microsoft/local account password, please see this page.

Step 1: After you entered a wrong password on the sign in screen, click “OK” to continue.

Step 2: Under the password box, click “Reset password”. Note that you have created a password reset disk for the user account, there would be another option “Use password reset disk instead”. Please keep choosing “Reset password” link to go further.

Step 3: Windows will show the security questions you setup before under your user account. Please give answers to the questions and then submit.

Step 4: At this step, please create a new password for your user account and then submit. Then you can use the new password to sign in.

Section 5: Reset Windows 10/11 Local Administrator or User Password with USB. (You don’t have security questions.)

For some reasons, people may lose their local admin password in Windows 11 or 10 and find that they have not create any security questions or password reset disk when they want to reset password. How to do?

Don’t worry, you can use a special way, Windows Password Rescuer, to help reset any forgotten Windows password. This is an easy-to-use password reset tool which allows users to get back into their locked computer via a small CD, DVD or USB flash drive. It is now working for all Windows versions such as Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Windows server OS. Here I will show you how to use Windows Password Rescuer to instantly reset a forgotten Windows 11 local admin password via USB.

Step 1: On another computer which you can login as administrator. Download and install Windows Password Rescuer Personal.

Step 2: Connect a blank USB flash drive to the current computer and then run the software you have just installed. On the friendly interface, choose “USB Drive” option.

Step 3: In the next screen, drop down the drive list and choose the USB you inserted. Then click “Begin Burning” button and confirm the operation.

Step 4: Wait the software creates a password recovery disk on the USB for you. When it shows you that burning is successfully completed, unplug the USB and close the software.

Step 5: Now plug the newly created USB flash drive into your locked computer where you need to reset Windows 11 password. Start/restart the computer and setup it to boot from USB.

Step 6: When the computer successfully boots from USB, you will see Windows Password Rescuer screen. Now click your Windows 11 system and then click your admin account in the list.

Step 7: Click “Reset password” button to reset the unknown password and confirm the operation.

Step 8: You Windows 11 local admin password has been removed and shown “Blank”.

Step 9: Click “Reboot”. When it asks you to remove your USB, please unplug the USB flash drive and then click “Yes” to continue reboot.

Step 10: After that, you are able to sign in the admin account without password in Windows 11.