How to Set Password Policy in Windows 10?

What Is Password Policy?

Using password policy can enhance password’s security. It requires users to set password length, password age, password history, etc. Via password policy, you can set a more complicated password that’s hard to be guessed or cracked.

The Reasons of Setting Password Policy in Windows 10

It will be bad for your user account and PC if the login password is too simple. Setting password policy will enforce users to set a complicated password. And the password cannot be successfully created until it meets the requirements of policies. As a result your user account will be safer.

How to Set Password Policy in Windows 10?

Explanation of Setting Each Password Policy

Password Must Meet Complexity Requirements

If you enable this policy, the password will not be successfully created until it meets the complexity requirements.

Requirements as below:

1. More than two contiguous characters from user name cannot be contained in password.

2. Be at least six characters in length and three of following four types of character need to be included in password.

• English uppercase characters (A through Z)

• English lowercase characters (a through z)

• Base 10 digits (0 through 9)

• Non-alphabetic characters (for example, !, $, #, %)

Minimum Password Length

The longer the password, the safer it will be. A password should at least contain the minimum number of characters for a user account.

Minimum Password Age

This security setting determines the period of time (in days) that a password must be used before the user can change it. For example, if you set 10 days, then your password can be changed after 10 days. Besides, password can be changed anytime if the minimum password age is set to be 0.

Maximum Password Age

This security setting determines the period of time (in days) that a password can be used before the system requires the user to change it. For example, if you set 90 days, your password will expire in 90 days then system will require you to change it. But the password will not expire if the maximum password age is set to 0.

Enforce Password History

This security setting determines the number of unique new passwords that have to be associated with a user account before an old password can be reused. It can ensure the old passwords are not reused continually. For example, if you keep 9 passwords remembered, then you need to change new passwords nine times before an old password can be reused.

Store Passwords Using Reversible Encryption

This security setting determines whether the operating system stores passwords using reversible encryption. If this policy is enabled, some bad guys may easily crack the password and access users’ PCs. It’s suggested to disable it unless application requirements are more important than the protection of password information.

Here are detailed steps on how to reset login password with Renee PassNow.

Step 1: Download and install Renee PassNow in any workable Windows computer. 

Step 2: Choose creation method, USB or CD/DVD.

Step 3: Boot the target PC from the created password reset USB/CD/DVD.

You will boot the target computer via a new created reset disk. Firstly, please hold a hot key to enter the BIOS menu and put CD-ROM or Removable Devices as the first choice. Please click here to know about how to change the boot order of your computer. After changing it successfully, please remember to save your setting and then restart your PC.

Step 4: Select “PassNow!”.

Step 5: Choose target account and then click “Clear Password”.

You can also recover Microsoft account in Windows 10/8.1/8. That is, Renee PassNow will convert the Microsoft account to a local account and the data or files inside it will still exist. After the software says that password is reset successfully, you can directly press “Enter” key to access Windows.

Besides, you can also create a new administrator to quickly access your PC. Please click “Create new account”.