How To Remove Forgotten Gmail Account From Windows 10

[cherri hairston]

I have a laptop and my gmail got hacked and I cannot retrieve the password. I wanted to do a factory reset to get rid of all passwords on the laptop I went to settings and Netplwiz and windows asked for my gmail password again.. I cannot download a java update or my steam account without knowing this gmail ...so what can I do..I would like to reset to factory settings with a flash drive but I think this laptop won't let me do anything without that gmail...password.very frustrating...Please Help

 

[Wargamer]

I never heard of netplwiz asking for a gmail password unless you used it when setting up your MS account and you are not the administrator of the laptop. In any event, you should be able to do a factory reset without ever having to enter Windows 10. However, different manufacturers use different techniques to invoke a factory reset. So, if you would like some help in that area, please provide your make/model of the laptop and confirm you have never wiped the hard drive clean via a clean install.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Cherri,

are you using a local account (standard password of your choice) or when you first ran your Windows 10 set-up, did you use an MS account to set it up?.

Go here for more details:

https://www.howtogeek.com/222262/how-to-reset-your-forgotten-password-in-windows-10/

Are you sure it is asking for a Gmail account and not a Windows Microsoft account?.

Can you boot into "Safe Mode" and run a virus scan first? (just in case!):

https://www.windows10forums.com/articles/safe-mode.3/

Or try it from the install media if you have a CD or USB stick:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...afe-mode/493f8033-43d3-495e-9421-758eb46df1db

 

[Trouble]

It would seem that perhaps a good first step might be to reclaim your Gmail account.
Evidently it is a bit of a pain, but certainly doable with a little time and patience according to this
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/gmail/lcJQFla9y8E

You might be able to rescue your computer by enabling the normally hidden / disabled Administrator account and use that to possibly fix the password problem on your local user account.
You'll need to boot from the installation media. If you do not have the installation media on hand you can download the ISO from here
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
Once you have the ISO, you can use ImgBurn to burn it to a DVD, http://imgburn.com/
or Rufus to burn it to a USB ThumbDrive, http://rufus.akeo.ie/
either of which you can use to boot your computer.

THEN...
Follow the steps outlined here
http://pureinfotech.com/2015/11/20/how-reset-windows-10-forgotten-password-regain-access-computer/

Personally I wouldn't have chosen to link my Gmail account to my primary login to my Windows 10 machine.
I know a lot of people seem to do that but I don't think that generally it's a good idea. I think using a local account initially is a better idea and at a later point if you find that you need a more robust user to take advantage of some of the other features and functions of Windows 10, creating an actual Microsoft Account ([email protected]) and then using that by simply choosing to login with a Microsoft account instead by going to Settings -> Accounts -> And choosing the link under the local account to perform that task.

 

[Jake B]

Your Gmail account is stored and changed with your account on Google servers. When you change your Google password it changes it at Google. Your google account saves your Bookmarks with your account and syncing information.