How to Unlock a Locked Out User Account in Windows 7 and Windows 8
Information
Normally the account lockout duration security setting determines the number of minutes a locked out account remains locked out before automatically becoming unlocked. If the account lockout duration is set to 0 minutes, then a locked out user account will be locked out until an administrator manually unlocks that locked out user account.
This will show you how to manually unlock a user account that was locked out when it reached its account lockout threshold of invalid logon attempts.
This will show you how to manually unlock a user account that was locked out when it reached its account lockout threshold of invalid logon attempts.
Warning
You will only be able to do this while logged in as an administrator.
EXAMPLE: Locked Out User Account
NOTE: This is the locked out message a user will get if they reach the account lockout threshold number of invalid logon attempts.
Here's How:
1. Open the Local Users and Groups manager.
2. In the left pane, select Users. (see screenshot below)
3. In the right pane under the Name column, double click on the locked out user account. (see screenshot above)
4. Uncheck the Account is locked out box, and click on OK. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: If the Account is locked out option is grayed out, then the selected user account is not locked out.
5. Close the Local Users and Groups manager.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Set Account Lockout Threshold for Invalid Logon Attempts
- How to Set Account Lockout Duration for Locked Out User Accounts
- How to Set the Reset Account Lockout Counter After Setting
- How to Set an Audit Policy for an Account Lockout
- How to View Detailed Information About All User Accounts on a Windows PC
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