I am locked out of my Windows 8.1 laptop and cannot unlock my Microsoft account. How can I get back into my laptop?

Locked out of your Windows 8.1 computer and can’t remember the password of your local or Microsoft account? Windows 8.1 encourages users to log in with Microsoft Account for enjoying the benefits that cloud brings. However, if you forgot the Microsoft account password, things can get more tricky than using a local account. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to unlock Windows 8.1 computers with a boot CD, no matter you’re using a Microsoft account or local account.

How to Unlock Windows 8.1 Computers?

1. First of all, you have to download the ISO image of PCUnlocker using an alternate computer you can access. Once the download is complete, unzip the download file and you’ll get the bootable ISO image: pcunlocker.iso. Burn it to a blank CD (or USB drive) using the freeware ISO2Disc or ImgBurn.
2. Now turn on your Windows 8.1 computer that you’re trying to unlock. Insert the burned CD and set the boot sequence to CD first in the computer BIOS.
3. Once your computer boots from the CD, it begins to load the Windows PE system. After the booting procedure is complete, you’ll see the PCUnlocker program which displays a list of local accounts found in your Windows SAM database.
   
4. Choose a local account and then click on “Reset Password” button. Confirm your operation and the program will reset/unlock your password quickly. If you need to unlock a Microsoft account, choose the local account that’s been linked to your Microsoft account, and click on “Reset Password” button. The program will update the cached logon credentials so you can later sign into your Windows 8.1 Microsoft account with a new password.
5. The last step is to restart the computer and remove the PCUnlocker Live CD. You can then log back into your computer with a new password!

If you’re using PCUnlocker Std or Pro editions, you may need to disable UEFI to run the Live CD. If you’re unfamiliar with UEFI BIOS, I suggest you to use PCUnlocker Enterprise, which can boot in both UEFI and Legacy BIOS mode. PCUnlocker can also be used to reset lost Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP passwords.