Microsoft Windows Surface RT 32 - Retrieve Lost Password?

studyingitalian

Is there any way to retrieve a lost password and get into this tablet? I had this tablet in 2013. I want to donate it to the Rotary appeal, but I want to transfer my photos from it before I do. I know how to wipe it clean and restore factory settings. And Rotary would do that anyway. My problem is that my husband set it up for me back in 2013, I used it for 3 years and then put it away. Now neither my husband nor I can remember the password! So we can’t get into the machine. Any ideas what I can do please?

CoastingHatbox

Not something I've personally dealt with.

Does this video help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHUogLgTkBk

studyingitalian

Thanks. That’s a reset, but I didn’t want to lose all my photos. I don’t think they are backed up anywhere. 

Neil_Jones

If you set it up with a Microsoft account (which is mos tlikely) you may have an email address on the sign-in screen.  You can do a "reset my password" thing at (most likey) outlook.com - assuming of course you set up backup email addresses that you actually can get into...

pbartlett

Failing having backed up the password to your microsoft account, then if you have forgotten it then you can't get into the device - that is the whole purpose of having a password.

studyingitalian

Thanks Neil. We hadn’t considered trying that. Will give it a go!

Sure, pbartlett, and we are thankful it isn’t millions in Bitcoin!

ann_droid

https://www.top-password.com/blog/reset-surface-rt-tablet-password/

flaneurs_lobster

ann_droid said:

https://www.top-password.com/blog/reset-surface-rt-tablet-password/

I find that extraordinary. There is built-in functionality that allows you to reset the tablet to factory settings, therefore being completely unlocked, and yet preserves the personal/user data that was present? Protecting personal data is the reason why you password-protect the thing in the first place.

Extremely useful to the OP who wants to retrieve their photos and very worrying to anyone else who things that their tablet is secure because they've bothered to set up a sensible password. 

studyingitalian

Thanks all. If I were to Factory Reset, I would lose all my photos. 

ann_droid

ERrrrrrrrrrrrrr

You’ll now be prompted with two options. “Keep my files” and “Remove everything“. In this case, I click “Keep my files” as I want to keep the personal files intact. No matter whichever option you pick, all of your system settings will return to their defaults and apps will be uninstalled.

I don't guarantee you won't lose anything, but how much access do you currently have?

studyingitalian

Yes that’s a point! I’m gearing up to try. I’m still hoping that somewhere in the back of my or my husband’s brains - in the library stacks as it were - is the missing password. I won’t wait forever as I want to donate this computer to Rotary while it still has useful life in it for someone. Another week and that’s it, I will try the radical route!

(I have tried the Microsoft account route but got nowhere there either.)