Fix The Referenced Account is Currently Locked Out
Recently I received the following error message on my Windows 11 PC: The referenced account is currently locked out and may not be logged on to.
This occurred because I had attempted to sign into my Microsoft Account from a Local User account with the wrong local user password too many times. Once I signed out, that Local User account was no longer accessible.
Luckily I had a separate Administrator Local User account on this PC and was able to unlock that other Local User account using the commands provided within this article. No local admin? Follow these instructions for unlocking the local user via Safe Mode.
Unlocking a Local User Account
- Open Windows Command Prompt with Administrator privileges.
- Type: net user <username> /active:yes
- Replace <username> with the actual local user account username of the locked account.
Unlocking a Local User Using Safe Mode
If you do not have a separate Administrator Local User account as I did reboot your PC into Safe Mode using the instructions below:
- On the sign in screen, hold down the Shift key while clicking the Power button on your PC.
- Continue holding down the Shift key until the Advanced Recovery Options menu appears.
- Click on Troubleshoot and select Advanced options.
- Click on Startup Settings and select Restart.
- Press 4 to Enable Safe Mode.
- Once in Safe Mode, open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type: net user <username> /active:yes
- Replace <username> with the actual local user account username of the locked account.
Conclusion
As always, I welcome your thoughts, questions or suggestions on my article on how to gain access to a locked out local user account on Windows 11.
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Let me know if you found any errors within my article or if I may further assist you by answering any additional questions you may have.
