Are you comfortable remembering the complex password you set for your computer? To be honest, I’m not.
In fact, every time I log out from the device, I do click on forget password section for obvious reasons. A classic approach for people who can’t remember complicated passwords.
Wouldn’t that be helpful if you could just disable the password complexity feature on Windows 11? Thus, you won’t require to remember all those upper-case/lower-case words you’ve assigned as passwords.
Well, sit back and relax. Cause in this article, I’ll cover how you can meet the password complexity requirement in Windows 11. And most importantly, the process you can use to bypass the password complexity requirements.
Let’s begin.
Read more on how to Password Protect a File or Folder in Windows 11
What is Password Complexity Requirement in Windows 11?
Password complexity in Windows 11 requires you to set a password of more than 6 characters. And those characters must contain upper-case words (A-Z) and at least one lower-case word (a-z). Also, you should include special symbols (@/#/%) in the assigned password.
Apart from these requirements, Windows also demand numbers including in the password.
With all those criteria considered, there is a Windows policy called Passwords must meet complexity requirements. No matter whether you’re using Windows 10 or 11, setting a password for your machine must conclude these points.
Here are the complexity requirements you must meet for Windows 11:
- The password should not contain the user’s name. For example, if the user account’s name is Sam, the password shouldn’t be SamPass or closely related to the user name.
- The password must contain uppercase European letters (A to Z, or Greek/Cyrillic characters).
- You must include lowercase letters (a to z) into the password.
- The password needs numeric letters (Base 10 digits, 0 to 9).
- You should include alphanumeric characters (special characters) (~!@#$%^&*_-+=`|\(){}[]:;”‘<>,.?/) in the password.
Related content you should read: Remove Bloatware From Windows 11/10
Note: The currency symbols (British Pound, American Dollars) won’t be counted as special characters for passwords.
These are the complexity requirements you need to fill up while setting a password for Windows 11. A very hectic process to go through, right?
Plus, it’s gonna be hours to memorize the password for further use.
What if I say you can disable this complexity requirement in Windows 11? Wouldn’t that be great?
Read the following section to remove this password requirement from Windows 11.
Related guide: Fix Microsoft Edge Does Not Remember Passwords
How to Disable Password Complexity Requirements in Windows 11
Removing password complexity requirements in Windows 11 is simple. You can disable it using two different methods. The first one is using the local group policy of Windows 11. Apart from that, you can change the Windows 11 password complexity via a security policy.
Note: If you’re using a PC connected to a Windows server, you can’t remove the Windows password complexity. You’ll need the admin’s permission to do that. On the other hand, if you’re PC isn’t managed by a Windows server, you can remove the password complexity.
Let’s get to the process of disabling Windows 11 password requirements.
Here are the methods you should follow to disable Windows 11 password requirements:
Remove Windows 11 Password Complexity Using Local Group Policy
A simple change in the local group policy’s value can help you to disable the password complexity in Windows 11.
You may also like to read: 13 Best Windows 11 Settings You Should Change Right Away
Here are the steps to use the local group policy in Windows 11 to remove password complexity:
- Click on the Windows 11 start menu.
- Type in edit group policy in the search menu and hit Enter.
- Navigate to Computer configuration > Windows settings > Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy.
- Double-click on Password must meet complexity requirements.
- Click on Disabled then Apply > OK to save the changes.
Now you can set a password for Windows 11 without any complexity. No need for Roman characters in the password.
Don’t set your password as “password” though.
But in case you can’t remove password complexity in that manner, you can try the following method.
Also read, Windows 11: An Error Occurred While Creating the Directory
Disable Password Complexity in Windows 11 via Security Policy
Disabling password complexity via security policy is more fun. And, you don’t need to jump through multiple steps to remove complexity in Windows 11.
Here are the steps to remove password complexity in Windows 11 via security policy:
- Press Windows + R to open the run prompt.
- Type secpol.msc in the prompt and press Enter.
- Navigate to Account policies > Password policy.
- Double-click on Password must meet complexity requirements.
- Select Disabled and to save the changes click on Apply > ok.
You need to restart your computer to enable the changes to Windows policy.
Note: Run the cmd from the start menu and type gpupdate /force and press Enter if you don’t want to restart the computer for applying the changes.
Read more on how to Download & Install Steam on Windows 11
Read This Section Before Removing Password Complexity from Windows 11
Though remembering a password character by character is a hassle, I wouldn’t recommend you disable it. A well-set password is the only thing that stands between hackers and your data.
When your password is easy to crack, accessing the data won’t be a problem even for a mediocre hacker.
So, my recommendation would be safety first. In case you’re perplexed with setting a complex password for Windows 11, write down the passcode in a secure note. Or else, you can use a password manager.
There are hundreds of ways to make your Windows 11 passcode more secure. When none of the methods help you to manage the password, only then remove the password complexity from Windows 11.
Related guide: 4 Easy Steps to Open Windows 11 Administrative Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I disable password must meet complexity requirements?
Type gpedit.msc in the Windows run prompt (Windows + R) > Locate password must meet complexity requirements > Disable the settings.
How do I change my password complexity in Windows 11?
Go to the group security policy > locate password policy > change the value of each section to change password complexity.
How do I turn off Windows password requirements?
Go to Windows settings > Sign-in options > Expand the password option > Enter the previous password > Remove password.
Conclusion
Throughout the article, I’ve discussed how you can remove Windows 11 password complexity requirements. You can use either one methods that I mentioned here.
If anything from the article feels complicated, don’t hesitate to comment below. My team will be happy to resolve your issue.
And, share this article with your friends who have problems remembering passwords for their devices.
Peace!
