To keep your computer secure, Microsoft requires a Minimum Password Length in Windows for all Microsoft accounts that you create under Windows 11/10 PC. However, Microsoft does not require a password when you create a new local user in Windows 11/10. If you haven’t set a pass, a newly created user account will be able to log in without one. You can, however, change the password for that account at any time if necessary.
However, on Windows 11/10, you can set a minimum password length for each user if you want Windows to remind you to set a password for all local accounts. There are at least two methods for implementing this prerequisite policy on your computer to make it secure.
How to Set a Minimum Password Length via Group Policy on Windows 11/10?
The Local Group Policy Editor can be used by Windows 11/10 Pro and Enterprise users to apply the specific policy to their computers. You can use the alternate method described in this post to enforce the policy if you are using Windows 11/10 Home edition. Because gpedit.msc isn’t included in the Home edition of Windows.
- Go to the Local Group Policy Editor and open it. To do so, press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Then, in the box, type gpedit.msc and press the Enter key.
- From the left side pane, navigate to the following path:Computer configuration > Windows settings > Security settings > Account policies > Password policy.
- Locate the policy “Minimum Password Length” on the right-hand sidebar. Double-click it now to access its options.
- Type the minimum password length you want to use in the “Minimum password length Properties” window.
- Click the Apply button. Hit OK.
How to Set a Minimum Password Length in Windows 11/10 using Command Prompt?
This method works for all Windows 11/10 users, including those who have the Home Edition. You’ll need to use an elevated Command Prompt to implement a policy. If you prefer to work with PowerShell, you can apply the policy with the same command. We will, however, demonstrate the steps using Command Prompt.
- Open a Command Prompt with elevated privileges. To do so, press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to bring up the Run dialog box. Type cmd in the Run box. Now press and hold the Ctrl + Shift keys while pressing the Enter key on the keyboard.
- When the elevated Command Prompt window appears, type the following and press Enter:-
net accounts /minpwlen:MinimumPassLength
Note: Replace MinimumPassLength with 1-20 characters in the above command.
“The command completed successfully,” you should see after running the above command.
Type the following command and then press the Enter key on your keyboard to see if the policy is active on your computer:-
net accounts
If you want to remove the minimum password length requirement, run the following command:-
net accounts /minpwlen:0
People also ask
No Responses