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If you forgot the password for a Windows or Linux account inside a VMware Workstation virtual machine, recover it through the guest operating system—not through Workstation. First identify which password prompt you are seeing, rule out keyboard-entry problems, then use the operating system’s supported recovery process. If the account is managed by an organization, contact its identity administrator; if recovery is not possible, restore a suitable VM backup.
Identify which password the VM is asking for
A virtual machine can show different password prompts, and the recovery route depends on which one you see:
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- Guest OS sign-in: Windows or Linux has started and is asking you to sign in to an account inside the VM. The guest operating system controls that account and its password.
- VM encryption prompt: Workstation is asking for a key or password to access an encrypted virtual machine. This is not the same as a Windows or Linux account password. Resetting a guest account will not unlock an encrypted VM.
Broadcom explains that VMware virtualization tools do not provide a way to reset internal guest operating system passwords. Its account-management guidance is written for ESXi 8.x, but the distinction applies here: Workstation hosts the VM, while the guest OS manages its own users and authentication. See Broadcom’s explanation of ESXi and guest OS account-management boundaries.
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If the prompt is the guest OS sign-in and you believe the password is correct, check for an input mismatch before attempting recovery. Broadcom’s incorrect-password guidance is for vSphere 8.x, but these low-risk checks can also help with a Workstation guest:
- Check whether Caps Lock is on.
- Confirm that the active keyboard language or layout matches the one used when the password was created.
- If the login field has a password-visibility control, use it to check the characters being entered.
- If a physical key may be faulty, try the guest OS’s on-screen keyboard if available.
If the password is still rejected, follow the recovery method for the guest OS and account type. Broadcom lists similar checks in its article on guest OS login failures with an “Incorrect password” error.
Recover the guest account through its operating system
There is no single password-reset procedure that works for every VM. The correct steps depend on whether the guest runs Windows or Linux, its version and configuration, and whether the account is local or managed by an organization. Use the operating system vendor’s supported recovery instructions for the specific version and account involved.
Do not assume that reinstalling VMware Workstation or changing its license will reset a guest password. Those actions affect the host application, not credentials stored and checked by the guest OS.
Contact the administrator for a managed account
If the VM is joined to a domain or uses another centrally managed identity, contact the responsible administrator. The account may be controlled by a directory service or organization policy, so a local password-recovery process may not resolve the issue. Broadcom’s account-management guidance recommends handling centrally managed accounts through the relevant identity administrator.
Restore a VM backup if account recovery is not possible
If you cannot complete the supported password-recovery process, consider restoring the VM from a recent backup. The restore point determines which VM state returns, so follow your backup procedure and choose a point appropriate for the files and changes you need to preserve. Broadcom includes backup restoration as a fallback when guest-account recovery cannot be completed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If the prompt is for VM encryption
Do not use guest-account reset instructions for an encryption prompt. Broadcom documents a separate, specific issue in VMware Workstation Pro 17.5.1 where some VMs appeared encrypted after an update. For that case, the documented workaround is to shut down the VM, export it with OVF Tool, and import it into Workstation again. This applies to the described encryption-state issue—not to a forgotten Windows or Linux account password. Read Broadcom’s Workstation 17.5.1 encryption issue article before considering that workaround.
What to establish before choosing a recovery route
- Is the prompt from Windows or Linux sign-in, or is Workstation requesting access to an encrypted VM?
- Which guest operating system and version are running?
- Is the account local to the guest or managed by a domain or organization?
- Is there a recent VM backup from which you can restore if native recovery fails?
These details determine whether the next step belongs to the guest OS vendor, an identity administrator, or your backup process.
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