How to Change Reset Account Lockout Counter After Time in Windows 11

What Is Account Lockout?

Account lockout is a security feature in Windows that stops automated tools from guessing passwords repeatedly (brute-force attacks). Windows prevents unauthorized access by locking profiles after too many failed sign-in attempts.

The Account Lockout Policy settings control when profiles lock and what happens afterward.

Important Policy Settings

Important policy settings control how Windows handles incorrect sign-in attempts to protect your computer. To change the reset account lockout counter after time in Windows 11, you need to understand how these security rules work together. They manage how many wrong password tries are allowed, how long an account stays locked, and when the counter goes back to zero.

Account lockout duration determines how many minutes a locked profile remains inaccessible before unlocking itself. Administrators retain the option to unlock profiles sooner than configured durations.

Reset account lockout counter after: This specifies the minutes passing after a failed login attempt before counters reset to zero.

Allow Administrator account lockout: This determines whether built-in Administrator profiles experience lockouts.

Why This Matters

Adjusting the reset account lockout counter after time in Windows 11 matters because it balances system security with everyday convenience. A proper lockout policy stops automated password-guessing attacks while preventing legitimate users from getting locked out of their own personal computers too easily after a few simple typing mistakes.

References:

Account Lockout Policy - Windows 10

This link describes Account Lockout Policy configurations and provides details about each parameter.

Reset account lockout counter after - Windows 10

This page details best practices, locations, values, and security considerations for the 'Reset account lockout counter after' security policy setting.

New 🪟 Windows 11 Defaults

Starting with Windows 11 build 22528 and higher, defaults consist of:

• Account lockout threshold: 10 failed tries
• Account lockout duration: 10 minutes
• Allow Administrator account lockout: Enabled
• Reset account lockout counter after: 10 minutes

Option 1Use Local Security Policy

Local Security Policy (secpol.msc) is a built-in tool in Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 11 that lets you change the reset account lockout counter after time. You can use this utility to adjust security rules and threshold limits directly without needing to touch the system registry.

1. Open Local Security Policy. Press the Windows key and search for secpol.msc. Click it to open. ⚠️ Requires admin privileges
2. Find Account Lockout Policy. In the left pane, click on Account Policies to expand it. Then click on Account Lockout Policy.
3. Open Reset account lockout counter after. In the right pane, double-click on "Reset account lockout counter after" to open it.
4. Enter the new time. Type a number between 1 and 99999 minutes. This is how long must pass before the failed login counter resets to zero. Click OK.

Important: First, verify that the 'Account lockout threshold' is enabled. Also, the 'Account lockout duration' must exceed or equal the 'Reset account lockout counter after' setting. Default configurations use 10 minutes.

5. Check Account lockout duration. If Reset account lockout counter after is set higher than Account lockout duration, a popup will show suggested values. Click OK to confirm and update Account lockout duration.
6. Change other settings (optional). You can also change Account lockout duration, Account lockout threshold, and Allow Administrator account lockout here.
7. Close the window. When done, close Local Security Policy if you want.

Option 2Use Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal provides a command-line method to check and adjust the reset account lockout counter after time on systems that do not have the Local Security Policy tool. Running specific net commands with administrator rights lets you manage these security settings directly from the command prompt or PowerShell.

1. Open Windows Terminal as admin. Press the Windows key and search for Windows Terminal. Right-click it and select "Run as administrator." ⚠️ Requires admin privileges Select either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.
2. Check current settings. Copy and paste this command and press Enter:
   net accounts
   

   Look for "Lockout observation window (minutes)" to see the current setting.

3. Change the setting. Copy and paste this command and press Enter:
   net accounts /lockoutwindow:<number>
   Replace <number> with a number between 1 and 99999 minutes. For example: net accounts /lockoutwindow:10

Also, ensure the 'Lockout duration' (in minutes) exceeds or equals the 'Lockout observation window' (in minutes). Default configurations use 10 minutes.

4. Change other settings (optional). You can also change Account lockout threshold, Allow Administrator account lockout, and Reset account lockout counter after policies with other commands.
5. Close Windows Terminal. When done, close Windows Terminal if you want.

Summary

Account lockout remains a vital security feature locking Windows profiles after excessive failed password attempts. Modifying these settings, including counter reset windows, happens through the Local Security Policy tool on supported editions or Windows Terminal across any edition.