Remove Password Complexity Requirements in Windows 11

Overview – Password Complexity in Windows

As per the Windows Password Complexity requirements, the Password must be set on the basis of the following details:

1. Password must be 6 or more characters long.
2. Must contain both uppercase (A-Z) and lowercase (a-z) characters.
3. Must Contain Symbols (such as: #, @, etc)
4. The user’s account name or more than two consecutive characters from the user’s complete name cannot be included in the password.

You appear to want to create a simple password, but Windows is denying to let you do so, instead, showing the following error message:
“Password does not meet complexity requirements“.

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to disable password complexity in Windows 11:

• Using Group Policy

• Using Security Policy

1. Remove Password Complexity via Local Group Policy

Step 1: In the Start menu, type “Edit Group Policy” and hit the enter key.

Step 2: Navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies > Password Policy and double-click the “Password must meet complexity requirements” option.

Step 3: To disable the password complexity, check the “Disabled” option and click the “Apply” button.

Step 4: To make changes take effect without restarting the computer, run the Command Prompt as an administrator and type the command: gpupdate /force.

2. Remove Password Complexity via Security Policy

Step 1: In the Start menu, search for Security Policy and hit the enter key or press the Windows + R” key combination to open Windows Run and type: secpol.msc.

Step 2: Navigate to the following path:
Account Policies > Password Policy and double-click the “Password must meet complexity requirements” option.

Step 3: To disable the password complexity requirements, check the “Disabled” option and click the “Apply” button.

Step 4: To make changes take effect without restarting the computer, run the Command Prompt as an administrator and type the command: gpupdate /force.

FAQs Related to Password Complexity

How to fix password complexity option greyed out in Windows?

In the Group Policy Settings, navigate to Computer Configurations > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies, double-click the Password Policy option, and enable it.

Next Steps

We’ve covered how to remove Windows 11 password complexity requirements. You can use any one of the methods listed above.

A password must be strong enough to withstand guessing and cracking attempts in order to secure the integrity of your system and its stored data. A strong password is one that consists of a blend of upper- and lowercase letters, digits, and symbols. Depending on your requirements, you can disable password complexity in Windows.

Customize your privacy and security settings by following the related articles below.

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