Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for unlocking an operating system, which are used to unlock the system with personal information data when a user forgets a password, thereby increasing a probability of successful unlocking of the user. The method of the embodiment of the present invention includes: when a user fails in unlocking the system via an unlock pattern in an unlocking interface for pattern unlocking, displaying an unlocking interface for personal information authentication, and matching personal information input by the user with personal information pre-stored in a local database.