According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, an authentication unit which performs an authentication process, upon power-on of the main body, if authentication information is registered in the main body, the authentication process including a process to authenticate a user based on authentication information input by the user and the authentication information registered in the main body, and a forced-registration unit which performs a forced-registration process to request the user to register new authentication information and inhibit the main body from operating until the new authentication information is registered, upon power-on of the main body.