Windows 10: Disabling requirement to reset PIN periodically on Windows 11

I have a 6-year old Surface Pro that I'm very happy with. I have two personal Outlook accounts configured on it. I use it only for personal use. There isn't and has never been any college or work accounts configured on it. I use a PIN to login and/or get out of lock screen because the facial recognition stopped being reliable a while back and I don't like to retype my password every time. The PIN works for me and it's simple to use. However, the biggest frustration for me is that it will force me to reset the PIN every 2 months with a cryptic message saying something to the effect of "Your o

:)

 

Security changes requires set up of new PIN in Windows 11.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

It's great to hear that you have managed to get your system back up and running, albeit with the hassle of reinstalling everything. Using a highly rated backup program is a wise choice to prevent similar issues in the future.

For future reference, and to help others who might face similar issues, here are some general steps and solutions for dealing with PIN reset issues after hardware changes in Windows 11:

Summary of Steps to Address PIN Reset Issues:

1. Use a Local Account to Bypass the PIN Reset:
   
   • Boot into Safe Mode.
     
   • Log in with a local account.
     
   • Remove or reset the PIN from Settings.
     
2. Enable the Hidden Administrator Account via Command Prompt:
   
   • Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
     
   • Activate the built-in Administrator account.
     
   • Log in as the Administrator and manage the PIN settings.
     
3. Use Another User Profile (if available):
   
   • Log in with another user account.
     
   • Manage the PIN settings from that account.
     
4. Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE):
   
   • Access WinRE and perform a startup repair.
     
5. Use a Password Reset Disk (if previously created):
   
   • Insert the password reset disk and follow the instructions to reset the password.
     

Detailed Steps:

Here is a more detailed explanation of these steps:

Method 1: Boot into Safe Mode and Use Local Account

1. Boot into Safe Mode:
   
   • Restart your computer.
     
   • When the computer restarts, press and hold the Shift key and select Restart.
     
   • Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
     
   • Press F4 to boot into Safe Mode.
     
2. Log in with Local Account:
   
   • If you have a local account, log in using that account. This might bypass the PIN reset requirement.
     
3. Remove the PIN:
   
   • Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
     
   • Under PIN (Windows Hello), click Remove.
     
4. Restart Normally:
   
   • Restart your computer normally and see if you can log in without being prompted to reset the PIN.
     

Method 2: Enable the Hidden Administrator Account

1. Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt:
   
   • Follow the steps to enter Advanced Boot Options as described above.
     
   • Press F6 to boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
     
2. Activate the Built-in Administrator Account:
   
   • In the Command Prompt, type:
     
     
   • Restart your computer.
     
3. Log in as Administrator:
   
   • Log in using the newly activated Administrator account.
     
4. Reset the PIN:
   
   • Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
     
   • Under PIN (Windows Hello), click Remove or add a new PIN.
     
5. Deactivate the Administrator Account:
   
   • After resolving the issue, disable the Administrator account for security reasons:
     
     

Method 3: Use Another User Profile

• Log in with another user account if available.
  
• Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and manage the PIN settings.
  

Method 4: Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

• Reboot your computer.
  
• Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
  
• Follow the on-screen instructions to let Windows attempt to repair startup issues.
  

Method 5: Use a Password Reset Disk

• Insert the password reset disk.
  
• On the login screen, click Reset password and follow the instructions.
  

If these methods do not resolve the issue, it may sometimes be necessary to use a fresh installation of Windows, as you have done. It's always a good idea to keep regular backups to avoid such scenarios in the future.

 

Security changes requires set up of new PIN in Windows 11.

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

When you swap the SSD from one computer to another, even if they are identical models, Windows 11 may detect a hardware change and prompt you to reset your PIN. If clicking to reset the PIN doesn't work, you can try the following steps to resolve the issue:

Method 1: Use a Local Account to Bypass the PIN Reset

1. Boot into Safe Mode:
   
   • Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
     
   • After restarting, press F4 to boot into Safe Mode.
     
2. Log in with a Local Account:
   
   • Once in Safe Mode, try logging in with your local account if you have one. This might bypass the PIN reset requirement.
     
3. Remove the PIN:
   
   • If you can log in, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
     
   • Under PIN (Windows Hello), click Remove.
     
4. Restart Normally:
   
   • Restart your computer normally and see if you can log in without being prompted to reset the PIN.
     

Method 2: Use Command Prompt to Enable the Hidden Administrator Account

1. Boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt:
   
   • Follow the steps above to enter the Advanced Boot Options screen.
     
   • Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
     
   • After restarting, press F6 to boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
     
2. Activate the Built-in Administrator Account:
   
   • In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
     
     
   • Restart your computer.
     
3. Log in as Administrator:
   
   • Log in using the newly activated Administrator account (the password is typically blank unless changed previously).
     
4. Reset the PIN:
   
   • Once logged in, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
     
   • Under PIN (Windows Hello), click Remove or Add a new PIN.
     
5. Deactivate the Administrator Account:
   
   • After resolving the issue, open Command Prompt again (as Administrator) and type the following command to disable the built-in Administrator account for security reasons:
     
     

Method 3: Use Another User Profile (if available)

1. Log in with Another Account:
   
   • If there is another user account on the computer, try logging in with that account.
     
2. Manage PIN Settings:
   
   • Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
     
   • Under PIN (Windows Hello), manage or remove the PIN for the affected account.
     

Method 4: Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

1. Access WinRE:
   
   • Reboot your computer.
     
   • Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
     
2. Allow Startup Repair to Attempt Repairs:
   
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to let Windows attempt to repair startup issues.
     

Method 5: Use a Password Reset Disk (if previously created)

1. Insert the Password Reset Disk:
   
   • Insert the password reset disk into your computer.
     
2. Reset Password:
   
   • On the login screen, click Reset password and follow the instructions to reset your password.
     

Let me know if you need further assistance.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Windows 11 login requires PIN but resetting PIN doesn’t work

My computer it currently running windows 11. I usually sign in to my computer with touch ID, but for some reason it didn’t work yesterday and it’s now saying that my PIN is required. I don’t remember what my PIN is though, or if I even have a PIN set up. However, when I go to “I forgot my PIN” after singing in and verifying my identity and everything and confirming I’d like to reset my PIN it just says that “Something went wrong.” It says that they were unable to set up my PIN and I could skip this step and set it up later but it just brings me back to the login screen. I’ve even tried to make a new Microsoft account and it does the same thing. I’m completely locked out of my computer.