Windows 10: I can't sign in to a different account for Nearby Sharing. Asking PIN for a existing...

Nearby sharing showed the attached error. However, nearby sharing asked PIN for the wrong account which is not mine. Also whenever I tried to log in with my Microsoft account it can't seem to be.

:)

 

Problem with signing in to use Nearby share

I wanted to use Nearby Share on my Windows 11 laptop, and it requires me to sign in.

But when I click to sign in, it asks me to sign in to a different account, the account which i don't know the password for, and it does not let me choose any other account. Any help is appreciated

 

Asks for PIN when adding a different hotmail account to the mail app

Are you sure now you are not mixing the password and the PIN? I checked my previous post and the information told in it is both accurate and valid.

To put it very short: if you sign in to windows using an MS account Email1@OutlookOrHotmailOrLive.com, and you want to add Email2@OutlookOrHotmailOrLive.com to the Mail app, the PIN asked is the PIN (not the password) for the Email1@OutlookOrHotmailOrLive.com, your current Windows sign-in account.

Below a live example with screenshots.

By default a Windows user account has no PIN. It needs to be set up, either when installing Windows or later on if skipped when installing. When set, the PIN for the Windows 10 sign-in is four or more digits long, as the user prefers. In your case if it auto enters after 4 digits, you have a 4 digit PIN. I use a 5 digit PIN, in my case when I add a new Microsoft email account to mail app it auto enters after the 5th digit.

Here's how it works:

My Windows sign-in MS account L: @abcdefgh.com is already automatically added to Mail app, later on I have added a second MS account. Now adding a new account L: larry.laffer@abcdefgh.com, I enter this new account's credentials normally:




When added, the account tells Attention Required. Clicking the account I get the option Fix account selecting it:




The next dialog is a bit confusing. It asks me to verify that the L: larry.laffer@abcdefgh.com is mine by asking the current Windows 10 sign-in accounts PIN, that of L: @abcdefgh.com




I enter my Windows sign-in 5 digit PIN for the user account L: @abcdefgh.com, the account I am currently using to sign in to Windows, and now the L: larry.laffer@abcdefgh.com will finally be added to the mail app.

If you are not sure which PIN you have set up, if you have forgot it, go to your account settings and change it. Notice that if you have forgotten the PIN, you need first to remove it, then set a new one. Changing the PIN will first ask the old PIN which of course if you have forgotten it you cannot enter.

• PIN - Add to your Account in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
• PIN - Change for your Account in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums
• PIN - Remove from your Account in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

I can't sign in to a different account for Nearby Sharing. Windows doesn't seem to let me.

Hello Mitchell,

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, the hotmail suffix is not the email address that I am trying to use because it is from the former employee and I do not know any of their login information in order to proceed. So I was trying to see if I can use my email address but the sign-in prompt just disappear after I clicked that arrow button to hopefully be ask for a different sign in email. Just very curious, why does it ask me to sign in to use this Nearby Sharing feature. Didn't I already signed in using my email address; see top left of picture for profile name Tan Nguyen.

From your suggestions, I should seek our IT staff do a complete wipe? I am curious, is there a an alternative method without wiping the all the data?