Windows 10: Win10 on Laptop - Can't type my password/PIN in Log-in box

A couple of times in the past week, when I started my Laptop (a Dell Latitude E6400) with Win 10 build 10166, the login screen/page comes up (shows my Picture, name and has a place to enter my PIN) but I can't select the box to enter the PIN.

I can move/see the mouse pointer but can't select anything. I can use the arrow keys to switch between the Lock screen and Login screen - but that's it. Can't access the power/restart icon or anything.

I have to hold the power button and force a restart. Today I already tried 3 restarts (cold boots) and I still can't get to where I can enter my PIN. This is on a Microsoft Account (not local account).

Has anyone else seen this behavior?


EDIT: I'm back in. I noticed that when WIN works correctly, the password/PIN box is highlighted so you can just type in your info without actually selecting the box. When WIN is misbehaving, the password/PIN box is not highlighted.
I ran Chkdsk /f just now and that didn't find any problems. I'll run SFC scannow next.

:)

 

how do i put the number pad on the sign in screen

I'd better explain; I have an HP All-In-One computer with WIN10. When I boot, the log in via PIN appears at the top left of the screen, I enter the PIN and it then completes booting. No problem there.

My wife has just got an almost identical computer, just a slightly later model, also with WIN10. With hers she logs in via the password box that appears in the middle of the screen. I can't find a way to change that to the PIN number method. there has never
been an onscreen number pad for a PIN to be entered, just the more conventional sign in box.

Neither computer has a touch screen.

How can I set up the PIN method?

 

Log In Issue

I have tried booting my laptop in safe mode but it asked password instead of asking my Pin to log in which i provided but in the dailogue box of password i never face such issue. Once i tried to make the pin visible and i saw number 6 is being typed also
when i run chkdsk resilted the same but not frequently its random.

 

What was the actual fix? i'm having the exact same problem on a laptop as well, really tough one to crack. Would like to avoid a system reset.

 

Sounds weird but maybe you need to install keyboard or touchpad drivers. Visit your manufacturer's support page and install anything relevant. The keyboard software is called Quick Launcher or similar in some brands.

 

Same problem using Windows 10 Pro desktop pc. 1st thought problem was with wireless mouse and keyboard, but problem persists after swapping in wired USB keyboard/mouse. Keyboard/mouse are basic USB generic devices.

 

Then your USB drivers have a problem. Try updating the chipset drivers. Since keyboard/mouse don't work in normal mode, you could try in Safe Mode. To access Safe Mode restart the computer several times, but press reset or hold power to shutdown before it fully loads Windows. Eventually you will see the troubleshooting screen where you can go to Advanced startup options.

 

First, youre stupid! He cant even log in to his computer. So he cant install the drivers. Second, the update of the os has a glitch! So somtimes even the main keyboard nor the external keyboard cant even do its job. Even so. The ease of access cant be open as well

 

Did you read all of my reply? Did you understand it? No, you didn't! I said the OP has to try entering Safe Mode where no special drivers are running, only the standard keyboard/mouse drivers. So if his problem is because of a faulty or wrong driver (intended for a different model), then he should be able to uninstall it and make the mouse/keyboard work again. Next time Google and learn a couple of things before you reply, sm@rt@$$!

 

I had the same problems just now (have had it many times in the past) and found what worked for me on my laptop, was to enter my pin while holding down the Windows Icon key on my keyboard.

The touchpad and alt keys and other keys were working just fine, so figured it wasn't a driver issue and started doing random things. Hope this works for others who were upset at the thought of potentially losing data from having to do a forced restart!

 

A good idea is to install TeamViewer and setup unattended access. This starts TeamViewer with Windows, even at login screen and sets a fixed password so it doesn't change every restart. Next time Windows Update messes with the keyboard and mouse drivers and you cannot login, use another computer or tablet with TeamViewer to login remotely and uninstall any faulty driver (TeamViewer is unaffected by faulty input device drivers). The same is true for Windows tablets where you can suddenly lose the touch feature. Using TeamViewer you can install the touch driver and make the touch feature work again!

 

This has been happening to me sometimes over the past couple weeks. In the past something always worked eventually (pressing SHIFT enough times, or maybe only once... or something), but today nothing was doing the trick. Searching with my phone, I just found a solution on another forum that worked for me:

• Shut down computer using power button
• Press & hold SHIFT and ENTER keys together
• Turn on computer while holding SHIFT and ENTER keys down.

When the login screen appeared, I was able to enter my password.

Hope this helps somebody *Smile

 

This probably starts Windows in Safe Mode so you can login.

 

Make sure the numlock key is lit. Windows 10 has a habbit of disabling that on boot.

 

An alternative login method is available if you have a working mouse - click the Accessibility icon at the bottom right of the login screen and activate the on-screen keyboard. I did this after getting stuck and it worked. When i logged in, after a few minutes updates applied for my keyboard (razer synapse) and everything started working again.

Though if your keyboard doesn't start again from here, if you managed to log in you can now likely check drivers manually, which I'd recommend - Google it or search these forums for advice.