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If your Windows 11 PIN stopped working after an update, restart the PC, then choose Sign-in options and try your account password. The PIN is separate from your Microsoft account password. Once signed in, reset the PIN through Settings; if you cannot sign in and the problem began with a recent update, consider uninstalling that update only after reviewing the recovery precautions below.
Restart, then check the sign-in screen
- Restart the PC once. If Windows offers Update and restart, choose it so the pending update can finish. Microsoft includes restarting among its initial sign-in troubleshooting steps: Troubleshoot Problems Signing In to Windows.
- At the sign-in screen, confirm that the correct user account is selected. If the sign-in flow needs internet access, check the network control.
- Select Sign-in options and see which methods are available. The choices can vary by device configuration, as Microsoft explains in Sign-In Options in Windows.
How to sign in without your PIN
If a password option is available, select it and enter the password for the selected account. A Windows Hello PIN is tied to the device and is not the same as the Microsoft account password. Microsoft Support states, “The PIN you use to access your device is different from your Microsoft account password.” See Change or reset your PIN in Windows.
If you have another account on the PC, you can also try signing in to it. If you know the password but cannot use the usual sign-in screen, Safe Mode is another troubleshooting option. PIN and biometric sign-in are unavailable in Safe Mode, so you need the account password.
- From the sign-in screen, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- After the restart, choose 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking, then sign in with your password.
Reset your PIN: Microsoft account or local account?
The right recovery route depends on the type of account you use. Microsoft’s sign-in-screen I forgot my PIN option is available for Microsoft accounts, not local accounts.
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| Account type | Where to reset the PIN |
|---|---|
| Microsoft account | At the sign-in screen, select I forgot my PIN below the PIN box, choose the account if prompted, and follow the identity-verification and reset steps. |
| Local account | Sign in with the account password, then go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) and choose I forgot my PIN. |
If the sign-in-screen reset option is missing, choose Sign-in options and enter your password, then use the Settings route. If you cannot remember the password either, recover that first: a Microsoft account uses its account-recovery process, while a local account may offer security questions or a previously created password reset disk at the sign-in screen. Microsoft’s full PIN instructions are in Change or reset your PIN in Windows.
When to uninstall a recent Windows update
Update timing is a clue, not proof that the update caused the PIN failure. If you remain unable to access the PC and the problem began after a recent Windows update, Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) offers an option to remove an update:
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- Enter Windows Recovery Environment.
- Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall updates and follow the prompts.
Microsoft says uninstalling an update does not affect personal files or apps, but it removes changes made by the selected update. Before using WinRE, locate your BitLocker recovery key: it may be required for most recovery options on a BitLocker-protected device. See Microsoft’s Recovery options in Windows for recovery guidance and precautions.
Do not choose Reset this PC or reinstall Windows as the first fix for a PIN-only problem. Those options address broader recovery needs and are more consequential than resetting a PIN or removing an update. If your PC is managed by an organization, contact its IT department before changing recovery or account settings.
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If the PIN works but face or fingerprint sign-in does not
That points to a biometric sign-in issue rather than a PIN problem. Microsoft’s guidance for Surface devices suggests signing in with a PIN or password and then removing and setting up the affected biometric method again. Those instructions are Surface-specific; sensor steps can differ on other PCs. See Troubleshoot problems with Windows Hello on Surface.
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