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If your Windows 11 PIN stopped working after an update, restart the PC, try signing in with your account password, then reset the PIN using the route for your account type. Don’t reset the PC as a first step: a PIN problem usually calls for a less disruptive fix.
1. Restart and check the sign-in screen
- Restart the computer once. If Windows offers Update and restart, choose it and let the update finish.
- At the sign-in screen, make sure the intended user account is selected. If the sign-in process needs internet access, check the network control.
- Select Sign-in options and see whether password sign-in is available. The choices shown can vary by device configuration, as Microsoft explains in its Sign-In Options in Windows guide.
A Windows Hello PIN is tied to the device; it is not the same credential as your Microsoft account password. Microsoft Support puts it plainly: “The PIN you use to access your device is different from your Microsoft account password.” See Change or reset your PIN in Windows and Configure Windows Hello.
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2. Sign in with a password if you can
Choose the password option under Sign-in options, then enter the password for the selected account. Don’t try to use the PIN in the password field. If more than one account is set up on the PC, you can also try another account you’re authorized to use.
If the password is also unavailable
Recover the account password before trying to reset its PIN. For a Microsoft account, use the account recovery route. For a local account, the sign-in screen may offer password recovery with security questions or a previously created password reset disk. Microsoft’s Windows sign-in troubleshooting guide covers password-based recovery and other sign-in checks.
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Use Safe Mode only if you know the password
Safe Mode does not accept PIN or biometric sign-in, so it is not a way around a forgotten password. If you can enter the password, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart from the sign-in screen. Then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart, and press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking. Menu availability can vary. Follow the troubleshooting steps there, then restart normally.
3. Reset the PIN using the right account route
Microsoft account: use “I forgot my PIN”
If I forgot my PIN appears below the PIN box, select it, choose the account if prompted, and complete the identity verification and reset steps. Microsoft says this sign-in-screen option is for Microsoft accounts, not local accounts.
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Local account, or no sign-in-screen reset option: use Settings
Sign in with the account password, then open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) and select I forgot my PIN to create a new one. For the Microsoft account and local account routes, see Microsoft’s PIN reset instructions.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems4. Uninstall the update only if the problem persists
If the PC is still inaccessible or the timing strongly points to a recent Windows update, Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) offers an option to remove an update. This is a later step—not the first fix for a PIN that can be reset through sign-in.
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- Before entering recovery, locate the BitLocker recovery key if the drive is encrypted; it may be required for WinRE options. Back up files before taking broader recovery actions where possible.
- In WinRE, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall updates, then select the update to remove.
- Follow the prompts and restart. Microsoft says uninstalling an update does not affect personal files or apps, but it removes changes introduced by the selected update.
For recovery choices and precautions, consult Microsoft’s Recovery options in Windows. Avoid Reset this PC or reinstalling Windows for a PIN-only issue; those are broader recovery measures. If an organization manages the device, contact its IT team before changing recovery or account settings.
5. Check whether the PIN or a biometric feature is failing
If the PIN works but face or fingerprint sign-in does not, the issue is with that biometric sign-in method rather than the PIN. Sign in with the PIN or password and set up the affected method again. Microsoft’s directions about removing and configuring biometrics apply specifically to Surface devices; see Troubleshoot problems with Windows Hello on Surface.
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What the update timing tells you
A failure that starts after an update makes the update worth investigating, but timing alone does not prove it caused the PIN problem. Microsoft’s cited observation that a recently installed app, driver, or update can affect Windows Hello is in guidance for Surface devices, not a diagnosis for every Windows 11 PC. Start with password sign-in and the account-appropriate PIN reset; consider update removal only if those steps do not restore access.
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