Bug that forces you to set a pin when installing Windows 10

Anonymous

You guys might want to step up your testing efforts. This is a pretty obvious bug IMO. To be clear, I want to use my password and not a pin. But the UI says, "We think you will like it."... well I don't. Normally there is an option to set a pin later.... Well, this goes away permanently if you initially try to authenticate using the Windows Authenticator app.

I am prompted to set a pin, with no button to skip or proceed without one. If I bring up the dialog and cancel, that doesn't help either... You are basically stuck on that screen. I can't finish the installation because the only option to proceed is to create a pin which will replace my password -- I don't want to do that.

So to be clear:

Install Windows 10 and enter your name and password during installation... You can skip setting a pin.

Install Windows 10 and enter your name and then select authenticate with the authenticator... I successfully authenticate and then I am asked to set a pin. The option to skip is not there as in the first scenario. Starting the process over and entering a password instead does not help. It seems the option to skip is never available again. The only thing I could do was to wipe the install and start over.

Sure I could have set a pin and removed it later, but I didn't want to do that. I don't want it messing with my login.

Also asking me to file an issue on connect is not going to happen -- sorry. If you guys want to take the time to file it, then go for it. Hopefully you guys will investigate.

Ironically even this forum has a bug... When you edit an issue -- it resets the Windows version and topic.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Hi Arap,

Setting up a pin on your device makes it more secured. One important difference between a password and a Hello PIN is that the PIN is tied to the specific device on which it was set up. Read more in this documentation:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/hello-for-business/hello-why-pin-is-better-than-password

Thus, you still have option to remove it once you've done setting it up for the first time. Kindly follow the steps below:

Open the Settings app, and click/tap on the Accounts icon.
Select Sign-in options on the left side, and click/tap on the Remove button under PIN on the right side.
Click/tap on Remove to confirm.
Type in your Microsoft account password to verify, and click/tap on OK.

Additionally, you can refer answers mentioned in this thread:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/i-dont-want-a-pin-number/902c5b3d-42d4-4fc8-b34e-71200e0b362d

Let us know how it turns out.

Note: Microsoft has updated the information in this reply to benefit users facing this issue.

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141 additional answers

Anonymous

2019-02-28T16:10:42+00:00

Stop telling us this is more secure since it applies only to this device. That is absurd. This seems like a deal made with NSA to make all device less secure as they can break a pin far easier than a truly secure pass phrase or password. Shame on Microsoft.
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Anonymous

2019-02-28T02:53:47+00:00

I too have NO INTENTION of ever using a pin. You can call it a happy pin or a helper pin or whatever the heck you want, but i call it a huge ****. i dont set pins on home devices. Heck i dont even use a login for my devices.

So why FORCE me to use a pin. Is it just CYA so MS can say ''we warned you' if anything goes wrong? I run the risk of forgetting a pin if i do enter one, and then what happens?

Simply - why on earth would you FORCE me to set a pin. I hate you MS, so much.
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Anonymous

2019-02-21T22:33:00+00:00

New computer for 9 year old. We only setup a pswd. However, the 9 year old didn't notice the command was to enter the PIN and kept trying to enter password. Which we were then locked out.

Now we do not have an option to enter pswd only PIN.

We cant log in,,, so we cant get to settings. Please help.
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Anonymous

2019-02-10T02:06:07+00:00
This is how I circumvented the PIN requirement.
1. On the screen prompting you to enter a pin press ctrl+alt+del and select task manager.
2. Press alt+tab and highlight task manager then let go.
3. Press alt+d to reveal more details.
4. Use al+tab again to make sure your task manager is revealing amore details. Press the M key and with the keyboard arrow keys scroll down until you see microsoft account (it had a colored MS flag for an icon).
I could only scroll when not holding alt+tab so its kind of a pain.
1. Press alt+e to end the task and it should bring you to the desktop.
Edit: I ran updates afterwards and restarted. I noticed I had sign-in options for entering a pin or password, however, I can't recall if I originally had a choice. Regardless, entering the password under the pin option reprompted the issue, the password/text option did not and now it seems to be fine.

I do computer repairs and this is easier than trying to explain and set up a password that clients dont want and also get their units back to them sooner. It's not my place to tell them what they need for greater account security. An explanation and the option to choose would suffice in my opinion.

P.s. please dont patch my fix :D cheers
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