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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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

2019-02-28T16:28:27+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.

It is more secure. As it has been said many times in this thread, your PIN can be the SAME as a your regular password. It can be alpha numeric. It can be just as long. It can have special symbols. It's not a numeric only PIN. The PIN is applicable to your device only. That means if someone puts a key logger on your device, they still won't have the actual password to your Microsoft Account and therefore they will not be able to access it online. If you hate it that much, just set the PIN to your Microsoft account password and call it a day.
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Anonymous

2019-03-01T16:56:58+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.

It is more secure. As it has been said many times in this thread, your PIN can be the SAME as a your regular password. It can be alpha numeric. It can be just as long. It can have special symbols. It's not a numeric only PIN. The PIN is applicable to your device only. That means if someone puts a key logger on your device, they still won't have the actual password to your Microsoft Account and therefore they will not be able to access it online. If you hate it that much, just set the PIN to your Microsoft account password and call it a day.

Blah blah blah. If it can be the same as the password, then it is not more secure, and it does not protect the Microsoft account, either, so why even bother? If people set PINs similarly to their debit cards, then a PIN is far less secure than a password. 4 digits 0-9 (which is what most people think of when they hear about PINs) contain significantly fewer bits of entropy than even a 4-digit password which can contain 0-9, a-z, A-Z, and all the punctuation. When users see PIN, they don't think password, they think numbers (what does the N in PIN stand for, hmm...).

You really want to improve security? Do what Apple started doing at least a year ago: when you set up a MacOS user account and log in using your iCloud account, it forces you to set a local password that is different from your iCloud password. It's still linked to the iCloud account, but you never again use the cloud account password, and you aren't forced to enter both a password and a PIN (which can evidently be the same as the password). More importantly, Apple doesn't force you to connect your local account to an iCloud account (or bury the local-only account option so deep that you have to click 3 oddly-labeled buttons to get to it).

TL;DR: Screw the PIN; just do passwords right!!!
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Anonymous

2019-03-01T17:17:48+00:00

First of all, I created this thread. I am not a Microsoft employee. You chose to come cry on "my" thread showing your ignorance of how the PIN works. This is largely a community forum, so when someone takes the time to "educate" you, maybe not show how childish you are by saying blah blah blah.

It has already been pointed out many times in this thread that "PIN" is poor nomenclature, so you are late to the party on all accounts. If you had read the thread, you would have seen everything you have said has been said 100 times and answered a 100 times. You don't have to enter both the PIN and the Password. Once you create the PIN that is all you used.

I imagine they made it numeric by default for the type of idiots that post replies to this thread who can't seem to remember a real password. Anyone with half a brain can figure out alphanumeric has more potential combinations.

The PIN only works on the physical device is created on, so unless you are worried about your mom getting on your computer, I am sure a numeric PIN should be fine. For smart people, they check the box and just create an alpha numeric PIN instead. They then enjoy the extra security it provides knowing that even if the password is stolen they can't access their online accounts and the password is useless without their physical device.

Lastly you don't have to connect an online account. You can choose local login only. In fact that is what I do.

TLDR: Pretty much everything you wrote is either fundamentally incorrect or ignorant
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