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

Anonymous
2018-01-05T17:52:41+00:00

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.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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
2018-05-11T22:28:29+00:00

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:

  1. Open the Settings app, and click/tap on the Accounts icon.
  2. Select Sign-in options on the left side, and click/tap on the Remove button under PIN on the right side.
  3. Click/tap on Remove to confirm.
  4. 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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  1. Anonymous
    2018-10-17T19:48:36+00:00

    I luckily decided to set it up using my phone's hotspot. So when it asked me to set a pin, I turned off my Hotspot. After a few seconds of loading it gave me an error and asked if I'd like to skip for now. 

    Workaround as of 10-17-2018.

    EDIT: I realize that this isn't the best option but it worked for me at least. A better option would be for windows to not force us to set one.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-06-30T16:35:37+00:00

    Hi

    I just reinstalled my new netbook as I was unable to do an update to 1709, and there was no option to "say yes and do this later". The only option was to add a PIN.

    I consider this definitely to be a bug.

    I found that my rapidly pressing escape and then clicking set pin, it caused an error which then allowed me to select do this later. Im sure in a month or so, when a person sees this and reports it, this bug will be prevented to stop people exploiting it abd forcing then to add a pin

    Thank you, none of the previous suggestions worked, but causing this error did! It is June 30, 2018 and this bug still exists. For anyone else reading:

    I reset my PC and chose to remove everything and start from scratch. Going through the setup process I used my username and password during setup (not the authenticator like the original poster did). When I got to the PIN screen it asked if I wanted to set one up but there was no way to skip it or say no. So after coming here I tried to go in and backspace and ESC out to see if the option showed up, which it never did. It did asked me if I wanted to cancel setting up a PIN but it did not have a way to skip, or say no, only a button to just create a new PIN. Spamming ESC before clicking create a PIN a few times eventually made an error code screen show up and there was the glorious skip button.

    My reasoning for not wanting a PIN is simple, I have bad memory and little patience. Sure a PIN would be easier, but my password is so complicated that if I don't type it in regularly I will forget it and have to go to my password manager to get it for websites and other computers I log into. That is a giant pain in the ass that is not even remotely worth the benefit I get from a PIN.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-06-27T18:57:56+00:00

    I previously tried that, and it worked for a few days, before it began requesting that I create a PIN every time.

    I've given up, at this point.

    When at the login screen, do you have a set of "Sign-In Options" buttons like this:

    If so make sure the the password option is selected and not the pin option.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-06-24T03:29:17+00:00

    FWIW:

    I just did a clean install of v.1803 in a virtual machine. To bypass the PIN setup I held down the Esc key while clicking on 'Set a PIN,' which caused an error and let me skip setting up a PIN. It may help to press the Esc key for a few seconds before clicking on 'Set a PIN,' and I had to do this several times before the error appeared.

    This is not a bug. It's deliberate, which means that Microsoft may eventually prevent the workaround described above. Which is another good reason to make a backup image after a successful clean install.

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