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
    2018-06-11T06:47:55+00:00

    Am I right in thinking that the PIN is only 'more secure' because Microsoft has forced people to start providing and using email addresses as log in credentials when you create  a new account?  So to hack into your computer, all any hacker now needs are you email details and password, as opposed to having to know your User account details, which previously could have been absolutely anything?

    You now cannot create any user account on your own personal equipment unless you provide an email address and create a Microsoft account.   If you say that you don't have an email account, Microsoft "helpfully" forces you to set up an Outlook email account.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-06-11T00:07:52+00:00

    I had to go back and forth. create a pin then cancel over and over again several times for it to finally give up and give me a choice. To do later. Only then could I continue to install windows. And it hasn't asked me to create a pin since.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-06-03T22:58:50+00:00

    Pin is a local password that only works locally to the machine, it's a increased attack surface to local attacks and irrelevant to network/remote attacks ...

    I conclude it's an increase in attack surface locally and historically, Pins are kinda <Removed> and people are predictable (at scale) 

    https://lifehacker.com/5944567/the-most-and-least-common-pin-numbers-and-numeric-passwords-is-yours-one-of-them

    so, we have a Microsoft account + a local Pin account that are two independent authorization methods achieving the same level of trust on the operating system and account , if one or the other is known and you are attacking locally 

    Do we want two avenues to compromising accounts (no), do we want the choice ... obviously. <Removed Inappropriate Content for TOU/COC Violation.>

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-06-03T16:55:31+00:00

    Had the same crap reinstalling Windows 10 on my Surface Book. Used the current MS Media Creator (1803) tool to setup USB stick for process. 

    The thought of a pin being more secure is a joke; my current password is alphaNumericChar base, and there are >2 x 10^116 possible combinations to guess it/brute force it.

    I understand everyone's frustration as I am the one who originally reported this issue, but again:

    • You can set your PIN to whatever you want . You can use letters and symbols. All you have to do is check the box to allow this. You could literally use the same password you are already using for your current password.
    • The PIN is more secure because it is machine specific so someone with your PIN can't use it from another machine. This is only going to apply if you use a separate PIN from your password, but again the PIN can be just as strong as your password.

    Lastly, you don't have to use your Microsoft account to sign in to your PC. I decided to stop using it. I use a separate login. With this separate login I don't need a PIN, but I have a PIN anyways because I use it for Windows Hello. The PIN I use is just a regular password.

    So again you have three simple options:

    • Just create a regular login and don't use your Microsoft account.
    • Use your Microsoft login and set the PIN to your regular password (less secure).
    • Use your Microsoft login and set the PIN to something different than your regular password (more secure).

    What's more troubling is what a POS this site is. It constantly forgets my login and the pages are always freezing up with paging or going in to edit mode.

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