"This sign-in option is disabled because of failed sign-in attempts or repeated shutdowns". I've been locked out of my laptop since last night and can't log back in. How do I fix this issue?

Reported
Anonymous
2022-01-28T09:51:54+00:00

So randomly last night (about 12 hours ago) my laptop with Windows 11 shows the above error message when I input my pin.

"This sign-in option is disabled because of failed sign-in attempts or repeated shutdowns. Use a different sign-in option, or keep your device powered on for at least 2 hours and then try again".

Prior to this, I used my laptop normally and everything was fine. I did not put in the pin several times and certainly not repeatedly shut down my laptop, so I'm not sure where this even comes from.

From what I understand, my only chances to log back in my laptop are to:

  1. Wait 2 hours WHILE the laptop is powered on.
  2. Use a different sign-in option (use password - and I have no idea what this password is lol).

I can't do solution 1 because my laptop powers down after like 30 seconds, so I cannot keep it powered on for 2 hours unless I press a button on my laptop every 29 seconds for 2 hours.

For solution 2, the different sign in method asks me to put in a password, not sure which password this is. It can't be the password that I use to log in to my Microsoft account online because it says that's incorrect.

Now, following from solution 2, I get the option to reset this password, by answering 3 memorable questions, but here too at least 1 of memorable questions is incorrect.

Can I get back into my laptop without having to factory reset everything?

Does anyone know if the 2 hours wait need to be consecutive?

Thanks all :)

EDIT: It has been 11 months and people still seem to have the same issue as me. Microsoft, please fix this bug / glitch. It's obviously causing a lot of headaches. I was able to simply factory reset my laptop as everything I had was backed up elsewhere, but I'm sure 90% of the people here cannot do this because the laptop still has vital stuff not backed up else where. Even if they could backup, it's a really long and painful process to set the laptop back up.

This really needs to be addressed asap please :)

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accounts, profiles, and login

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-12-20T10:00:37+00:00

    Hei.

    I don t really agree with your “you only need to wait two hour”, cuz it s my time, I paied for my windows and it s my computer, but I guess since in all of your (not yours personally, but microsoft consulants, of course “independent”) comments that I read last night and today, you all think that “restarting your computer should fix your problem”, I understand that generally people suck at computers and software, but some of us don t have two pcs or time to waste on fixing your (Microsoft) inability to deliver a good and safe to use product, I know I know, you re only doing this for money and without any morality to it, but for f*** sake, spare us of your IT guru answers and give us some clear solutions and fix the problems. and you can argue with my gramar or the way I m putting the problem but in the end, I m sort of sick of this “this people don t understand how to use pc s”, we kinda do, for our lifes.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-07-29T00:36:14+00:00

    If you use a Microsoft online account to sign in to Windows, and you have enabled PIN sign-in (which is confusingly considered to be part of "Windows Hello"), then you will NOT be given the option to sign in using a password, and clicking the "I Forgot My PIN" link will do NOTHING.

    If you do manage to finally get signed back into your PC, there is a critical setting you must DISABLE to prevent this awful situation from ever happening again. Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, stupidly ENABLES the setting by default.

    Settings >> Accounts >> Sign-In Options:

    "For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device (Recommended)"

    You must DISABLE that setting! Then the next time this happens, the login screen will actually give you the option to sign in using your password.

    Also, this is clearly caused by the PC suddenly losing power while in hibernate. Windows somehow wrongly detects that situation as an incorrect PIN being entered too many times. This is a Windows bug that desperately needs to be fixed. And Windows lock/login should not stupidly suggest using an alternate sign-in method when the setting described above is ENABLED. And that setting should also not stupidly default to ON when enabling a PIN on a Microsoft account. Multiple layers of epic failure here... which might have been caught via manual QA testing, if Microsoft hadn't laid off all their testers years ago.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-07-14T00:37:03+00:00

    Like another user posted here, I keep hitting this on my MSI laptop (GS65 Stealth Thin 8RF) after it boots up from the battery having completely died or having been unplugged while working on upgrades/repairs inside the laptop. When it happens, NONE of the proposed "solutions" work. No "alternate sign in methods" are listed or available in any way. Clicking the "I forgot my PIN" link does nothing or simply returns me to the lock screen again. There's no way out. Yes, I know my PIN and my account password. No, I did not enter the incorrect PIN, not even once! No, I am not given any option to type in my password instead.

    Microsoft, this is the most awful user experience you have EVER CREATED. You are literally locking people out of their own machines for NO LEGITIMATE REASON. A laptop losing battery power is NOT an unusual event, a security issue, or an "attempt to enter an incorrect PIN". It is a common, ordinary, everyday occurrence. You should be handling this case correctly!

    I seriously hope you get SUED for wrongly locking people out of their computers during an urgent life-and-death crisis that ends up killing people. It's the least you deserve.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-04-07T23:04:15+00:00

    Any solution to this other than factory reset my laptop? This is f_ing annoying not gonna lie. I was using my laptop this morning normally, powered it off and then 10h later, I logged in, put in the PIN ONCE and it immediately locked me because of too many failed login???? Once is too many? I even doubt I entered the wrong PIN. Gosh, it does this when I need my laptop the most

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-02-16T14:03:27+00:00

    So the best way to guarantee that it works after two hours is to restart pc in safe mode. Then after giving you that message, the pc will NOT go to sleep mode and after two hours the password/Pin box will re-appear and now you can log in and restart the pc again with a normal boot.

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