[Win 11] Stuck in PIN setup loop after resetting in Settings

Question

[Win 11] Stuck in PIN setup loop after resetting in Settings

Monarch55 20

OS: Windows 11

Account Type: Microsoft Account

The Situation / How it happened:

A friend entered the wrong PIN too many times on the lock screen, locking the laptop. We rebooted the machine and successfully bypassed the lock by using the owner's registered fingerprint.

Once on the desktop, we immediately went to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options and clicked "I forgot my PIN" to reset it.

Note: While doing this, the Microsoft Account verification modal kept spontaneously closing itself like it was on a timer or crashing. We rushed through it, managed to input the single-use email code, created the new PIN, and confirmed it.

To test it, we put the laptop to sleep and woke it back up. We are now completely locked out.

Current Symptoms:

Lock screen displays: "Something happened and your PIN isn't available. Click to set up your PIN again."

Clicking the "Set up my PIN" link does absolutely nothing.

Fingerprint scanner is now disabled because Windows requires a PIN after sleep/reboot.

__The owner forgot the laptop Password (Key icon).

Shift + Restart:__ (Using both the physical keyboard and On-Screen Keyboard). The laptop ignores the command and reboots normally to the lock screen.
3x Hard Power Crash: The laptop shows "Preparing Automatic Repair" under the OEM logo, but it completely bypasses the blue Advanced Options recovery menu and drops us straight back to the broken lock screen.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Carl-L 21,565 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Monarch55,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

Before we proceed, may I know if you made any other changes aside from the PIN? This look like a failure from TPM and you should check it from BIOS.

Also, most recovery method will require WinRE to proceed, if you cannot access it using normal method. Can you please try to create a bootable USB or drive and access WinRE from it?

I'm waiting for your reply.

Carl-L 21,565 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-13T09:57:09.8366667+00:00

Hello Monarch55,

Just checking in to make sure that you have received my reply. Please let me know if you have any updates.
Monarch55 20 Reputation points

2026-08-13T10:13:45.4133333+00:00

Sorry, yes i did received your reply. Thanks for answering the question, the problem is fixed now using F12 when restarting to open Windows Recovery, and using that i use CMD to replace utilman to cmd. now that cmd is accessible trought login page i can reset the user password to get into the laptop, so the problem is fixed now. Thank you for answering my question
Carl-L 21,565 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-14T10:33:50.3166667+00:00

Hello Monarch55,

Thanks for letting me know.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

1 additional answer

Your answer

Carl-L 21,565 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-13T09:57:09.8366667+00:00

Hello Monarch55,

Just checking in to make sure that you have received my reply. Please let me know if you have any updates.
Monarch55 20 Reputation points

2026-08-13T10:13:45.4133333+00:00

Sorry, yes i did received your reply. Thanks for answering the question, the problem is fixed now using F12 when restarting to open Windows Recovery, and using that i use CMD to replace utilman to cmd. now that cmd is accessible trought login page i can reset the user password to get into the laptop, so the problem is fixed now. Thank you for answering my question
Carl-L 21,565 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-14T10:33:50.3166667+00:00

Hello Monarch55,

Thanks for letting me know.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

Answer 1

Use a different sign-in method first. In this state, the supported recovery path is:

On the sign-in screen, select Sign-in options.
Choose the password option and sign in with the Microsoft account password.
After signing in, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
Remove or reset the PIN, then add it again.

If the Microsoft account password is also forgotten, reset that password from the sign-in screen:

Select I forgot my password.
Or select Sign-in options > Web sign-in, then follow the prompts and select Forgot my password.

If password sign-in is not available or the PIN setup remains broken after password sign-in, try these supported Windows sign-in troubleshooting steps:

Restart the device. If updates are available, use Update and restart.
Try Safe Mode:
- On the sign-in screen, hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart.
- Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- Select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
- Safe Mode sign-in requires a password; PIN and biometrics are unavailable there.
Try another account if one exists on the device:
- On the sign-in screen, select another account from the lower-left corner, or select Other user and enter that account’s credentials.

For the fingerprint issue specifically, Windows guidance is to sign in with a PIN or password first, then re-register fingerprints if needed. Fingerprint alone is not the recovery path when Windows Hello sign-in is failing.

If the device signs in successfully with password later, and fingerprint still fails afterward:

Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
Remove the existing Fingerprint recognition (Windows Hello) enrollment.
Set it up again, or add another fingerprint.

References: