windows asking to setup pin every time on startup

Dawn Smith 0 Reputation points
2026-09-01T16:13:10.63+00:00

Everytime I start the computer it says there was an issue with my pin and asks me to reset the pin. I have tried changing me to the administrator and deleting the contents of NGC directory but it says I don't have permission to do that.

Windows for business | Windows 365 Business
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  1. Daphne Huynh (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,305 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-03T06:53:48.9366667+00:00

    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A!

    Thank you for taking the time to provide those details.

    Based on your description, the issue may indicate that the Windows Hello PIN configuration has become corrupted or that Windows Hello is unable to complete the PIN provisioning process successfully. While recreating the PIN typically resolves these types of issues, repeated PIN reset prompts after every restart may suggest that the PIN information is not being retained correctly.

    Regarding the NGC folder, this folder is protected by the system and is owned by SYSTEM by default. As a result, even accounts with local administrator privileges may not have permission to modify its contents.

    To help isolate the issue, please try the following:

    1. Sign in using your account password instead of the PIN.
    2. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and select I forgot my PIN or remove and recreate the PIN if that option is available.
    3. Restart the device and verify whether the newly created PIN is retained after sign-in.

    If the issue continues to occur after recreating the PIN, it may be related to Windows Hello provisioning, device registration, or account authentication components rather than the PIN itself.

    If you find this information helpful, please consider clicking Accept Answer.

    Thank you for using Microsoft Q&A.

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  2. Dawn Smith 0 Reputation points
    2026-09-01T16:21:59.7633333+00:00

    still won't let me delete pregenpool

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  3. AI answer

    2026-09-01T16:13:24.1066667+00:00

    A corrupted Windows Hello PIN store is a common cause of being forced to reset the PIN at every startup. Since deleting the NGC contents was already attempted but permission was blocked, the next step is to take ownership of the NGC folder, delete its contents, then recreate the PIN.

    1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
    2. Go to the NGC folder: C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\NGC
    3. Take ownership of the NGC folder:
      • Right-click NGC > Properties > Security > Advanced
      • Change Owner to the Windows sign-in account with admin access
      • Apply the change and grant Full control
    4. Delete all files inside the NGC folder.
      • This removes the current Windows Hello PIN data.
    5. Restart the computer.
    6. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
    7. Remove the current PIN if it is still listed, then add a new PIN.

    If PIN setup still fails after that:

    • Sign out and sign back in, then try creating the PIN again.
    • If Windows asks to create the PIN again after one already exists, check for system updates and then try creating the PIN again.
    • If the issue started after hardware or security changes, recreating the PIN is the supported recovery step.

    Risk note: deleting contents from the NGC folder removes the existing Windows Hello PIN configuration, so password sign-in should be available before doing it.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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