Sign-in pin won’t work

Welcome Don M,

I understand how frustrating it can be when you are experiencing an issue with Windows forcing PIN setup or failing to create a PIN after sign-in. 

To help identify the fastest resolution, please confirm the following:   

• Could you confirm if this issue started after a specific Windows update? 
• Are you able to sign in using your password without being forced back to the PIN screen? 

In addition to Q&A Assist's suggested steps, please try these extra workaround steps to move forward:   

Option 1: Reset Windows Hello PIN container 

• Press Windows + R 
• Type the following path and press Enter  C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft 
• Delete the Ngc folder (you may need to take ownership first, then restart the PC) 

Option 2: Check TPM status 

• Press Windows + R, type tpm.msc 
• Ensure TPM is ready and shows no errors 

Option 3: Clear cached credentials 

• Open Control Panel from the Start menu 
• Go to Credential Manager 
• Remove any Windows Hello or Microsoft account related entries 

Option 4: Run system file checks 

• Open Command Prompt as administrator from 
• Run: sfc /scannow 
• Then run: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 

I hope this information helps resolve your issue. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me again in this thread. 

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Follow these steps in order:

1. On the PIN setup screen, choose the option to skip PIN setup if it is clickable. If it briefly appears and disappears, wait a few seconds and try again or restart the device once and retry.
2. After signing in with the new password and reaching the desktop, try setting the PIN again via Settings:
   1. Open Settings.
   2. Go to Accounts > Sign-in options.
   3. Under PIN (Windows Hello) select Add (or Change PIN / I forgot my PIN if it exists) and follow the prompts.
3. If an error appears during PIN creation, use these mitigations:
   1. Try to create the PIN again.
   2. Sign out, sign back in, and try again.
   3. Restart the device and try again.
4. If the error persists and the device is joined to a work or school organization (Microsoft Entra ID / domain):
   1. Sign in with the password.
   2. Go to Settings > System > About.
   3. If there is an option Disconnect from organization, select it to unjoin, restart, then try to create the PIN again.
5. If the PIN option is greyed out or unavailable after the update and this is a work/domain device, group policies may be blocking PIN creation. In that case, contact the organization’s IT admin to check:
   • Use Windows Hello for Business policy
   • Turn on convenience PIN sign-in policy These must be configured correctly for PINs to work.
6. If none of the above steps allow sign-in (for example, cannot skip PIN and cannot use the password), use recovery options such as System Restore or a full reset/reinstall from Windows recovery, understanding this can result in app/data loss if not backed up.

References:

• Windows Hello common issues and troubleshooting tips
• Change or reset your PIN in Windows
• Windows Hello errors during PIN creation
• Can't configure a PIN when Convenience PIN and Hello for Business policies are enabled
• Unable to log in to Dell Rugged Laptop - Microsoft Q&A
• Stuck in an infinite loop involving the PIN - Microsoft Q&A
• Cant change hello PIN as the PIN verification screen appears then disapears. - Microsoft Q&A