HARDRIVE PASSWORD FAILURE

C W 0 Reputation points
2026-07-05T21:31:51.97+00:00

I am trying to sign in but it says my hard drive is bad, and will not allow me to use my pin. Tried windows recovey , didnt work, tried other methods it didnt work.

I am just trying to get to the files because they are important

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures
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  1. Sin-D 10,935 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-06T03:44:54.4533333+00:00

    Hi C W,

    I understand that you're unable to sign in because Windows reports a hard drive problem, and your PIN is no longer being accepted.

    Before proceeding, could you clarify:

    • What is the exact error message displayed on the screen? Does it specifically mention "hard drive failure", "SMART failure", "drive errors", or something else?
    • Are you able to reach the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), or does the error appear before Windows starts loading?

    In the meantime, if the drive is still being detected by the computer, please try the following:

    1, Boot into Windows Recovery Environment.

    • Turn the PC on and off three times during startup.
    • Select "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Command Prompt".

    2, In Command Prompt, run: chkdsk C: /f

    If Windows reports that the volume is in use, allow it to run at the next restart.

    3, If Command Prompt opens successfully, check whether your files are still visible by typing: notepad

    Then select "File" > "Open" and browse your folders. This can help confirm whether the drive is still accessible.

    If you can access your files, I recommend backing up any critical data as soon as possible. A drive reporting hardware errors can fail completely without further warning.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

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