WInows 10 System Restore rejects microsoft account password

Question

Computer did not boot windows 10 normally and went into attempts to Automatically repair which failed. Then when option System Restore from a restore point was attempted, System Restore asked to select account (only 1 in a list) with account name, after it was selected, it showed Microsoft online Account email address as a user name and asked for password. Correct password was entered but login was rejected. Computer is connected over ethernet and wifi connection was tried (disconnected ethernet) as well but login rejected as invalid.
Then went to Microsoft website from another computer and changed password just to ensure this is not a an issue for account login. However this did not help.
On this computer there was no local user account created, only Microsoft online account login was used. The System Restore shows correct email associated with this account. So does System Restore attempt to connect to Microsoft server to validate login or it stores password locally even for online account? In any case this functionality is not working. If online Microsoft account has changed from another computer how would computer that is not able to boot Windows get the update? Is it known Windows issue?
What is the workaround?

Answer 1

Evening,
I have the same experience:
Could not log in to try System Restore or Command promt after a spontaneous 0xc000021a error.
Luckely Startup Settings could be changed and windows booted in safe mode. This allowed me to run " chkdsk -f -r " which found corrupted files (i don't think " sfc /scannow " helped).
So my password works to log in to outlook.com and log in to windows 10 home after a normal boot but fails Automatic Repair -Advanced Options.
Sounds like a bug.

Xp

Answer 2

I think I found out why. I had just done a clean install. I use a PIN to login, but the boot/repair/restore utilities were not taking the Microsoft login. I had to use the Microsoft login at least once instead of the PIN to login to Windows before the PW became stored locally to use by the repair utilities. I actually did this on the lock-screen by selecting other sign-in options and password, but it probably works on the login screen as well. Then the Microsoft login works when rebooting for the repair/restore utilities on that machine.
Open issue: I do not know what the password could have been after the install and before trying this. None I had ever used worked. Microsoft secret? The solution wouldn't work if Windows had never booted and logged in after an install.

Answer 3

Hello @yan simkin

Is there a chance that this online account (I assume we are talking about a "live" account, such as outlook or hotmail) has not been configured at some point as "Work" or has been associated with a Enterprise or Business contact. In that case, this accounts will not work in the same way for recovery, and local administrator will be required.

Another solution would be to Repair Windows, but choosing the options "Keep My Files" during the repair operation.

There are other valuable advices in the next thread, with different workarounds that you may want to try: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/automatic-repair-wont-let-me-log-in/afb887ca-c14e-45c4-92f5-ea14729e5f6d

Hope this helps with your query,

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--If the reply is helpful, please Upvote and Accept as answer--

Answer 4

Without a working password you may be able to use another operating system to backup important files or troubleshoot the password.

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Answer 5

Solved exactly the same issue. Explanation. After few times of logging in in a queue Microsoft losks accounts due to reason of potential defraud. While Google used to lock account for 24h, Microsoft for 48h. I had waited 48h, then I recovered whole system Windows from Windows Image Backup. The problem had been, that Microsoft doesn't let you know this and of course for us, who needs to be right here, right now, it is a very long time :).