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How do I disable windows hello windows 11

Robert Whitman 0 Reputation points
2026-03-03T22:58:26.5133333+00:00

I want to totally disable Windows Hello. It is not recognizing what I thought the passkey was and it won't let me change it. It has now become a total pain in the neck. Please help me get rid of this on my cpu.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accessibility
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  1. Norah-L 6,590 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-03-04T03:28:06.76+00:00

    Hello Robert Whitman,

    Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A forum!

    I understand you want to completely disable Windows Hello on your Windows 11. In addition to the suggestions provided by Q&A Assist, you can try the method below using Registry Editor:

    Disclaimer: Modifying the registry or workgroups can help fix some problems, however, improper registry modifications can cause serious problems. Therefore, please make sure to follow the steps below strictly. For further protection, make a backup of the registry before modifying it. For more information on how to backup and restore the registry, please refer to: How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support 

    1. Press W + R to open Run.
    2. Type regedit > press Enter.
    3. In Registry Editor, click View > enable Address Bar.
    4. Paste the following path into the address bar and press Enter: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Settings\AllowSignInOptions
    5. In the right pane, double‑click the DWORD entry named Value.
    6. Set Value data to 0 and click OK.

    This method will disable Windows Hello for all user accounts on your device. After you’ve removed Windows Hello, you’ll be back to signing in with your password.

    To re‑enable Windows Hello, change the Value data back to 1.

    Hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes!

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  2. Xpovos 0 Reputation points
    2026-03-15T17:00:14.4233333+00:00

    As of 2026-03-15 on Windows 11 10..0.26200 Build 26200:

    PIN (Windows Hello) has no "Remove" option, this allows creation of a PIN; or presumably editing it if already exists.

    Changing the registry to the recommended settings both continues to allow Windows Hello for all accounts and does not preclude under the hood enforcement that turns password log-in options off (possibly after a limited number of successful logins).

    Attempting to log in with a password provides a "too many times with wrong password" error, and no-win CAPTCHA which will push the successfully (but obfuscated user) to establish a Hello login option; of which many computers are limited to PIN due to lack of biometrics.

    The AI generated response is incorrect and at least out of date, and quite likely disingenuous.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-03-03T22:58:34.97+00:00

    To stop using Windows Hello on Windows 11 and fall back to more traditional sign-in methods, remove the Windows Hello sign-in options and, if desired, turn off the “Windows Hello only” requirement.

    1. Remove Windows Hello sign-in methods
      1. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
      2. Under Ways to sign in, do the following for each Windows Hello method that is enabled:
        • Face recognition (Windows Hello): select it and choose Remove.
        • Fingerprint recognition (Windows Hello): select it and choose Remove.
        • PIN (Windows Hello): select it and choose Remove.
      3. After removal, Windows will use your password or other non‑Hello methods to sign in.
    2. Make sure the device is not restricted to Windows Hello only
      1. In Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, go to Additional settings.
      2. Turn off the option For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device (in Windows 10 this is named Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts).
      3. After this, the password option will remain available at sign-in.
    3. If Windows Hello is causing sign-in problems
      • If Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, or PIN) is not working and prevents normal sign-in, sign in with the password first (if available), then remove the Hello methods as above.
      • If the PIN cannot be reset and blocks access, recovery may require advanced steps or, in severe corruption cases, a reset/reinstall of Windows as indicated in similar troubleshooting scenarios.

    Once all Windows Hello methods are removed and the “Windows Hello only” toggle is off, Windows Hello will no longer be used for signing in, and the device will rely on the password or other non‑Hello credentials.

    References:

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

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