Windows says that I have entered too many incorrect passwords and need to type in a challenge phrase. After I type in the challenge phrase and enter the password correctly, it locks me out.

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Windows says that I have entered too many incorrect passwords and need to type in a challenge phrase. After I type in the challenge phrase and enter the password correctly, it locks me out.

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My PC, which I believe runs on windows 11, is prone to crashing. It crashes a lot, and I didn't think was that bad. Earlier I wanted to play some games from my dad's xbox account on my pc, and so I tried logging in on it- but it required a device specific pin that I did not have, because it was my Microsoft account and not my dad's. So, I added my dads account to my pc as a standard user and myself as an admin. My computer started to slow down after that. Then, it crashed. When I started it up, it told me for both accounts that I had entered an incorrect password to many times, and needed to enter a challenge phrase- which, I didn't do, since this was when I first opened it from the crash. Every time I typed the challenge phrase in, it let me attempt my password, but no matter what I typed, correct password or not, it always said: "This sign in option is disabled because of failed sign-in attempts or repeated shutdowns. Use a different sign in option, or keep your device powered on for at least 2 hours". Eventually, I experimented with my dad's account, pressing the "forgot pin" option and changing it, which ended up fixing it. I decided to play video games on my dads account for maybe 2-3 hours, and it crashed a few times during, but this wasn't too bad. But when I got tired of it after another crash, I tried doing the same trick to get back into mine. But for my account, it doesn't give me the "forgot pin" option. I have no way of actually resetting my pin and no matter what I did, I couldn't get into my account. I'm sure the slotted time had passed, and I don't know if the crashes maybe reset the timer? But it doesn't give me the option to reset my pin, and I have no way to get into my user account on my computer. I have so many important things both in files and on apps in there, and I don't know what to do.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer 1

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

I understand the trouble you're experiencing with your computer. Here are some steps that may help you regain access to your account:

Wait for the lockout duration: The message you're seeing typically appears after too many unsuccessful sign-in attempts. As the message suggests, one of the simplest solutions might be to leave your device powered on for at least 2 hours without attempting to sign in.
Use another sign-in option: If you have set up multiple sign-in options (like a password, PIN, or picture password), you can try using a different one.
Windows Recovery Environment: If you're still unable to gain access, you may need to use the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to reset your password:
- Restart your PC. When the sign-in screen appears, hold the Shift key down while you select Power > Restart.
- After your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Reset this PC.
- Choose whether to keep or remove your files, and then follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password.

Please note that these steps might not work in all cases, especially if your computer is experiencing frequent crashes. It might be worth having a professional look at your device to diagnose the cause of the crashes.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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Windows says that I have entered too many incorrect passwords and need to type in a challenge phrase. After I type in the challenge phrase and enter the password correctly, it locks me out.

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