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Windows 10 stuck in safe mode login screen

Anonymous
2025-04-10T20:20:58+00:00

I believe I accidentally acquired malware, so I wanted to launch in safe mode to run a full scan. When I launched in normal safe mode using msconfig, the Windows Security app just showed a mostly blank screen, just saying "Here's your overview" or whatever with nothing below. I figured I'd try a different safe mode setting and chose "alternate shell". After doing that, the login screen shows a message saying "Something happened and your PIN isn't available. Click to set up your PIN again." When I click "Set up my PIN", it shows the loading symbol and "Just a moment..." for around 20 seconds before returning to the "Something happened" message, and the "Set up my PIN" button no longer does anything.

When I try using the password instead, nothing I have saved works. The password I use for this site does not work. I tried resetting the password for this account but it did not work to login to Windows. I cannot get to any screen to change the safe mode settings without logging in.

None of the options in advanced recovery mode are working:

*Startup repair requires me to login.

*When I try the "Startup settings", my keyboard stops working, and I've tried multiple keyboards in multiple USB ports. I tried another guide using my recovery USB to run some command prompt commands but it did not work.

*The command prompt in Advanced Options needs me to login.

*The system restore requires me to login.

It seems like the only options available are to "Reset this PC" or reinstall Windows, but I'd really like to avoid that if possible.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows Hello, lock screen and sign-in

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-04-11T15:28:03+00:00

    Dear , Ryan Murphyhbm Welcome to Microsoft Community.That sounds incredibly frustrating, especially when everything worked smoothly before.There's no need to worry; I'm here to assist, and we can work together to resolve this issue effectively. Here are some steps you can try to resolve your issue.

    Force Exit Safe Mode: First turn off your P.C. completely. After that try to on it by holding the power button. Repeat it three times and on the fourth boot your PC will enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart and choose normal boot.

    Reset PIN or Password: Reset your password using Microsoft password reset page and try to login again with new password.

    Boot Using Recovery USB: You can also resolve this issue by doing the Boot using recovery USB

    Last Known Good Configuration If your PC doesn't offer this option, boot into BIOS/UEFI and check for a setting related to "Last Known Good Configuration." Enable it and restart.

    Best Regards,  

    Roy Monorov | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-04-11T15:24:39+00:00

    Hi **Ryan,**Welcome to Microsoft Community Support.
    It appears you’re facing a challenging situation, but let’s approach the troubleshooting process methodically. Below are some potential solutions to help you regain access to your system without having to reset or reinstall Windows.

    Boot Outside Your Locked OS: – Create a bootable USB/DVD with Windows 10 installation media. > Boot from it and click "Repair your computer" to access the recovery environment.

    Disable Safe Mode Settings via Command Prompt: – In the recovery options, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. To Determine which drive holds Windows use commands like: dir C:\Windows Then type bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot and hit Enter.

    Address the PIN/Password Issue: – Once safe mode is off, if you still face login problems, try switching to the on‑screen keyboard (look for the Ease of Access icon) or try a different USB keyboard/port. Also, if your account’s password isn’t working, enable the built‑in Administrator account by running this command: net user administrator /active:yes (you can also disable it later with net user administrator /active:no

    If none of the above given solutions is working for you, I will suggest contacting Microsoft Support live agent they might be able to help you fix this issue.

    Best Regards,

    Sam | Microsoft Community Support Specialist.

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