My pin stopped working after a bios update, and I don't know how to get into my windows account.

Question

hello, today i bought new 32gb ram. i installed them but it was showing only 16gb so i updated the bios. after updating the bios i can't login to my windows account, it says : "something happened and your pin code is not available. click to set the pin code again. " of course when i clicked on set pin code, it sent me the authentication code, but then it still didn't work. i fiddled around in cmd and safe modes for a while and came to the point that i could already log in with a password, but when i changed it and logged in, it says: "your device is offline. Please log in with the last password used on this device." there was no last password, as I had a pin set that was deleted probably because of a tmp update in the bios. I kept trying a lot of things like changing passwords on microsoft(didn't help), in netplwiz reset password on my user(it didn't work) and I really don't know what to do anymore, I can't get into my user on windows. I need to get it back somehow, I've been told by a few people to create a new user and drag and drop the files, but I don't want to do that because I'll lose Windows license. I've also tried factory settings with keeping the original files, that didn't help either. I don't know how to get into the account or how to fix it. Please help me.

Answer 1

Hello Adrian Balgar,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

Based on the description "and came to the point that i could already log in with a password, but when i changed it and logged in, it says: "your device is offline. Please log in with the last password used on this device."", did you change the password successfully, if so, you can try both the new password and old password, check if you can sign in.

If it does not work above, below are some troubleshooting steps you might try. Before proceeding, please note that these steps can affect system security and data. It’s a good idea to back up any important data (if you can) and proceed cautiously. You might consider asking a professional for help if needed.

1. Check BIOS/UEFI Security and TPM Settings

Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings. Look for settings related to the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Sometimes a BIOS update disables or resets these settings.   

1-1 Ensure TPM (or the equivalent) is enabled (if it was enabled before).   

1-2 Verify that Secure Boot is enabled if that was your previous configuration.

1-3 After making any changes, save and exit. Then try booting to Windows again.

2. Confirm Internet Connectivity

Since the error mentions “your device is offline. Please log in with the last password used on this device,” make sure your device is connected to the internet (or connected to domain network if your device is in one domain). From Windows’ login screen, if you have an option, connect via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Then reconfigure your PIN or your password.

3. Use Your Microsoft Account Password

If you’re prompted to use the Microsoft account PIN but it isn’t working, try the following:

3-1 Log in using your Microsoft account password rather than the PIN.

3-2 Once logged in, go to Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options.

3-3 Remove the problematic PIN sign-in method (if possible) and then re-add it.

4. Reset the Windows Hello PIN

If you’re stuck with the PIN issues, try resetting your PIN completely: 4-1 On the login screen, when prompted with the “something happened…” message, choose the option that says “I forgot my PIN” (if available).

4-2 You should be taken through the Microsoft account verification process.

4-3 Once verified, set up a new PIN.

5. Use Safe Mode or Command Prompt to Modify Credentials

Since you mentioned you’ve already been tinkering with CMD and Safe Mode, consider the following approach:

5-1 Boot into Safe Mode (with Networking if possible) using the Advanced Startup Options.

5-2 Log in using your Microsoft account password.

5-3 Open Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options, and remove the PIN, then reboot and try to set up a new PIN.

6. System Restore or Roll Back BIOS Update

6-1 Rolling back your BIOS update if your motherboard supports “BIOS rollback” or reverting to an earlier BIOS version that was working correctly (be aware this can be risky).

6-2 If you created a system restore point before updating the BIOS, try restoring Windows to that point. While system restore usually doesn’t affect BIOS settings, it may help recover corrupted system authentication settings.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

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