"Something happened and your PIN is not available" on every log-in

Question

"Something happened and your PIN is not available" on every log-in

Romil P 0

I am getting the "Something happened and your PIN is not available" every time I try to log-in to my new PC. I am able to bypass it and log in another method, but every time I start my PC from off or sleep, it gives me this message.

This is a fresh license of Windows 11 Pro, just started a few days ago. If anyone has any help, please let me know.

Jose Benjamin Solis Nolasco 3,511 Reputation points

2025-04-29T20:25:12.07+00:00
Please follow this procedure and let me know if this help you @Romil P

Remove the PIN:

Under Ways to sign in, locate Windows Hello PIN.

Click Remove and confirm. If prompted, enter your account password.

Clear Cached Credentials:

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft.

Locate the Ngc folder. If you can’t access it:

Right-click Ngc, select Properties > Security > Advanced.

Change the owner to your user account, grant full control, and delete the folder.

Restart your PC.

Add a New PIN:

Return to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

Click Set up under Windows Hello PIN.

Follow the prompts to create a new PIN (numeric or complex, including letters/symbols).

If prompted, verify your Microsoft/Entra ID account password.

Test the PIN:

Lock the screen (Win + L) or restart the PC.

Try logging in with the new PIN to confirm the error is resolved.

😊 If my answer helped you resolve your issue, please consider marking it as the correct answer. This helps others in the community find solutions more easily. Thanks!
Romil P 0 Reputation points

2025-04-30T05:17:46.9333333+00:00

When attempting to clear the cached credentials, I was unable to see an App Data under the Local Service folder.

Not sure if this is also the same folder, but I navigated to App Data via Run, but did not see the Ngc folder within the Microsoft folder there. Is there another way that I can find Ngc?

Jose Benjamin Solis Nolasco 3,511

Locate and Clear the Ngc Folder Correctly

The Ngc folder stores Windows Hello PIN data and is located at C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc. You’ll need to enable hidden files and gain permissions to access it.

Steps:

1. Enable Hidden Files: 

	○ Open File Explorer, click View (or the three-dot menu) > Show > Hidden items to enable visibility of hidden folders.

	○ Alternatively, go to File Explorer Options (Control Panel) > View tab > Select Show hidden files, folders, and drives and uncheck Hide protected operating system files.

2. Navigate to the Correct Path: 



	○ Open File Explorer and manually enter the path in the address bar: 

	

	C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft

	

	○ Press Enter. You should see the Ngc folder if it exists.

	○ Note: Do not navigate via C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData, as that’s the user-specific AppData, not the system-wide LocalService path.

	

3. Gain Access to Ngc: 



	○ If you see Access Denied: 

	

		§ Right-click the Ngc folder > Properties > Security > Advanced.

		§ In Owner, click Change, enter your username (or Administrators), and apply.

		§ Grant Full control to your user account: 

			□ In Permissions, select your user > Edit > Check Full control > Apply.

	○ If the folder is still inaccessible, proceed with administrative Command Prompt: 

		§ Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

		§ Run:

takeown /f "C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc" /r /d y

icacls "C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc" /grant Administrators:F /t

rd /s /q "C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc"

		§ This takes ownership, grants permissions, and deletes the Ngc folder.

		

4. Remove Existing PIN: 



	○ Go to Settings (Win + I) > Accounts > Sign-in options.

	○ Under Windows Hello PIN, click Remove and confirm with your password.

	

5. Add a New PIN: 



	○ In Sign-in options, click Set up under Windows Hello PIN.

	○ Follow prompts to create a new PIN (numeric or complex).

	○ Verify your Microsoft/Entra ID password if prompted.

	

6. Test the PIN: 



	○ Lock the screen (Win + L) or restart the PC.

	○ Log in with the new PIN to confirm the error is gone.

😊 If my answer helped you resolve your issue, please consider marking it as the correct answer. This helps others in the community find solutions more easily. Thanks!

Romil P 0 Reputation points

2025-05-03T08:47:38.9933333+00:00

These full steps did the job for me, thank you. I was initially having difficulties in deleting the Ngc folder, but the command prompt step really did it.
Scott Binette 0 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2025-06-13T21:52:23.16+00:00

Can't do the 4th step (Remove Existing Pin) due to Intune (or something else) disabling the option to remove PIN sign in.