How can I unlock my computer after I locked in error in find my device?

Question

How can I unlock my computer after I locked in error in find my device?

Answer 1

On the sign in page you are stuck on, click on the power icon on the lower right, hold down Shift key while you choose the restart option. This should boot the computer into WinRe environment.

Now, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

In the command prompt window, type in "regedit" to launch the Registry Editor.

In the Registry Editor, select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

Now on the menu bar, click on File > Load Hive.

In the pop up file selection window, go to This PC > C: drive > Windows > System32 > Config > Software. (Very imporant, it is C drive, not X drive). This should trigger a pop-up box. Please enter "1234" for the Keyname.

Back to the Registry Editor, Go to this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\1234\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\PasswordLess\Device

Now on the right pane double click on "DevicePasswordBuildVersion", and change the data to 0.

You can now restart the computer. And you will now find the "sign in options" to click on, and choose Sign in with Microsoft account, Make sure you have your log in credentials, as you need it here.

Answer 2

Hi, I'm John!

I understand how frustrating this situation must be. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to unlock the device after it has been locked via the "Find My Device" feature, as this is a security measure designed by Microsoft.

It would be helpful if Microsoft provided a clearer warning about this action being irreversible, as it can create unexpected challenges for users. Once a device is locked, the only way to use it again is to perform a clean installation of Windows, which will erase all data on the device.

To perform a clean installation, you’ll need access to another PC and a USB drive.

If you have any further questions or need help with the clean installation process, feel free to reach out to me again.

---

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Regards,

John J.D.