Locked out and cant setup new pin

Question

I booted up my computer and it said we lost your PIN and it gave me one option setup PIN but all that did was give me a dialog box for a few seconds circling and then goes right back to setup PIN is this a bug in the windows system or is there away out?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Thanks for posting your question here. I understand your concern that when you booted your computer, you received an error message that says that you lost your PIN. It usually happens when Windows Hello PIN data gets corrupted or the device isn’t properly validating your Microsoft account. To fix this, please follow the steps below:

1. Make sure you’re online On the lock screen, connect to Wi‑Fi or Ethernet, then restart and try Set up PIN again. The PIN reset won’t work offline.
2. Use your account password instead of the PIN On the sign‑in screen, click Sign‑in options and choose Password (key icon). Once logged in, go to: Settings > Accounts > Sign‑in options > PIN > Remove Restart and create a new PIN.

You may refer to this link: Windows Hello errors during PIN creation

Let me know if you have questions, I'm here to help

Thanks,

Jobelle C.

Answer 2

This behavior is typically caused by a corrupted PIN/Windows Hello configuration rather than a simple UI bug. Use one of the following approaches to get back in and then recreate the PIN.

1. Try basic PIN mitigation steps If the system lets you sign in with a password or another method (security key, phone sign-in), do that first, then:

• Sign out and sign back in, then try to set up the PIN again.
• Reboot the device and try again.
• If the device is joined to Microsoft Entra ID (work/school): unjoin and rejoin, then try to create the PIN again:
  • Settings > System > About > Disconnect from organization, then rejoin and set up the PIN.

These steps align with the standard mitigations for Windows Hello PIN setup issues.

2. If completely locked out at sign-in If no password or other sign-in option works and the PIN setup loop blocks access, the practical options are:

• Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to sign in with another account (for example, enabling the built-in Administrator as described in similar scenarios) and then remove/reset the PIN for the main account by deleting the NGC folder or reconfiguring Windows Hello.
• If no account can sign in and recovery options fail, a clean reinstall/reset of Windows may be required. This is consistent with cases where PIN and password issues could not be bypassed and the device had to be reformatted.

3. After regaining access Once signed in with any account:

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
• Remove the existing PIN/Windows Hello configuration if it shows.
• Reboot, then set up a new PIN from the same Sign-in options page.

If the device is domain-joined or Entra-joined and policies are applied, ensure that Windows Hello for Business and convenience PIN policies are configured correctly, as conflicting policies can block PIN creation.

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References:

• Windows Hello errors during PIN creation
• Windows Hello common issues and troubleshooting tips
• Stuck in an infinite loop involving the PIN - Microsoft Q&A
• Unable to log in to Dell Rugged Laptop - Microsoft Q&A
• Can't configure a PIN when Convenience PIN and Hello for Business policies are enabled