Pin does not work after windows update

Question

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone can help please. Everytime there is a windows update after the reboot my pin does not work and I have to re-create a pin. Can someone please help.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

BD

Answer 1

Hi,

Typically this is caused by a TPM data corruption. We can try clearing TPM, which stores hashes for the PIN, hoping it works.

Please open the Windows Recovery environment using either of the steps below:

On the Lock Screen, Press and hold the Shift key. Then, click the restart button on the lock screen located at the bottom right situated in the Power menu, to open the Windows Recovery options.

If you cannot reach the Lock screen or start your computer, restart your PC two times when the boot screen is shown. If your PC has no restart button, press and hold the Power button until the computer shuts down. Do this twice.

Select UEFI Firmware Settings.

Choose Security>Look for Intel PTT/Security chip option in the firmware Settings.

Clear the same and save the changes.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Windows Hello PIN issues after updates are usually caused by a problem with the PIN/Hello configuration or the underlying security components (TPM, account tokens, or policies). Use the following steps the next time this happens to try to stop the recurring resets:

1. When the PIN stops working, sign in with the password instead.
2. Remove the existing PIN completely:
   • Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
   • Under PIN (Windows Hello) choose I forgot my PIN or remove/reset the PIN as prompted.
   • Complete the verification and create a new PIN.
3. If the PIN keeps failing after each update, reset the PIN and Windows Hello components more thoroughly:
   • Sign out, sign back in, and try creating the PIN again.
   • If it fails again, reboot and try creating the PIN again.
4. If errors appear during Create a PIN (for example specific error codes), use the corresponding mitigation:
   • For transient errors: try creating the PIN again, sign out/in, or reboot, then retry.
   • If you see one of these codes:
     • 0x80090005, 0x8009000F, 0x80090011, 0x801C044D: unjoin the device from Microsoft Entra ID (if it is joined) and rejoin, then recreate the PIN.
     • 0x80090029: sign in with an administrator account, run tpm.msc, and in Actions select Prepare the TPM, then reboot and recreate the PIN.
     • 0x8009002A: close apps using a lot of memory and try again.
     • 0x80090031: reboot; if it still fails, reset or clear the TPM as documented, then recreate the PIN.
5. If the device is domain-joined and group policies are used, make sure policies are not conflicting:
   • On devices not joined to Microsoft Entra ID, Use Windows Hello for Business should not be enabled at the same time as Turn on convenience PIN sign-in, otherwise PIN behavior can break after changes/updates.
6. If every update continues to break the PIN even after these mitigations, back up data and consider a repair/reset of Windows, as a corrupted Hello/PIN or TPM state may be persisting across updates.

If specific error codes appear when the PIN fails or when trying to recreate it, matching them to the tables in the referenced articles will give the exact mitigation to apply.

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References:

• Windows Hello common issues and troubleshooting tips
• Change or reset your PIN in Windows
• Windows Hello errors during PIN creation
• Can't configure a PIN when Convenience PIN and Hello for Business policies are enabled
• Troubleshoot problems with Windows Hello on Surface