How can I switch back to logging in with my Windows PIN?"

Question

Over the past few days, whenever I log into the website by entering my account credentials, I'm prompted to choose passkey login, which asks me to scan a QR code with my phone or tablet to log in.

Previously, when I logged into the Tradovate website, I would always enter my account and password first, then use my Windows PIN to log in, and all website functions worked normally. Then one day, the system started asking me to scan a QR code with my phone or tablet to log in.

However, I didn't know what app to use to scan the code and log in. Passkeys were completely new to me, and my computer was also newly purchased. I tried downloading Microsoft Authenticator and scanning the QR code with my Android phone, but it prompted that no passkeys for the website were found on this device.

Then I tried Google Authenticator, but got the same result.

The website I'm trying to log into is https://trader.tradovate.com/welcome. At first I could log in fine, but then one day it started prompting me to scan a QR code to log in, and since then I haven't been able to log in at all. Every time I click the login button, it asks me to scan a QR code. If I click cancel and then click login again, the same thing happens repeatedly.

From what I recall, I think I may have changed some settings in the backend, enabling 2FA verification. So I contacted the website's customer support for help. Since this is a virtual account, the website's backend staff reset my account. I tried logging in with the reset credentials, but the problem persisted. I've tried both Microsoft Edge browser and Google Chrome, including clearing cookies and using incognito/private browsing mode — I've tried everything, but nothing solved the problem.

Then I noticed there was also a physical security key login option, so I purchased a physical security key online and set it up on my computer. I tried logging in again, but it still failed.

At that point, I suspected that I might have accidentally changed some Microsoft settings while using the computer, so I thought restoring the computer to factory settings might solve the problem, but the issue persisted.

Later I learned online that passkeys apparently don't get lost even if you reinstall the operating system.

I'm not sure if I accidentally deleted the passkey while using the computer. Some people online say passkeys are stored locally on the computer, while others say they're stored in Microsoft's password manager.

From what I remember, I never turned on the "Save passkey to local device" option, and even after reinstalling the system, that option was grayed out and couldn't be enabled.

I suspect my passkey might be stored in Microsoft's password manager. I downloaded the Edge browser on my Android phone and logged into the same Microsoft account as my computer, since Microsoft account auto-sync is enabled. I tried scanning the QR code again with Microsoft Authenticator, but still couldn't log in. It still says no passkeys for this website were found on this device.

I learned that I need to create a passkey on my phone, but it seems like I need to log into the app or website's backend to set it up. My situation is that I can't log into the website's backend on either my computer or phone, so that path doesn't work.

I also suspected that the website's backend didn't actually reset my account properly, so I tried logging into another website, riseworks.io. When I logged in, I didn't encounter any problems and was able to access the backend. But when I got to the "Register Mobile Passkey" step, I was again prompted to choose passkey login.

I don't know where the problem lies. I haven't even registered a Mobile Passkey yet, but the Microsoft system is asking me to choose passkey login — it's very confusing.

Then I tried another computer and logged into both Tradovate and riseworks.io. The problem persisted.

I really don't know what to do now. I don't know where the passkey is, and I don't know if it can be reset or deleted. I just want to log into my Tradovate account, because this account has a one-month time limit, and I haven't been able to log in for several days already. If more than a month passes, the account will automatically expire. As for the riseworks.io website, there are other options available when registering a Mobile Passkey, so it's not urgent. But for Tradovate, there are only two login methods available, and neither works. I checked my computer — facial recognition and fingerprint recognition are both unavailable. My computer doesn't have a fingerprint reader, but it does have a camera, and I don't know why facial recognition isn't working. So at this point, I can only either log into Tradovate using my Windows PIN or scan the QR code to log in with a passkey.

I hope someone kind can help me. I don't know what the problem is. I hope the best-case scenario is that I can restore logging in with my Windows PIN. If there's a way to scan the QR code with my Android phone to log in, that would also work, but I haven't found any related cases online.

Right now, my situation is that my Windows PIN works fine and I can log into the Microsoft system normally, my Microsoft account is also working properly, and Microsoft Authenticator on my Android phone works fine too. My Microsoft Windows is Windows 11 Home edition, version 24H2.

Answer 1

You're badly confused between how Microsoft Windows operates with passkeys and other 2FA methods and how the 3rd-party Tradovate website implements these similar technologies, so you should be looking for aid from Tradovate support instead, since few f anyone here is going to know those specifics.

Here's a web search that should include results for using both passkeys and other 2FA methods with Tradovate and aid your understanding of how they're set up and used for that application.

Tradovate passkey 2FA support at DuckDuckGo

I know nothing about that app other than what those pages display, so it's really likely not useful continuing to post here, since unless someone here actually uses the app, the only thing anyone could do is read the same pages to you anyway, which you can do yourself.

Rob

Answer 2

Windows PIN and a website passkey are not the same thing. A Windows PIN unlocks a passkey that is stored on the device or in a credential manager, but it does not by itself force a website to offer PIN sign-in again.

Based on the symptoms, the site is invoking passkey sign-in, and Windows Security is offering only these passkey locations:

• iPhone, iPad, or Android device
• Security key

That means Windows is not currently finding a usable local passkey for that website on this PC.

To get back to the old experience where Windows prompts with Hello/PIN, a new passkey must be created for that website on this Windows device. If the site does not let access its account settings without first signing in, the site owner must provide another sign-in method or reset/remove the passkey requirement on their side.

What can be done now:

1. Try another sign-in method on the website Look for options such as Try another way, Use password instead, or Use verification code. If the site offers one of those, use it to sign in first, then create a new passkey for this Windows device.
2. If the site only shows QR code or security key, use the site’s support to remove/reset passkey sign-in Since the account was already reset and the passkey prompt still appears, the website may still be configured to require passkey authentication. In that case, Microsoft settings on the PC will not switch it back by themselves.
3. If using phone QR sign-in, check the required conditions For cross-device passkey sign-in, both devices must have:
   • Bluetooth enabled
   • Internet connectivity
   • Be in range of each other
   If Bluetooth is off on either device, the QR flow can fail.
4. If the passkey on the phone/device is invalid, remove stale passkeys and create a new one If the message says the passkey is no longer valid or cannot be used, the supported fix is:
   • sign in using an alternative offered by the site
   • delete passkeys that no longer apply
   • set up a new passkey
5. On Windows 11 24H2, check passkey app access Windows 11 version 24H2 can block passkey access per app if privacy consent was declined. Go to: Settings > Privacy & security > Passkey access If the browser used for sign-in appears there and is blocked, allow passkey access again.
6. If the goal is specifically Windows Hello PIN on this PC The site must allow creation of a passkey on this Windows device. After that, sign-in can prompt for the device’s secure method such as PIN, face, or fingerprint.

Important points for this case:

• Reinstalling Windows does not guarantee recovery of a website passkey.
• A deleted or invalid passkey must be recreated; it cannot be edited.
• Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator will not help unless that website’s passkey was actually created and saved on that phone/profile.
• If another PC shows the same QR/security-key-only choices, that strongly suggests the issue is with the website account’s configured sign-in method, not the Windows PIN itself.

If no alternate sign-in option exists on Tradovate, the practical resolution is for the site’s support team to remove the passkey requirement or restore password-based access long enough to register a new passkey on the Windows device.

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