If you use a Windows 10 operating system, then you might be aware of how smooth it is. It has a lot of cool features and provides great interfaces for all your operations. But there are times when you face some issues with your Windows 10 and one of them is a Windows 10 pin not available error.
Sometimes when you try to log in to your Windows and you see “something happened, and your PIN isn’t available” error on the screen of your computer. Windows has two types of accounts, one of them is a Microsoft account which is synced with all the email accounts. The other one is the local account which is not used in any email accounts.
When this error occurs you also see a “Set up my Pin” option below the screen. When you click on it, you will be redirected to the same page and when you enter a pin it will not work, which is an ongoing process. If you are also facing the same Windows login pin not working error with your computer, then you don’t have to worry.
We are going to discuss what this error actually is and how you can resolve the issue. So let us not waste more time and get right to it.
What Causes the Error?
For those of you who don’t know, there is a PIN service which runs in your Windows, and it is responsible for managing PINs. When this service malfunctions or does not work properly, it does not add a new PIN when prompted and does not respond. This causes the Windows 10 PIN not available error or the Windows login PIN not working error.
What to do?
Now that we have gotten everything out of the way, let us talk about how you can fix this problem or what to do when you are faced with the Windows login PIN not working error. Below mentioned are some easy and useful methods which you can adapt to resolve this issue.
Sign-in with Password
The first thing to try when you are faced with this problem is to simply sign in using your password. If you are having problems accessing your Windows using your PIN, you also have an option to login to your Windows using a password. When you log in to your Windows you can disable or remove the pin, so you won’t face any problems next time.
- When you are at the startup screen where you enter the PIN, click on the key icon you see right beside it and enter the password.
- Once you are logged in, press Windows + I to reach settings and click on the Accounts option.
- Now all you have to do is remove the PIN from sign in options and choose the password.
- Just save the changes and restart your computer, now you will see that the PIN has been removed.
Disabling Fastboot in BIOS/UEFI
One more thing you can do is disable the fast boot. Fast boot is a feature of a computer which lets your system boot faster than usual by using some cached data and information. But it is not always good because sometimes the cached data can get corrupted, and you can face problems in booting or logging. This can also cause “Something happened, and your PIN isn’t available” error. So, it is advised to disable the fastboot in your system.
- To disable fastboot in BIOS, restart your phone and press Del or F2 key, which will take you to the system’s BIOS.
- Once you are in the menu, select Boot Settings, and look for the Fastboot option.
- Just disable it and you are good to go. Now restart your computer and you will be able to login to your Windows by using your PIN.
Enabling TPM in BIOS/UEFI
TPM or a trusted platform module is a crypto processor, and it is used to secure your PINs and passwords of the computer. One of the major reasons you are getting a Windows login pin error can be that you have disabled the TPM. You can enable the TPM if it is disabled and see whether this fixes the issue or not.
- To enable TPM you have to go to the system’s BIOS by pressing the Del or F2 key on the computer startup screen.
- Once you are in the system’s BIOS, you need to go to the Security tab.
- There you will see the TPM option. Enable it and restart your computer to see whether it did the trick or not.
Entering Recovery Environment and using System Restore
Another thing you can do about this issue is to use the System Restore option, which you have in the Recovery environment. Windows automatically creates system restore points and saves the state of your computer so you can just reach back to that state if anything happens.
- To perform this, you need to reach the Recovery Environment of your computer.
- Restart your computer and when the logo disappears press and hold the power button. You need to do this step twice and the third time your computer will take you to the “Windows 10 Repair Environment.”
- There you will see a number of options, but you need to choose the “Troubleshoot” option.
- Then select Advanced options.
- Once you are in the Advanced options you will see the “System Restore” option, click on it and your system will be restored to the previous system state.
Reset your System
When you have tried everything, but nothing seems to work, then the last thing you can do about it is just reset your system. This will eliminate any issues you are facing regarding PIN or login. But make sure to select the Keep My Files option as you are performing the reset because otherwise your data will be lost.
- To reset your computer, go to the Recovery Environment of your computer by following the steps we mentioned in the previous method.
- Once you are there click on the Reset this PC option and then choose the Keep my files.
- This will reset your PC and the Windows 10 PIN not available issue will also be resolved.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How to reset Microsoft Pin?
To reset the Microsoft Windows PIN, you need to click on the I forgot my PIN on the startup screen.
Then you will need to enter your Microsoft password.
Then verify your identity by email or phone number.
You will receive a code which you can then use to reset the PIN.
How To Use a Password Instead of a PIN in Windows 10?
You can use a password instead of a PIN to log in to Windows 10. Go to settings and then click on accounts to choose the Sign-in options button. You need to choose a password and just click on the add button. Then provide the key and set up your preferred password.
Can resetting password solve Windows login pin not working problem?
It has been seen that resetting your password can solve this problem. If you have tried every solution and nothing seems to work, then you can always go for this one. Make sure while you are resetting the computer, to choose the Keep my files option or else all your files and data will be lost.