Help! I forgot my PIN and I can't sign in

FatDragon4003 · Jul 3, 2025

Hello all,

I'm having a ton of trouble signing into my local account. As far as I can tell, my only option that I have is to somehow remember the pin. I don't have a way to reset it at the sign-in page, and I don't have a password. I do have a Microsoft account,, but that doesn't do me any good here. I don't think it does anyway.

So, what do I do in such a predicament? I'm at the point where my PIN has been locked out for 5 minutes and I really don't want to try any more combinations.

idgat · Jul 3, 2025

FatDragon4003 said:
As far as I can tell, my only option that I have is to somehow remember the pin.

Did you set a PIN at any time?

FatDragon4003 said:
So, what do I do in such a predicament?

Have you activated the default Win11 hidden "Administration" account? (This forum's search, or your browser's search engine, will be your friend)

EDIT With no disrespect to the OP, but I'm always wary about providing specific advice for these types of situations, until I'm sure the OP is genuinely trying to access their own machine .... No offence intended to the OP)

FatDragon4003 · Jul 3, 2025

Hi idgat,

The answer to your first question is yes, I do have a PIN set up, and no, I have not activated the hidden admin account. Can I still activate it now? I'm looking for a backdoor that I'm almost sure is there.

FatDragon4003 · Jul 3, 2025

Idgat,

I just read your edit and I can assure that I am the owner of the computer that I'm having sign in problems with. I don't know what else I could do to put you at ease other than to give you my word. As I am a new member, I don't blame you for questioning the genuineness of this thread.

glasskuter · Jul 3, 2025

There are a lot of variables here without more information.
Did you set up your user account to be your MS account? Do you know your MS password? Were you syncing your files to onedrive?
On you signin screen do you see "signin options"? If so click it and 2 symbols should pop up. One looks like a key. That is password option. The other is a bunch of square dots. That is pin option.

Yes, we can tell you how to enable a hidden administrator account which will get you back into your computer so you can create another user account.. However, that does not give you access to any of your files stored on your system drive.
Please report back the answers to these questions and we can advice you the best way to handle it.

FatDragon4003 · Jul 3, 2025

Hi glasskuter,

I thought I was leaving some pertinent details out of my original post, but I didn't know what exactly. OK, when I set up Windows, just about a week ago, to be exact, I had to sign up for an MS account. Yes, Ik have those login details, and OneDrive did backup some of my files, much to my chagrin.

As far as the Sign-in screen, I saw the 2 options. I see no option to change the pin, but I can change the password. However, this Password Recovery Disc wizard pops up and I had no idea there was such a thing.

I hope all of that info helps!

FreeBooter · Jul 3, 2025

In this guide, i will show you how you can use Windows Recovery Environment to remove the NGC folder and reset your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PIN login password.

glasskuter · Jul 3, 2025

One can always question the legitimacy of ownership in such cases, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. None of these instructions are anything that can not be readily found in numerous places on the web and in other threads on this forum..

OK. First let's try to get you back into your machine. On the signin screen, there is a power icon in the bottom right corner.

Hold down the shift key (keep it held) click the power button, then restart. Keep the shift key held down until you see the recovery screen.

On the recovery screen Go to Troubleshoot >> Advanced Options >> Command Prompt

In the command window type net user administrator /active:yes

Restart the device. You should see a new user on the signin screen named administrator. Open that account and let your desktop populate.

Once you are into windows, you need to create a new local user account

HOW TO CREATE A NEW LOCAL USER ACCOUNT This account will not be connected to Onedrive.

Go to Settings>Accounts>Scroll down and click on Other Users.
Select add account>select I don't have this person's signin information
In user name box name the account and assign a password.
Very Important- Make the new user an administrator. Once account is created, to the right of the new user name click down arrow. Select Change account type. Click arrow to right of standard user and select Administrator.

Restart

On signin screen you should now see 3 accounts- your old account, administrator, and your new account.
Login to your new account. Once you've done that, report back and I can give instructions for you to see if any/all/some of your files are in Onedrive.

If you get stuck at any point, report back as well.

glasskuter · Jul 3, 2025

I have never tried @FreeBooter solution but you might try his idea first.

FatDragon4003 · Jul 4, 2025

Thanks for your help glasskuter. I got all the way through your instructions up
until the sign in screen. It says
"You've entered an incorrect
PIN several times" and then I was supposed to enter a challenge phrase to try again. I did that, but on the next screen there wasn't a new user named administrator. Back on the command prompt, I did get confirmation that the command I typed was successful, so there is no problem there.

glasskuter · Jul 4, 2025

Try freebooter's solution. Worst comes to worst we can reset your computer. My concern is trying to save your data. If it's in onedrive, you can safely reset the machine to out of box state

If you have access to another device go here and login to onedrive on the web using your MS account.. Verify that all your data is there. Microsoft OneDrive

FatDragon4003 · Jul 4, 2025

Well, this ain't good. After I entered the command to delete the NGC file, it said the file didn't exist. I am desperately trying everything I can think of to avoid what would be a catastrophic reset for me. OneDrive does have some files but nowhere near what I'd need to get close to where I was before.

FreeBooter · Jul 4, 2025

This video guide provides a detailed walkthrough on enabling the Windows built-in Administrator account using Hiren's BootCD.

glasskuter · Jul 4, 2025

You said you set up Windows only a week ago. That indicates to me that this is a new computer. Is this correct? If so, how did you get your files from your old computer into this one? Do you have a backup?

FreeBooter · Jul 4, 2025

@FatDragon4003 you can also use Hiren's bootable media to reset local account password which associated with PIN on local account resetting password will reset PIN.

In this guide, i present a straightforward method for resetting Windows local user accounts password using Hiren's BootCD PE (Preinstallation Environment).

FatDragon4003 · Jul 4, 2025

@FreeBooter, @glasskuter
This little nugget of information is really gonna limit me. I only have the phone I'm writing you on now and my
computer, which I cannot sign into right now. That's all I have access to right now, so I can't download anything right now.
And glasskuter, my computer is not new. I just reset it and manually backed up my most important files.

XxXxX · Jul 4, 2025

can you or are you able to make a bootable Linux USB.
with this live Linux USB you will be able to recover your data
or reset the required file, if you know the details.

Download Ubuntu Desktop | Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.

ubuntu.com

Ubuntu is very easy to use and wont install anything to your system
then you can reinstall Windows setting up a new password/pin.
best of luck, Steve ..

FreeBooter · Jul 4, 2025

If you don't have another computer but can access Windows 11 recovery mode, then you can enable hidden administrator account.

In this video, you will find detailed instructions on how to enable the hidden administrator account on Windows 11,10, 8, 7 or Vista based computer, by modifying the Windows Registry Offline in case you cannot login to Windows by using another account with admin rights.

glasskuter · Jul 4, 2025

FatDragon4003 said:
my computer is not new. I just reset it and manually backed up my most important files

If you are unable to enable the hidden administrator account by editing the registry offline to get access to the system back , I see no other option for you than to reset again using remove everything option and start from scratch again. (or do a clean install)
Hopefully you still have those important files on external media.

Though it is not my suggestion you do it, another option is to clear the TPM in bios which causes you to lose all created keys associated with the TPM, and data protected by those keys, such as a virtual smart card or a sign-in PIN. This includes bitlocker/device encryption keys if you have your device bit-locked. Make sure that you have a backup and recovery method for any data that is protected or encrypted by the TPM.

Since this is not a new machine and you reset it just days ago, could you tell me what issue promoted you to reset the system in the first place? Your reason to do so may be pertinent to this problem.

Hazel123 · Jul 4, 2025

You can take the hard drive out, put it in an external enclosure, and plug it into another computer. Then copy and paste all your files off the hard drive onto the other computer (or onto a usb stick). Then reinstall, as Glasskutter suggests. Can you actually reset from the login screen? For that, you'd need to borrow someone's laptop and have an external hard drive enclosure. If none of the other solutions work.

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