PIN, password, confusion - sigh


zinc

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Vista, Win 11, Win 11 Pro (main PC)
Greetings Win 11 gurus. Apologies for silly questions. I've read & watched videos for hours and my head is still swimming.
I have a new computer w/Win 11 Pro preinstalled. I just need to go thru setup and for this particular PC I am going to go through the normal MS account route (instead of working around to have a local account only - like on my Win 11 laptop).

I would just like help understanding a few really simple things:

1) When I create a new MS account & choose my MS password, will this password be only for my MS account or will it also be for my PC login password?

2) When Win 11 Pro setup asks me for a PIN, this PIN becomes my default PC login method (It's my computer PIN, not a MS PIN) - is this correct?

2a) (bonus question) Why did MS choose PIN in the setup over a complex password (this encourages/allows us to select a 4-digit PIN); Everyone I know only uses a 4-digit PIN - seems easier to hack into, no?

3) I have read and watched ways to create a PC login password. Will this be my PC login password or will it now also be my new MS account password?

3a) If I create a PC login can I then login with either my PC PIN of my PC password?

Lord have mercy life was so simple with Vista & Win7. My password was mine. I didn't need a MS account. This new MS account and PIN/password stuff (not to mention the feeling the Bill Gates himself is looking over my shoulder & taking notes whenever I sit down at my PC) is confusing, suspicious, and annoying. That said any help with my stupid questions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.
 
Windows Build/Version
Win 11 Pro

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista, Win 11, Win 11 Pro (main PC)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-12900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA T-600 x 2
    Hard Drives
    2TB M.2 2280 NVMe x 2, 2TB SSD
    Cooling
    Liquid
you will need an account and password to use your Windows 11 computer.

you "can" use MS account and password as your account. but what I have read here. it's NOT recommended. As you said, that will put all of your internet activities under MS monitoring.

Therefore it's suggested Open a local account/offline account on your Windows 11 computer. NOT MS account related.


Yes, (but NOT recommended)
Greetings Win 11 gurus. Apologies for silly questions. I've read & watched videos for hours and my head is still swimming.
I have a new computer w/Win 11 Pro preinstalled. I just need to go thru setup and for this particular PC I am going to go through the normal MS account route (instead of working around to have a local account only - like on my Win 11 laptop).

I would just like help understanding a few really simple things:

1) When I create a new MS account & choose my MS password, will this password be only for my MS account or will it also be for my PC login password?


Correct,
2) When Win 11 Pro setup asks me for a PIN, this PIN becomes my default PC login method (It's my computer PIN, not a MS PIN) - is this correct?

I agree/think so. 4-digit PIN to easy to use
2a) (bonus question) Why did MS choose PIN in the setup over a complex password (this encourages/allows us to select a 4-digit PIN); Everyone I know only uses a 4-digit PIN - seems easier to hack into, no?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP/Lenovo/Asus
    CPU
    Intel
    Hard Drives
    NVMe SSD/SATA SSD
Indeed, I didn't setup password/pincode. my computer has a user ID only. when I use my PC, no real login. power-on and go.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7/11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP/Lenovo/Asus
    CPU
    Intel
    Hard Drives
    NVMe SSD/SATA SSD
A lot of people do not understand the PIN. It actually makes pc with a TPM more secure, as it can only be used by people physically at pc.


 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
A lot of people do not understand the PIN. It actually makes pc with a TPM more secure, as it can only be used by people physically at pc.


Yes and no. Using a PIN makes the underlying account more secure, because the password is not getting transmitted over the internet (and thus can't be stolen), but the local laptop itself does become more vulnerable (compared to being secured by a more complex password) because the PIN is easier to guess. So the question becomes - what are you trying to protect - the 'account' or the 'device'? Look at it this way - if the laptop itself were stolen, which would be easier to hack - the 4-digit pin or a more complex password? I just read the article you referenced, and their general theory is, it's more important to protect the account than the local laptop access, but that depends on circumstances.

From that article: "... Someone who steals your online password can sign in to your account from anywhere, but if they steal your PIN, they'd have to steal your physical device too!" . So their argument is, the PIN is no use to anyone UNLESS they also steal your device ... but that's a valid scenario.

There's another issue with using the PIN; many people I've assisted with their laptops ONLY remember their PIN, NOT their password, so when things go wrong and you need to actually log into the account, they don't know (don't remember) their password, which then requires you to go down the 'forgot password' route. And of course, if you have multiple devices, each one requires a separate PIN.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram 17 17Z95P-K.AAE8U1
    CPU
    i7-1195G7
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Samsung NP940X5J
    Memory
    8 Gig
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD; 2 TB SSD (SATA)
Thank you all for your replies; they helped clear up a murky subject. Still kinda murky but I now see why this is a rather complex subject - depends on the various things one is trying to accomplish (both the user and MS.) Seems many know Exactly what MS is trying to accomplish.

So I booted up my new Win 11 Pro PC for the 1st time and was surprised to see the vendor had ALREADY set up Win 11 Pro as a local account (it also says administrator) which does not require a PIN or password to log on. It's just "power on and go." Not yet sure I'm going to keep it this way but it's a possibility.

On my Win 11 laptop I had to jump thru hoops to get it local account only BUT for some reason I still need to click "Sign in" (after which it takes me to the desktop; no PIN or anything). Not sure what the point of clicking "sign in" has; seems pointless. Probably something I screwed up during setup.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista, Win 11, Win 11 Pro (main PC)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-12900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA T-600 x 2
    Hard Drives
    2TB M.2 2280 NVMe x 2, 2TB SSD
    Cooling
    Liquid
On my Win 11 laptop I had to jump thru hoops to get it local account only BUT for some reason I still need to click "Sign in" (after which it takes me to the desktop; no PIN or anything). Not sure what the point of clicking "sign in" has; seems pointless. Probably something I screwed up during setup.
Welcome to Eleven Forum.

No, nothing is screwed up, that is normal.

All my Win10 and Win11 laptops have just local accounts. If you set a local account to have no password, then it should go straight to the desktop at start up. However, you can still get stopped at the sign in screen with just a 'Sign in' button (there will be no box for a password as you don't use one).

If so, you need to turn off 'Require Sign-in on Wakeup'. There is one catch though, you'll only see the setting to do this if your account has a password. So set a password for your local account, turn off 'require sign-in...', then when you've done that you can remove the password.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
...

So I booted up my new Win 11 Pro PC for the 1st time and was surprised to see the vendor had ALREADY set up Win 11 Pro as a local account (it also says administrator) which does not require a PIN or password to log on. It's just "power on and go." Not yet sure I'm going to keep it this way but it's a possibility.

...
That sounds odd to me; you might want to ask them if this is something they do typically. It may indicate an item that was returned to them. There are some 'one-time choices' that you get to make during the initial setup phase, like language, keyboard, etc (presumably they are OK!) and also other choices like advertising ID, etc. I would definitely be curious to know what choices were made. Since you have to go through some hoops to create a local account in Win 11, I'd definitely be curious to know how they set this up, and why. I don't think a vendor like Dell or HP would do this. Maybe a local 'shop' is doing you a favor.

Also - is the account NAME 'administrator', or are you simply telling us that it is an 'administrator' type account? Since you aren't being asked to log in at all, you won't necessarily see the name they used. Go take a look at the C:\users\ folder in file explorer; you should see 'Public' and one other folder that corresponds to your login name (if you have hidden folders visible, you'll also see 'all users', Default, Default User). That folder name reflects the login name you are using. If it is 'administrator' that's a bad thing because that's an account that used to always exist and was the target of hackers.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram 17 17Z95P-K.AAE8U1
    CPU
    i7-1195G7
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Samsung NP940X5J
    Memory
    8 Gig
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD; 2 TB SSD (SATA)
Look at it this way - if the laptop itself were stolen, which would be easier to hack - the 4-digit pin or a more complex password?

My PIN is much longer than 4 digits. It includes numbers, upper/lower case letters and special characters. We have the option during Windows PIN setup to include letters and special characters. So my PIN actually resembles a more complex password.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC Black Gaming
    Sound Card
    RealTek HD 7.1
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe (Win 10)
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black + 7 Phantek T-30's
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    350Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    Windows 10 22H2 19045.4170
    On System One
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700F
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2060 KO Ultra Gaming
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Hyper 212 EVO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Yes and no. Using a PIN makes the underlying account more secure, because the password is not getting transmitted over the internet (and thus can't be stolen), but the local laptop itself does become more vulnerable (compared to being secured by a more complex password) because the PIN is easier to guess. So the question becomes - what are you trying to protect - the 'account' or the 'device'? Look at it this way - if the laptop itself were stolen, which would be easier to hack - the 4-digit pin or a more complex password? I just read the article you referenced, and their general theory is, it's more important to protect the account than the local laptop access, but that depends on circumstances.

From that article: "... Someone who steals your online password can sign in to your account from anywhere, but if they steal your PIN, they'd have to steal your physical device too!" . So their argument is, the PIN is no use to anyone UNLESS they also steal your device ... but that's a valid scenario.

There's another issue with using the PIN; many people I've assisted with their laptops ONLY remember their PIN, NOT their password, so when things go wrong and you need to actually log into the account, they don't know (don't remember) their password, which then requires you to go down the 'forgot password' route. And of course, if you have multiple devices, each one requires a separate PIN.
You can put a complex PIN in that consists of numbers and letters and more than 4 digits.

A 4 pin digit is as secure as any cashcard and you have a far higher risk of that being stolen as you have to take that out and about

It is down to user to assess risk of pc getting stolen.

If you want to get really paranoid, use bitlocker with boot pin, windows complex pin, and bios password.

The think about a pin is it cannot be brute force cracked by software - you have to physically type it in. Suppose you choose a PIN around 4000-6000, it would take up to 4000 presses at say 10 seconds a press to get it i.e. over 10 hours. Use a 6 digit PIN, and that increases to 1000 hours (much longer as you have to eat/sleep etc.)

I grant 4 digit PINs have more limited security if pc is stolen but that risk is virtually eliminated if you use 6 digits (especially with letters).

So you are making a rather tenuous objection against PINs. A system is only as secure as the user makes it.

I do think MS should provide more explanation, and default PIN to 6 digits not 4.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
You can put a complex PIN in that consists of numbers and letters and more than 4 digits.

A 4 pin digit is as secure as any cashcard and you have a far higher risk of that being stolen as you have to take that out and about

It is down to user to assess risk of pc getting stolen.

If you want to get really paranoid, use bitlocker with boot pin, windows complex pin, and bios password.

The think about a pin is it cannot be brute force cracker by software - you have to physically type it in. Suppose you choose a PIN around 4000-6000, it would take 4000 presses at sat 10 seconds a press to get it i.e. over 10 hours. Use a 6 digit PIN, and that increases to 1000 hours (much longer as you have to eat/sleep etc.)

I grant 4 digit PINs have more limited security if pc is stolen but that risk is virtually eliminated if you use 6 digits (especially with letters).

So you are making a rather tenuous objection against PINs
Fair enough, I was being hypothetical - I use the PIN myself these days (4-digit at that!). However, I only use one device these days, so only have one PIN. If I used multiple devices, like I used to, I guess I'd set them all to use the same PIN for convenience, which is a questionable strategy.

I do worry, though, about users forgetting the underlying password. I have a client who always uses the PIN, but there was a situation where we needed to know the actual password, and she couldn't remember it because she never used it. Her efforts to use 'recover password' techniques failed for reasons I no longer recall.

I guess my objection to the PIN is more based on the fact that I object to MS requiring an MS account for login these days (I do realize there are ways around this). For me personally, I have absolutley no use for the MS account other than for logging into my laptop. I do have two additional 'MS accounts' already, for my two Office 365 subscriptions, but because they are considered 'work' accounts, I couldn't use them as my windows MS account, so I had to create a third MS Account just for my Win 11 login, which means I have to be sure to document the password in my password manager. Why they wouldn't allow me to use one of my existing MS accounts is still unclear to me. But this is off-topic regarding PIN ...
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram 17 17Z95P-K.AAE8U1
    CPU
    i7-1195G7
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Samsung NP940X5J
    Memory
    8 Gig
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD; 2 TB SSD (SATA)
There`s no reason not to have a Microsoft account, it actually benefits you :)

And as for question #1, no, the passwords will not be the same unless you make them the same, but, of course, don`t do that.
In fact, unless you really want one, a windows password is useless, IMO.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Skylake Special X299
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 9900X
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix X299-E Gaming II
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z RGB 32GB 3600 16-16-16-36 (F4-3600C16Q-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 3080 12GB FTW3 Ultra Gaming (12G-P5-4877-KL)
    Sound Card
    Supreme FX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PG279Q
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 500GB x2, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2, Western Digital Black 4TB x1
    PSU
    EVGA 1200 P2, EVGA Black Custom Braided Cables
    Case
    Thermaltake View 31 Tempered Glass Limited Edition
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910 Orion Spark
    Mouse
    Logitech G700s, Asus ROG GX860 Buzzard
    Internet Speed
    Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway 75/75
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes 4.5.2
    Other Info
    Thermaltake Riing Duo 14 x3, Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 x2, Corsair HS70 Pro Wireless Headset
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Skylake Special Z170
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 6700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z RGB 16GB 3600 16-16-16-36 (F4-3600C16D-16GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC x2, EVGA Pro SLI Bridge
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC G2460PG
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 870 Evo 500GB, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2
    PSU
    EVGA 1000 P2, EVGA White Custom Braided Cables
    Case
    Corsair Vengeance C70 Gunmetal Black
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i v2, Corsair ML120 x2, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
    Mouse
    Logitech G500s
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum
    Internet Speed
    Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway 75/75
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes 4.5.2
    Other Info
    Corsair SP120 x4, LG Blu-ray Drive, Durabrand HT-395 100 Watt Dolby Digital Amp
Fair enough, I was being hypothetical - I use the PIN myself these days (4-digit at that!). However, I only use one device these days, so only have one PIN. If I used multiple devices, like I used to, I guess I'd set them all to use the same PIN for convenience, which is a questionable strategy.
There are many techniques you can use to make pins similar but easy to remember e.g. rotating PIN

PC1 - 5678
PC2 - 8567
PC3 - 7856
PC4 - 6785

or say a code with 6 digits (4 digits common, two coded)

XXXX15, XXXX25, XXXX35 etc.

Sure, you might forget which is for which pc, but you only need to enter it 4 times. So even if a local thief got hold of your pin for 1 pc, what are odds they would suss it out for others.

For my works PC where I have to have a 6 digit pin and 8 digit complex password changed ever 90 days, I have a system to remember them - we are not allowed to use passwords too similar to old i.e. changing Freda#01 to Freda#02 would get rejected.

In the end, it comes down to imagination.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
OK the more threads I read it's clear this forum is helpful w/a lot of obviously knowledgeable members; I'm glad I found it. I am not embarrassed to admit I have a long, long way to go to catch up w/most here so any help is greatly appreciated, including links to tutorials I should have already found, saying "there's a tutorial for that", or even "RTFM". Well maybe not that last one.

If so, you need to turn off 'Require Sign-in on Wakeup'. There is one catch though, you'll only see the setting to do this if your account has a password. So set a password for your local account, turn off 'require sign-in...', then when you've done that you can remove the password.
Interesting. Thank you for this tutorial. I will look into it!

That sounds odd to me; you might want to ask them if this is something they do typically. .. Maybe a local 'shop' is doing you a favor.
Yes, seemed odd. I called and they said it's a favor; they always do it this way w/Win 10/11.

Also - is the account NAME 'administrator', or are you simply telling us that it is an 'administrator' type account? Since you aren't being asked to log in at all, you won't necessarily see the name they used.
Well under Accounts it shows the User Name they assigned me is in CAPS, under the name is "Local Account", and then below that it shows "Administrator." It's the same "look" as my Win 11 laptop (NAME, Local Account, Administrator). I'm not sure what this means; if this is the mysterious "hidden" administrator account or the account I describe above has admin rights. Geeze my homework list is growing exponentially.

Go take a look at the C:\users\ folder in file explorer; you should see 'Public' and one other folder that corresponds to your login name (if you have hidden folders visible, you'll also see 'all users', Default, Default User). That folder name reflects the login name you are using.
The Users folder contains the folders:
1) A folder named the account (it is in caps) described above (what I am logged into automatically (no PIN/pswd) - which has items in the downloads folder I have downloaded. So I assume this is the account I am actually logged in with.
2) A folder named Public.
3) A folder named Default (which is an darker shade of yellow than the other folders). Note: it does Not have any stuff in the downloads folder so I don't think that is the account I am logged into)
4) And a folder named Backup (which I do not have permission to access - why?).

Note: under Accounts/Family & Others Users it shows: Backup, Administrator - local account (Perhaps the hidden admin account?)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista, Win 11, Win 11 Pro (main PC)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-12900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA T-600 x 2
    Hard Drives
    2TB M.2 2280 NVMe x 2, 2TB SSD
    Cooling
    Liquid
No, nothing is screwed up, that is normal.

All my Win10 and Win11 laptops have just local accounts. If you set a local account to have no password, then it should go straight to the desktop at start up. However, you can still get stopped at the sign in screen with just a 'Sign in' button (there will be no box for a password as you don't use one).
Wait I'm confused. Did you mean my no-PIN or password Win11 laptop should get stopped at the sign-in screen, or simply may get stuck?


If so, you need to turn off 'Require Sign-in on Wakeup'. There is one catch though, you'll only see the setting to do this if your account has a password. So set a password for your local account, turn off 'require sign-in...', then when you've done that you can remove the password.
Also how did you get your local account (no password) laptops go straight to the desktop without getting stopped at the sign in screen? Did you use the tutorial?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista, Win 11, Win 11 Pro (main PC)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-12900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA T-600 x 2
    Hard Drives
    2TB M.2 2280 NVMe x 2, 2TB SSD
    Cooling
    Liquid
If you don`t use a password it Should go right to windows, are you saying it`s not ?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Skylake Special X299
    CPU
    Intel Core i9 9900X
    Motherboard
    Asus ROG Strix X299-E Gaming II
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z RGB 32GB 3600 16-16-16-36 (F4-3600C16Q-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 3080 12GB FTW3 Ultra Gaming (12G-P5-4877-KL)
    Sound Card
    Supreme FX
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PG279Q
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 500GB x2, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2, Western Digital Black 4TB x1
    PSU
    EVGA 1200 P2, EVGA Black Custom Braided Cables
    Case
    Thermaltake View 31 Tempered Glass Limited Edition
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910 Orion Spark
    Mouse
    Logitech G700s, Asus ROG GX860 Buzzard
    Internet Speed
    Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway 75/75
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes 4.5.2
    Other Info
    Thermaltake Riing Duo 14 x3, Thermaltake Riing Plus 14 x2, Corsair HS70 Pro Wireless Headset
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Skylake Special Z170
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 6700K
    Motherboard
    Asus Sabertooth Z170 Mark 1
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z RGB 16GB 3600 16-16-16-36 (F4-3600C16D-16GTZR)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX 980 Ti SC x2, EVGA Pro SLI Bridge
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC G2460PG
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 144Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 870 Evo 500GB, Seagate Barracuda 4TB x2
    PSU
    EVGA 1000 P2, EVGA White Custom Braided Cables
    Case
    Corsair Vengeance C70 Gunmetal Black
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i v2, Corsair ML120 x2, Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut
    Mouse
    Logitech G500s
    Keyboard
    Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum
    Internet Speed
    Verizon Fios Quantum Gateway 75/75
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, Malwarebytes 4.5.2
    Other Info
    Corsair SP120 x4, LG Blu-ray Drive, Durabrand HT-395 100 Watt Dolby Digital Amp
If you don`t use a password it Should go right to windows, are you saying it`s not ?
Correct it does not. It shows the background picture and a "sign in" button that I must click to be taken to the windows desktop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista, Win 11, Win 11 Pro (main PC)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i9-12900KF
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690
    Memory
    32 GB DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA T-600 x 2
    Hard Drives
    2TB M.2 2280 NVMe x 2, 2TB SSD
    Cooling
    Liquid
...

The Users folder contains the folders:
1) A folder named the account (it is in caps) described above (what I am logged into automatically (no PIN/pswd) - which has items in the downloads folder I have downloaded. So I assume this is the account I am actually logged in with.
2) A folder named Public.
3) A folder named Default (which is an darker shade of yellow than the other folders). Note: it does Not have any stuff in the downloads folder so I don't think that is the account I am logged into)
4) And a folder named Backup (which I do not have permission to access - why?).

Note: under Accounts/Family & Others Users it shows: Backup, Administrator - local account (Perhaps the hidden admin account?)
That's not 'out of the box' standard, for sure. Everything else you describe is normal (Default, Public, etc). Given that your vendor 'did you a favor' by creating your local account for you, it is highly likely they set up the 'Backup' account as a favor also, in case something goes wrong with the primary account. I always advise users to create a second, local, admin-level account on their machines for emergency use (with a strong password) so that if all else fails, you have a way into your machine. It seems like that's what they've done. This is good practice, BUT - they ought to disclose it to you because they are in fact giving themselves a back door into your machine.

When you say, 'do not have permission to access', that sounds typical also, but - from my recollection - it will say 'you don't currently have permission ...', but also, offer you the option to 'continue', and it says 'click continue to permanently get access to this folder'.

If you go to settings / accounts / 'family and other users', you should see an entry under 'other users' for 'Backup'. This is the extra account they created for you. Interestingly windows doesn't seem to give you an option to change the password here (at least I can't see it!). Launch 'netplwiz' (start/run/netplwiz), and you should see an entry there for the user account 'Backup' also. Highlight it, and below you should see 'to change the password for .... ', and a 'reset password ...' button. Here you can force the password to something you want it to be (and something your vendor no longer knows). If your vendor is responsive, you may just want to ask them about this account also.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram 17 17Z95P-K.AAE8U1
    CPU
    i7-1195G7
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Samsung NP940X5J
    Memory
    8 Gig
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD; 2 TB SSD (SATA)
There`s no reason not to have a Microsoft account, it actually benefits you :)

...
Like I said, I already had two MS accounts prior to purchasing this new laptop, and I wanted to use one of these two existing MS accounts for the new laptop but it didn't allow me to do so; error message along the lines of 'wrong type of account'.

The two MS Accounts I had were both for Corporate Office365 subscriptions I purchased as part of my consulting business (one giving me a full-blown 'business' O365 subscription with office licenses, mailboxes, onedrive, sharepoint, etc, the other being similar but without the office licenses).

A bit of research revealed that the 'MS Account' that is required for Win 11 Home login has to be a 'personal' MS Account, not a 'work' or 'business' MS Account.

So I'm now in the somewhat confusing position that my laptop MS Account is different from my Office and OneDrive MS Accounts (I actually have three OneDrive folders now).

I don't know if this is a problem because the laptop is only 'win 11 home'; perhaps if I had 'win 11 pro', my 'corporate' O365 account would work? Anyway, while having an MS account has some benefits (free one drive, sync'd favorites, etc), having a bunch of them is not such a desirable situation.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG Gram 17 17Z95P-K.AAE8U1
    CPU
    i7-1195G7
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1600
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Samsung NP940X5J
    Memory
    8 Gig
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256 GB SSD; 2 TB SSD (SATA)
Correct it does not. It shows the background picture and a "sign in" button that I must click to be taken to the windows desktop.
As I said earlier, that is normal behaviour in W10 and W11 for a local account with no password. It will go straight to the desktop only after you set 'require sign-in on wakeup' to 'Never'.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.

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