WIN 11 used PIN to often...no MS account...need logon pw

Brand new Lenovo lapper....I set up Win 11 with a local account...did NOT set a MS account...
Logged in and worked perfectly for about 3 weeks....

Yesterday login screen says...."you've entered an incorrect PIN several times" and asks for a challenge phrase....

So I need to fix this bugger.....and I don;t see how I can do it short of completely installing W11 again from a bootable flash drive....

Suggestions appreciated.....
PS....PLEASE don't tell me to log into my Microsoft account as there is none....
Thanks
Steve

Should have explained better....
I need a way to crack the logon password...
Unit powers up ok....just cannot log into the laptop due to issue above...

you update bios ?

No I have not updated BIOS.....
The lapper is almost 1 month old....

tried to log in with your Microsoft account

There are ways involving custom boot media. Search for rescue boot media and some of those will have apps include with options to NULL or RESET your Windows password.

HodorongTronc said:

tried to log in with your Microsoft account

Click to expand...

Did you actually read? He said he does NOT have an MS account.

stevem5000 said:

Unit powers up ok....just cannot log into the laptop due to issue above...

Click to expand...

One way in would be to enable the built-in Administrator account using Option Five here.....


Sign in as Administrator, then you can reset the password of your local account.

Bree......ooofta...I read thru the step by step process......complicated....gonna study it and try it and I figure if I screw it up I"ll just grab an install W11flash drive and reinstall W11 all over....There is no data on the drive....

stevem5000 said:

No I have not updated BIOS.....
The lapper is almost 1 month old....

Click to expand...

Does Lenovo have installed software that checks for Lenovo updates ? If not, go to the Lenovo site and check for bios and other updates. Windows updates current ?

Also, have you tried a System Restore since sign-in worked for 3 wks ?

csun said:

Does Lenovo have installed software that checks for Lenovo updates ? If not, go to the Lenovo site and check for bios and other updates. Windows updates current ?

Also, have you tried a System Restore since sign-in worked for 3 wks ?

Click to expand...

How is @stevem5000 supposed to do that when he cannot log into his computer?

Other than doing a clean install, @Bree's answer in post #8 is the best.

stevem5000 said:

Bree......ooofta...I read thru the step by step process......complicated....gonna study it and try it and I figure if I screw it up I"ll just grab an install W11flash drive and reinstall W11 all over....There is no data on the drive....

Click to expand...

Steve,

Since there is no data worth speaking of [and, I assume, no burden of loading & re-setting up lots of applications], I think that is your best bet.

After you complete the reinstallation, make an additional local, Admin, password-protected user account and write its password down somewhere secure yet accessible. You'll be able to use that to log in if your day-to-day user account ever gets corrupted in the future.
There is guidance in my ditty - Create two spare local, password-protected Admin accounts [post #2] in Windows 10, 11- TenForums


Best of luck,
Denis

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Loots of good information coming in.....heck this is better than Experts-Exchange that I paid $200/year for for about 12 years....

Just tested my Win 11 install from flash drive and it looks to be good.......this lapper will NOT boot from a CD...I have several pw crackers on CD....

Years ago...XP days I used to put an additional admin account on my clients computers....then I stopped doing it...don;'t really know why but I have been flumfloxed by W11 several times and that additional admin account would be great......Will do so in future....

I like that tutorial index idea...looking into that.....

Almost all my clients are home users.....no real demands on me....I don;t have to screw around with an Exchange server in the living room etc...:)

Continuing to persue this laptop issue...

thanks everyone for all the suggestions....

Windows continues to contain a normally-disabled built-in Admin account but having a spare one of your own instead is far less hassle.
And MS reserve the right to change the behaviour of the Built-in Admin account without making any announcement about it or acknowledging it in their published documentation [the last time a change was discovered by users was about three years ago].

Enable or Disable Built-in Administrator Account - ElevenForumTutorials
BiA is just an Admin - my post #8 - ElevenForum

Denis

So...read thru all your comments and links....
I read thru Brees #8 several times....decided I want to work on that one with a spare....not a customers...laptop when I have time...
So downloaded Win11 made a flash drive boot and booted the laptop and installed W11....
When I set this laptop up about a month ago I was able to set a Local Account....but this time I was forced into a Microsoft Account....

In past W11's I've done when the screen says "Let's connect to an internet".....Shift F10 takes you to CMD....then Taskmgr brings a screen...hit More Details then find Network Connection Flow...End Task...Close Task Manager and Win 11 setup wull skip the connection step and you can create a local user account....

This time none of this worked.....so default to Microsoft account.....

Has anyone found a way to setup a local account not that MS prevents it...???

So long story short.....the laptop is setup and ready to go.....

Many thanks to all....

stevem5000 said:

Has anyone found a way to setup a local account

Click to expand...

Yes, read this thread.

Clearly, MS account and pins are the easiest solutions. Otherwise, the problem will not arise in the first place. Just a thought.

stevem5000 said:

Has anyone found a way to setup a local account

Click to expand...

Yes,

Clean Install Windows 11 - includes local account method - ElevenForumTutorials

Denis

Denis...thanks for the link....
This process is similar to what I was doing....
Will try this on the next install...
Thanks...