Windows login locked out after bios update TPM related?

mysticninja · Dec 6, 2023

dacrone said:
is it messed up on the administrator account or on the new local account you created?

It's messed up on the previous admin local test account, I just created a new local user admin account and it threw a critical error window when I loaded into that account, it might be chalked sadly

dacrone · Dec 6, 2023

yeah something is messed on the install. at this point, i would get an external hdd and just back up the entire profile (C:\users\matt) - to include all hidden files, etc. this will backup firefox profiles etc too. after that, run a repair reinstall. you should be able to keep programs/files etc if its just a repair install.

mysticninja · Dec 6, 2023

dacrone said:
yeah something is messed on the install. at this point, i would get an external hdd and just back up the entire profile (C:\users\matt) - to include all hidden files, etc. this will backup firefox profiles etc too. after that, run a repair reinstall. you should be able to keep programs/files etc if its just a repair install.

Yeah what I'm currently doing is trying to get the Firefox profile / window session loading on my windows 10 install as I can use this for my work whilst I recover the windows 11 install and set that up, I'm just trying to do that now hopefully I see the tabs open when I restore the session

mysticninja · Dec 6, 2023

Managed to recover my updated Firefox tabs/ windows so I'm happy with that. I'll clone the bad windows 11 drive for salvaging any files I may need, but this is the second best outcome over getting back into the windows 11 admin account

Now some advice what do you suggest I do with windows 11, I will fresh install but in regards to TPM, as I do play games like valorant sometimes that requires it, I also have a license on my Microsoft account so ideally I would use that, if I was to get a hardware TPM module would this not occur again if there was a bios update and it mentioned about wiping the TPM again? As that's my main concern or do I just go with a local account and activate windows either with my current licence if that works or purchase a new one and still use a hardware TPM, I think regardless I would rather go with hardware TPM now over firmware.

Thank you for all your help and time with this I didn't expect to get help like this on a forum honestly

dacrone · Dec 6, 2023

Hahaha no worries. Breaking machines over the past 2 decades is how I’ve learned everything

. But I wouldn’t worry about it. Just leave the tpm how it is currently and when you reinstall 11, it will auto activate. The key is tied to your bios now since you have already activated it once. No need to use a Microsoft account at all.
*You do know how to bypass the Microsoft acct creation during install, right?

mysticninja · Dec 7, 2023

dacrone said:
Hahaha no worries. Breaking machines over the past 2 decades is how I’ve learned everything . But I wouldn’t worry about it. Just leave the tpm how it is currently and when you reinstall 11, it will auto activate. The key is tied to your bios now since you have already activated it once. No need to use a Microsoft account at all.
*You do know how to bypass the Microsoft acct creation during install, right?

Haha that's the fun part too although windows stressed me out, I've had a good few runnings with windows haha a few due to bad m.2's but that's another story

If I update the bios again though at a later date would that not wipe the TPM again and result in the pin or account being locked out like this? I don't mind restarting but ideally it would be pretty stable from having this occur again as it is my work system too, but local I think is the way I'm alittle burned from the ms account

Ahh ok that's good then in regards to the key and with the bypass I actually did help a friend do this on their install as they couldn't connect to the internet so we made a local account for them with the command to skip logging in if that's the same one you are referring to?

Appreciate it

dacrone · Dec 7, 2023

yeah thats what i was referring to. also, any future updates, even if they affect your tpm, wont cause this headache as we can reset your local account password/pin via command prompt and bypass it in minutes

mysticninja · Dec 7, 2023

dacrone said:
yeah thats what i was referring to. also, any future updates, even if they affect your tpm, wont cause this headache as we can reset your local account password/pin via command prompt and bypass it in minutes

that sounds like a dream, local accout it is then

Ill backup the os today and get a fresh windows 11 setup, didnt think it would lock me out like that though thats madness

dacrone · Dec 7, 2023

based on the facts of 1) your pin was locked 2) your password wouldn't work after deleting the ngc folder 3) the appdata Microsoft folder was invisible but actually there (based on your win 10 screenshot)... something got majorly messed up during those updates. glad you got your firefox data and can at least be productive in the meantime.

Winuser · Dec 7, 2023

dacrone said:
no do it from your local admin. thats why i said browse to the correct user's appdata. try it to see if removing the pin will allow the password login to function properly.

There won't be a pin. It was deleted when they cleared the TPM. Unless they can get the correct password they're going to have to create a new user. Then they can copy any data they need from the old user account to the new user account.

mysticninja · Dec 7, 2023

Winuser said:
There won't be a pin. It was deleted when they cleared the TPM. Unless they can get the correct password they're going to have to create a new user. Then they can copy any data they need from the old user account to the new user account.

I could log in with the password although it wouldn't let me get past the setup the windows hello pin for some reason

Winuser · Dec 7, 2023

Have you tried logging in with the the Admin account and creating a new user with admin privilege?

dacrone · Dec 7, 2023

mysticninja · Dec 7, 2023

Winuser said:
Have you tried logging in with the the Admin account and creating a new user with admin privilege?

Yeah @dacrone went through quite alot yesterday including that, sadly no luck with it though it is pretty bust

johnlgalt · Dec 7, 2023

mysticninja said:
I will check this again but I did have hidden files showing, when I went through the directory for the user account I couldn't find the Microsoft folder unfortunately I will try to show this if the current attempt doesn't work

The problem is how was you able to log in using your actual Microsoft password without being stopped by the pin setup? Because I have confirmed that the password for the account I'm signing into works, it even now lets me log into the account on the login page to setup the pin, but when I press continue/ setup it fails as shown in this print screen:

https://imgur.com/lBXTmk6

No matter what I have done so far it doesn't let me get past that screen, I did try and roll back he bios in hopes it would work and also restore to an earlier restore point but to no avail.

But yeah if I can get into this account I'll either swap it to a local one or get a physical TPM to plug in as it's quite alot of downtime

When it asks for my password, I enter password and I'm in. It does not need a PIN in the password field, it needs the password, and the password only.

This may also depend upon the following setting to be disabled, I'm not sure - but at any rate, I never allow it to be enabled.

Also, note I said you had to log in and then remove the PIN completely, reboot, and then you could set it up again.

You cannot set it up from the login screen as the TPM association is broken. You have to disable it inside settings, then reboot, enable TPM in UEFI, then enable Hello (PIN) and set it up.

mysticninja · Dec 7, 2023

johnlgalt said:
When it asks for my password, I enter password and I'm in. It does not need a PIN in the password field, it needs the password, and the password only.

This may also depend upon the following setting to be disabled, I'm not sure - but at any rate, I never allow it to be enabled.

View attachment 80399

Also, note I said you had to log in and then remove the PIN completely, reboot, and then you could set it up again.

You cannot set it up from the login screen as the TPM association is broken. You have to disable it inside settings, then reboot, enable TPM in UEFI, then enable Hello (PIN) and set it up.

Gotcha thanks for clearing that up, i must have had that option ticked, but I was just entering the password only, but as that windows hello option was likely enabled it just wouldn't let me past even with the correct password entered. lesson learnt though, i'll use a local account and hardware tpm to hopefully never have this occur again after a bios update