Recover a forgotten Windows 11 PIN without confusing it with your password

A Windows Hello PIN protects sign-in on one device and is not the same secret as the Microsoft account password. At the lock screen, Microsoft's I forgot my PIN route is available for Microsoft accounts, while a local account may need password sign-in first. Trying account-recovery scams or deleting system files to bypass the prompt can make a recoverable problem worse. Identify the account type and use the official sign-in option in front of you.

Before you start​

Have access to the Microsoft account's recovery email or second factor if it is the account behind the PC. For a local account, remember whether you created security questions or a password reset disk. Keep the BitLocker recovery key available if a broader recovery path becomes necessary. Do not share a one-time code with a person claiming to be support.

Do it step by step​

1. At sign-in, confirm you selected the correct Windows user. If I forgot my PIN appears below the PIN box, choose it and follow Microsoft's identity verification to create a new PIN.
2. If that choice is absent, select Sign-in options and choose password. Enter the Microsoft or local account password, not a PIN from another PC.
3. Once signed in, open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello). Use Change PIN when you know the old value; use I forgot my PIN when you do not, and verify the account as prompted.
4. If both PIN and Microsoft account password are unknown, recover the Microsoft account through its official reset process first. For a local account, follow the on-screen password reset questions or a previously made reset disk.
5. Sign out and test the new PIN once. Then confirm the account password and recovery method still work. A functioning PIN alone is not sufficient preparation for Safe Mode, where a password may be required.
6. If the failure began after a firmware or security update, note the error and review Microsoft's Windows Hello troubleshooting instead of repeating resets without understanding the cause.

Check the result​

The intended user can sign in with the newly set PIN, and the independent password or recovery route is verified for future emergencies.

If something goes wrong​

If verification codes do not arrive, inspect the account's official recovery options from another trusted device. If a work account is involved, contact IT. Support agents cannot legitimately send a magic PIN bypass or ask you to reveal an account recovery code.

Know the limit​

The reset path depends on account type. Microsoft explicitly limits lock-screen I forgot my PIN to Microsoft accounts; local users may need password access first. A PIN reset does not automatically reset the account password. Microsoft PIN reset Windows Hello troubleshooting

Decision checkpoint​

If the lock screen offers several sign-in icons, label what each actually asks for before trying random values. A PIN that worked yesterday may be unavailable in Safe Mode, so knowing the account password is a practical recovery dependency. After restoring access, review the account's backup email and second factor from another device. That preparation is more durable than writing the PIN on the laptop itself. If a reset asks for a recovery code you cannot provide, stop and use the official account recovery flow.