unable to sign into account online no pin

shawie 21 Reputation points
2026-10-11T16:42:31.57+00:00

i guys got a bit of a query from an old friend, shes trying to sign into her microsoft account on-line, but its asking for a pin. she says she hasn't set one up. She signs into windows with a password.

She can get her emails on outlook and she's updated her account password but it still wont let her into the online account.

is it possible to change a pin that you dont know? shes tried too many times at the moment so it wont let me go much further.

any suggestions other than contacting microsoft?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accounts, profiles, and login
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Norah-L 11,870 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-10-12T01:10:31.2333333+00:00

Hello shawie,

The PIN prompt is most likely coming from Windows Hello or a passkey request, rather than the Microsoft account password itself. Changing the Microsoft account password will not change the Windows Hello PIN because they are separate sign-in methods.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

  1. Since too many attempts have been made, stop entering PINs and wait until the temporary restriction clears.
  2. On the sign-in page, select Other ways to sign in, Sign-in options, or Use your password, then enter the new Microsoft account password. If a Windows Security box appears asking for a PIN, cancel it first, as the browser may be trying to use a saved passkey. If the password option is not shown, try signing in from a private browser window or another device. This may prevent the saved passkey prompt from being selected automatically.
  3. If the PIN appears only when the browser fills a saved password, check the browser’s Password Manager settings and turn off Windows Hello verification for autofill.

For example, on Edge go to edge://settings/autofill/passwords/settings then under Autofill passwords and passkeys, select Fill website password and sign in automatically, or suggest available passkeys.

User's image

In Chrome, it's chrome://password-manager/settings > Turn off Use Windows Hello when filling passwords.

  1. If she wants to reset the device PIN, sign in to Windows with her password, then open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) > I forgot my PIN and complete the verification steps.

Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps, and I'll be glad to continue looking into it with you.

Was this answer helpful?

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.