completely messed up situation

Riley Mesimer 0 Reputation points
2026-10-13T22:36:06.87+00:00

Hi all, I have a laptop that I am attempting to sell but I cannot get into it because I forgot the pin and it is required to read my fingerprint (method I would naturally use to sign in anyway). Here's the thing, I can get into the recovery area but I cannot reset the pc since I've locked the OS drive attempting to sign in over and over with possible pins. I cannot reset the pin because I cannot access the recovery email that would verify my identity to login to microsoft's website (the side with the sensitive information at least). I can't recover the recovery email because it was hacked some number of years ago and everything was changed before I could stop it happening. So basically I need a way to override at least one of these levels of security so I can do at least one god-forsaken thing, this is an obscene amount of 2FA IMO. I don't have a flash drive handy for windows media creation tool either, and the last time I plugged something into it (my gaming computer) it just booted to the same lock screen I've been staring at for two weeks trying to get back into the thing. None of the information on the device is valuable to me at this moment, because I need the possible money if could get me much much more in my current circumstance. Please someone help me, I'm running out of time and I need to do something, or know if this is helpless.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup
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  1. Riley Mesimer 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-14T02:50:33.4633333+00:00

    neither recovery method worked, said i had to contact customer service, no error code.

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  2. Jeronimo Fuerte 46,765 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-13T23:22:54.6266667+00:00

    The good news is that you may still be able to erase the laptop and reinstall Windows without recovering your Microsoft account, provided there are no additional firmware or device-management restrictions. However, I'd like to clarify a few important details before recommending the next step.

    When you say the OS drive is locked, are you receiving a BitLocker recovery screen asking for a 48-digit recovery key, or does Windows simply say that you've entered the wrong PIN too many times? When you attempt Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Remove everything, what exact error message prevents you from continuing? What is the laptop's manufacturer and model?

    Since you don't need to preserve your files, a clean Windows installation using bootable installation media is the most practical alternative if the built-in reset remains blocked.

    You would need to create a Windows 11 installation USB using another working computer. You can use Microsoft's official tool:

    https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

    Booting the laptop from this USB would allow you to reinstall Windows and erase the existing partitions without needing your previous Windows PIN or Microsoft account password.

    Please be aware that this permanently removes the existing data, and a normal USB connection between two computers will not accomplish this. The USB must be prepared as bootable installation media.

    Before proceeding, please share the exact message displayed when the reset fails. This will help determine whether you're dealing with a BitLocker recovery requirement, a Windows sign-in restriction, or another issue.

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