Cannot login to Minecraft due to Windows Hello "dictionary attack mitigation" lockout

MD 0 Reputation points
2026-10-06T14:55:42.4633333+00:00

I am trying to login to my son's minecraft account through the minecraft launcher on my desktop pc while logged into my windows account.

After entering his email and password, it then tells me I need to set up Windows Hello, and then brings me to a page to enter my pin but says it's locked out due to dictionary attack mitigation. I had tried to enter what I thought might be the pin 2-3 times before this occurred. It is still displaying this message 12 hours later.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Gaming
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Manoel Barros 22,055 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-10-06T15:43:20.2866667+00:00

    Hi!

    Windows asked for your Windows Hello PIN—which is a unique code for the computer itself, not your account password. You likely entered your account password instead, causing Windows to lock you out due to unsuccessful attempts.

    You mentioned waiting 12 hours, but did you keep the computer turned on during that time?

    You can also try resetting or reconfiguring the PIN.

    Go to Windows Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN.

    • First, try changing the PIN using the "I forgot my PIN" option. It will ask for the password of the account linked to Windows (you can check which account is linked under Settings > Accounts > Your info; look below your profile picture).
    • If that doesn't work, click the "Remove" button, follow the steps to remove the PIN, restart your computer, and try again.

    Was this answer helpful?

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.