Microsoft keep asking for PIN input frequently every time I open an Excel file.

Hello Virginia Lee,

Thank you for posting your question on Microsoft Q&A forum

I understand Microsoft keep asking you for PIN input every time you open an Excel file.

Let me explain why request is from Microsoft Edge show up even though Edge is not your default browser.

• Office apps (Excel, Word, etc.) use Modern Authentication and, on Windows, they rely on the Edge WebView2 runtime and the Web Account Manager (WAM) to show the sign‑in screen. That’s why the info icon says the request is from Microsoft Edge.

Here is what you can do to fix the issue:

Make sure Office 365 is up to date with the latest version

Sign out of Office once, then sign back in cleanly:

• In Excel: File > Account > Sign out (for all accounts shown).
• Close all Office apps.
• Re‑open Excel and sign in with your account when prompted.

Next step, try clearing the Edge WebView2 sign‑in cache used by Office

• Close all Office apps.
• Press Win + R, paste: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\User Data\
• Delete the Default folder (or rename it to Default.bak).
• Reopen Excel and sign in again.

This removes corrupt web sign‑in state that can trigger loops/blank pages. If you want to reduce or stop PIN from prompting up ever

PIN prompts should be occasional. After the steps above, they typically stop.

If you want to avoid PIN:

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign‑in options > PIN (Windows Hello) and remove.

Caution: Microsoft strongly recommends keeping a PIN; removing it may force password prompts instead and can reduce security. Feel free reply back to this post if you need further assistance, I'll be happy to assist you.

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