Getting locked out of Windows 11 because a PIN won't work is a different problem than losing an account password, and it calls for a different fix.
This guide walks through how to reset a forgotten Windows 11 PIN, starting with the safest built-in option and working toward backup routes for when the standard reset screen won't cooperate. Which method applies depends on whether the device signs in with a Microsoft account or a local account, since the two paths split almost immediately (Microsoft Support).
The PIN is tied to the Windows device rather than being your Microsoft account password, even though resetting it may require account verification. That distinction matters for the file-safety question in the headline, too: the supported PIN and password reset flows covered below don't normally remove installed apps or personal files. The one option that can, Reset this PC, appears only at the end of this guide as a true last resort rather than a routine step.
Before trying anything, confirm which account type is used on the locked device and whether there's still access to the phone number, email, or other verification method tied to that account. Microsoft's Q&A forum has documented several ways the reset screen itself can misbehave: "I forgot my PIN" never appears, the reset window goes blank, or the PC insists it has no internet connection despite an active Wi-Fi icon (Microsoft Q&A; Microsoft Q&A).
Which reset path fits your account
Windows 11 sign-in recovery splits into three situations, and picking the wrong one just burns time.
A Microsoft account with the password still remembered. Start with the sign-in screen PIN reset below.
A Microsoft account with both the PIN and password forgotten. Skip ahead to resetting the password first.
A local account. The "I forgot my PIN" link isn't available for local accounts. Use another available sign-in method, usually the local account password. If that password is forgotten, the security questions configured during account setup may provide a recovery route.
If the PC belongs to an employer or school, contact IT before attempting more involved recovery steps. Managed devices may use different sign-in requirements.
Windows 11 PIN reset from the sign-in screen
If the device uses a Microsoft account, this is the fastest built-in fix and needs no extra tools.
On the PIN entry screen, click I forgot my PIN, if the link is available.
Follow the prompts to verify the Microsoft account associated with the device. Windows may ask for the account password or another verification method.
Complete any identity verification prompts Windows shows next.
Set a new PIN once verification completes.
If more than one account is set up on the PC, select the specific account tied to the PIN being reset before continuing.
Microsoft documents this process in its Windows PIN reset instructions. The exact verification steps may vary depending on the account's security settings.
Don't confuse Microsoft account recovery codes with the Windows PIN itself. A recovery code may help with certain Microsoft account recovery situations, but it isn't a universal substitute for a forgotten Windows Hello PIN.
Forgot Windows Hello PIN in Windows 11: when "I forgot my PIN" doesn't appear
Local accounts don't show this link by design. Some Microsoft account holders report it missing too, or present but unresponsive. If you don't know the account password either, jump to the password-reset section below first.
Microsoft account path
On the sign-in screen, select Sign-in options, then choose the password option if it's available.
Sign in with the Microsoft account password.
Once signed in, go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello).
Select I forgot my PIN and follow the verification prompts to set a new one. If Remove is available, removing and setting up the PIN again is another option.
The password sign-in option may be hidden if the device has Only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device enabled. Microsoft documents that setting under Accounts > Sign-in options > Additional settings. If another sign-in method lets you access Windows, review that setting before assuming password sign-in is unavailable because of an error.
Local account path
If the device uses a local account, try signing in with its password. If that password is forgotten, select the password sign-in option, choose Reset password when offered, and answer the security questions configured when the account was created.
Microsoft also supports using a previously created password reset disk for local accounts. Security questions and reset disks won't be available in every situation, particularly if they weren't set up beforehand.
One distinction trips people up here: changing a PIN requires entering the old one, while resetting is the route once it's genuinely forgotten. Windows treats these as separate flows even though the end result, a working PIN again, looks identical.
Locked out of your Microsoft account too? Reset the password first
Password recovery is the piece to handle before anything else if it's also missing. Microsoft offers three official routes:
Select I forgot my password at the sign-in screen, if available.
Select Sign-in options > Web sign-in, follow the prompts, then choose Forgot my password, if that option is available.
From a browser on another device, open Microsoft's password reset page.
When a locked PC can't manage any of this on its own, a phone or second computer can be used to reset the Microsoft account password first. Return to the locked PC afterward and complete the available Windows sign-in or PIN reset flow.
Microsoft may require verification through a registered email address, phone number, or another security method. If those options are inaccessible, use Microsoft's sign-in helper to determine which recovery options remain.
A Microsoft Q&A case described a user who couldn't retrieve a verification code because access to the linked email account had changed. Recovery stalled until that email account became accessible again. It's worth checking which recovery email addresses and phone numbers are on file before a lockout occurs.
Windows 11 PIN unavailable fix: when "Set up my PIN" does nothing
Microsoft Q&A reports describe two different failure modes worth separating, since they call for different checks.
The first: clicking Set up my PIN produces nothing at all. No window opens, and other sign-in options such as password or fingerprint aren't listed. An older thread documents a related problem: clicking "I forgot my PIN" shows a loading spinner, then a blank Microsoft Account window that never progresses.
The second: clicking reset produces a message claiming the PC isn't connected to the internet, even with an active connection icon visible. In one report, switching to another verification method worked despite the apparent connection problem.
Set up my PIN not working in Windows 11: what to try
Check the network connection. Confirm the device is connected and try another available network, such as Ethernet, if Wi-Fi appears to be causing problems.
Try another verification method. If Microsoft offers email and text verification, try the alternative rather than repeatedly using the one that failed.
Restart the PC. Microsoft recommends restarting as an initial troubleshooting step for Windows sign-in problems.
Check for VPN interference. If a VPN starts automatically and can be disabled safely, try the reset without it. One user attributed a blank reset window to VPN interference, but that's an anecdotal report rather than a confirmed general fix.
A Microsoft Q&A responder described some failures as a possible synchronization problem between the device's security components and Microsoft's authentication service. That explanation comes from a forum reply, not a confirmed diagnosis for every affected device.
Last resort: Safe Mode and Reset this PC
Everything above focuses on supported account recovery and low-risk troubleshooting. Safe Mode is also an official Microsoft troubleshooting option for Windows sign-in problems, though it isn't guaranteed to fix a forgotten PIN.
To reach Safe Mode from a locked sign-in screen:
Hold Shift and select Power > Restart.
Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
Choose Safe Mode with Networking, usually option 5 or F5.
Sign in with the account password if Windows allows it. Windows Hello PIN and biometric sign-in aren't available in Safe Mode.
If sign-in succeeds, return to normal Windows and try resetting the PIN through Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
If Safe Mode doesn't accept the password, stop rather than attempting unsupported account-bypass methods.
Two things to skip entirely: registry edits intended to bypass Windows Hello and enabling the built-in Administrator account through installation media. Neither is necessary for the supported PIN-reset process, and modifying authentication settings without a reliable recovery plan can create additional problems.
If genuinely nothing above works, Reset this PC remains a last-resort recovery option. Microsoft's official recovery documentation distinguishes two choices:
Keep my files: Reinstalls Windows and preserves personal files, but removes installed apps and settings.
Remove everything: Reinstalls Windows and removes personal files, apps, and settings.
Before proceeding, back up anything still accessible. If the device is encrypted, make sure the BitLocker recovery key is available, since Windows recovery may require it.
A reset can be initiated from the Windows Recovery Environment, so bootable installation media isn't always necessary. Neither reset option should be treated as a routine way to recover a forgotten PIN.
What to do right now
Start with I forgot my PIN at the sign-in screen if the device uses a Microsoft account. It's Microsoft's documented recovery path and normally leaves personal files and installed applications untouched.
If that link never shows up, try another available sign-in method through Sign-in options. Once signed in, reset the PIN through Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options rather than assuming the device is broken.
If the PC uses a local account, recover access through its password, security questions, or a previously created password reset disk. For a Microsoft account with a forgotten password, recover the account first using Microsoft's official tools.
Before reaching for Safe Mode or a full PC reset, double-check access to the email address, phone number, and other verification methods tied to the account.
Save Reset this PC for when every supported sign-in and recovery option has failed. Even Keep my files removes apps and settings, so confirm backups and recovery keys before starting.
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