How do I reset a forgotten Windows PIN on a Microsoft account?
Answer
On the Windows sign-in screen, choose Sign-in options → PIN → Forgot PIN, then sign in with your Microsoft account password to create a new PIN. If the password is also forgotten, reset it at account.microsoft.com before returning to the PIN screen.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Stop if a site or caller asks you to pay to unlock Windows or to install remote-support software—use only Microsoft’s Forgot PIN flow and account.microsoft.com.
- Resetting a local Windows account without a Microsoft password may require security questions, a password reset disk, or recovery media and can risk data if done incorrectly.
Follow these steps
Confirm Microsoft account vs local account
On the sign-in screen, check whether the user tile shows an email address (Microsoft account) or only a local username. That determines whether Forgot PIN can use your Microsoft password.
You should see: You know which reset path applies before changing anything.
Use Forgot PIN on the sign-in screen
Click Sign-in options, select the PIN pad icon, then choose Forgot PIN (or I forgot my PIN). When prompted, enter your Microsoft account password and complete any two-factor approval on your phone or email.
You should see: Windows accepts the account password and opens the create-a-new-PIN screen.
Create a new PIN
Enter a new PIN, confirm it, and finish. Sign in with the new PIN to verify it works.
You should see: You reach the desktop using the new PIN.
If the Microsoft password is also forgotten
On another device or phone, open account.microsoft.com, choose Sign in → Forgot password, and reset the Microsoft account password using email or authenticator approval. Return to the PC and repeat Forgot PIN with the new password.
You should see: The Microsoft password works on the PC and you can set a new PIN.
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Extra tips
What to look for: “Forgot PIN” or “I forgot my PIN” on the Windows sign-in screen; a Microsoft account email on the login tile versus a local username.
Before you change anything: Confirm whether the PC uses a Microsoft account or a local account. Have the Microsoft account password, or reset it on a different device first. Connect to the internet so Microsoft verification can complete. Do not pay a third-party site that claims to unlock a Windows PIN.