Alex Ruben
How To Fix a No Longer Available PIN Caused by Security Setting Changes
Running into that annoying message, “Your PIN is no longer available due to a change in the security settings,” when trying to sign into Windows is pretty common nowadays. It’s especially frustrating because it basically locks out your PIN login, which is often the quickest way to get in. Generally, it feels like Windows just doesn’t want us to get in smoothly anymore, and no one really explains what’s going wrong or how to fix it without resorting to full resets or spinning wheels of despair. This guide is about showing you a few tricks that actually worked on a couple of machines where the usual try-reboot-repeat didn’t cut it. If the PIN isn’t working, these steps might help you get back in without losing your whole setup.
How to Troubleshoot the PIN Sign-In Problem in Windows
Method 1: Restart into Advanced Startup Mode
This is kind of standard fare, but sometimes just getting into Windows recovery mode resets stuff enough to fix weird PIN issues. The idea is to force your PC to reboot into a more advanced environment where you can poke around a bit more safely. Usually, after you do this, Windows will let you do some tweaks or repairs that aren’t available normally. On some setups, this step alone might do the trick, especially if some background process or update caused a hiccup.
- If you’re stuck at login and can’t get to your desktop, hold down Shift while clicking on the Power icon and select Restart. If you’re already logged in, just go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, then click on Restart now under Advanced startup.
- Once it restarts, you’ll see the blue screen with options. Just go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
- In the command prompt window, type
shutdown /r /o /f /t 00if you want to force a restart into the recovery menu directly or follow the on-screen options to restart into that mode. Sometimes, for more straightforward access, the earlier method with the Shift key works better.
Method 2: Modify the Windows Registry
Yeah, meddling with the registry sounds scary, but it’s often necessary when Windows gets stuck in these weird PIN limbo states. What’s happening is Windows’ security config for PINs or passwordless login gets corrupted or changes due to updates or policy tweaks. By editing the registry, you’re basically telling Windows to forget some of those settings and revert to a more default state. Just a heads up: always back up your registry or create a system restore point before diving into these edits, because mistakes *can* cause other issues if you go too wild.
- After you’re in the Command Prompt in recovery mode, type
regeditand hit Enter. This opens the Registry Editor. - Navigate directly to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Then, go to File > Load Hive. In the file picker, go to
C:\Windows\System32\configand open theSOFTWAREfile. It’s usually hidden in a user’s Windows folder, so make sure you’re in the right directory. When prompted, give the hive a temporary name like TempHive. - Now, you’re loading a copy of the system’s registry hive into your current registry hive so you can tweak the settings without messing up the main registry. This is what often triggers the fix for login bugs. If Windows is stubborn, on some setups, this part can be tricky — sometimes it takes a few tries to locate the correct hive.
Method 3: Disable Passwordless Sign-In
This is where you tweak a specific registry key that controls whether Windows attempts to sign you in with a PIN, passwordless login, or other methods. Disabling or setting this back to a default value can “unstick” the login screen from a glitchy state. If the value change makes sense—like, your system expected a PIN, but now it’s not available—it might fix the login problems.
- Using the registry editor (after you’ve loaded the hive), expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TempHive\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Passwordless\Device.
- On the right side, look for DevicePasswordlessBuildVersion. Double-click it, and change the Value data from
2to0. This forces Windows to disable passwordless (i.e., PIN-less) sign-in features, which might be causing the “no longer available” message. - Once that’s done, go back to File > Unload Hive to detach the hive from your registry. Then, exit the registry editor and restart your PC normally.
Wrap-up
After your system boots up again, check if the login screen now shows the PIN option or the password icon, and try signing in with your password. Sometimes, this registry trick fixes the glitch that was stopping your PIN from working. Sometimes, a simple reboot or re-login clears the problem, but more often than not, messing with the registry like this, combined with a restart, does the trick. Keep in mind, Windows likes to make things complicated, so don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of tries or a different method for different machines.
Summary
- Restart your PC into Advanced Startup Mode
- Use regedit to load the SOFTWARE hive from C:\Windows\System32\config
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TempHive\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Passwordless\Device
- Change DevicePasswordlessBuildVersion from
2to0 - Unload Hive and reboot your PC
Conclusion
Most of the time, these tweaks can get your PIN login back from the dead without a full reset. It’s kinda weird how Windows gets into these states, especially after updates or minor policy changes. At least, messing with the registry isn’t as terrifying as it sounds if you’re careful and follow instructions. If nothing else works, a system restore or clean reinstallation might be needed, but for now, this approach helps a lot of folks reconnect without losing everything. Fingers crossed this helps, and remember: sometimes, Windows just likes to mess with us for no obvious reason.