Restoring access to an unverified Windows 11 account using chntpw
Restoring access to an unverified Windows 11 account using chntpw
Not too long ago my power supply stopped working, so I replaced it with a new one (a bit more powerful than what I need now, since I plan to upgrade to a B550 board and a Zen 3 CPU). I also unplugged everything—including the CPU and three SATA drives—so I could install all components on a test bench for convenient access.
When I tried to restart the computer, I saw this message:
"Your pin is no longer available due to a change in the security settings on this device. Click to set up your pin again."
Setting up a new PIN requires verifying my identity via email or phone, but I no longer have access to either. I booted from a Fedora Live USB and ran chntpw from a terminal where I cleared the password. However, after rebooting, the same message still appears. I’m curious whether this process differs for a W11 account that needs verification compared to a regular account with a forgotten password, or if there’s nothing I can do at all in this situation.
Details:
Asus B450 F Gaming II
Ryzen 5 3600
2x 16GB HyperX Fury RGB 3200MHz
Gigabyte RTX 4060 8GB
Crucial P3 500GB M.2 NVMe
3x various SATA SSDs (500GB–2TB)
Corsair RM850x PSU
DeepCool LS520 AIO
We do not support security-related inquiries since we cannot confirm this is your system or that you have access. This discussion has been closed—please refrain from reposting. Info - **READ** Concerning passwords, lock codes, pin numbers, etc We won’t assist with circumventing any of these protections on your devices. We lack the means to verify ownership. Such issues should be reported to your service provider or manufacturer. forums.