The issue is that something occurred and your PIN is no longer accessible.
The issue is that something occurred and your PIN is no longer accessible.
I was working on some routing tasks on my Windows 11 PC. I had a YouTube video open in a browser window, and while updating Launchbox it took a while. I left for a drink, then returned only to find that my screen lock was enabled and face recognition wasn’t working. When I tried my PIN, I received a message saying "Something happened and your PIN isn't available" and was instructed to reset it.
In the most recent Windows version, logging in with a password usually requires confirming you forgot your PIN, which is a security measure. I used two-factor authentication to regain access and reset my PIN. Everything functioned normally afterward—Launchbox updated its catalog, and the YouTube video resumed playing at the paused point.
I checked the system status:
- No Windows update was available
- DISM and SFC reported no errors
- CHKDSK /V on C: showed no issues
- CrystalDiskInfo didn’t flag any warnings
I tried another computer before resetting the PIN, and the PIN worked perfectly.
What actually happened? Why did my PIN suddenly fail? My first thought was a hard drive failure, but the diagnostics so far show nothing unusual. Could there be another cause?
an easier solution might have been to run system restore.
it's not a typical issue, but it does occur occasionally.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...va...2b54da50f9
most recommendations are safe, though i wouldn't start with a reset lightly.
your approach seems another possible way.