Windows 10 PIN: how to create, change or remove

In the Windows 10 operating system, one of the sign-in options is a PIN code, if the user uses a Microsoft account on the computer. The Windows 10 PIN is used on the PC along with the Microsoft account.

On computers that use a Microsoft account (MSA), you have the option to choose whether to sign in with your Microsoft account password or with a PIN. This adds some convenience to the user during the initial startup of the operating system, because it is easier to log into Windows using a PIN.

The Windows logon password is used to protect the user’s security and privacy. An outsider will not be able to log in and access personal or corporate data, change computer settings, etc.

Immediately after starting the computer, when you sign in to Windows 10, you are prompted to enter your Microsoft account password. You cannot enter the operating system without entering the correct password.

Beginning with the Windows 8 operating system, users are prompted to create a Microsoft account , which is used to sign in and manage settings for the computer and other devices associated with that account. Each time you start your PC, you must enter your Microsoft account password in order to gain access to the system.

Despite the higher level of security, this method of logging in is not very convenient due to the fact that you have to enter a complex password every time (using a weak password does not make sense), and this causes some difficulties. You can use a local account to log in to Windows, then you won’t need to enter a password, and the PC will be available to anyone who can access this device.

Another option: you can remove the password entry when logging into the Windows operating system while remaining signed in to your Microsoft account. In this case, despite the convenience of logging in, security and privacy will suffer.

Is there a way to make it easier to sign in to Windows without compromising security and privacy? Microsoft has provided a similar option: when you sign in to Windows 10, the PIN code replaces the account password.

In this article, you will find instructions on how to create, use, change, or disable a Windows PIN.

The difference between a PIN and a Microsoft account

When you create a Microsoft account, you are prompted to create a PIN that you use to sign in. The PIN code is derived from the account, without it the PIN code cannot be created on the computer.

A Microsoft account is used on all devices managed by that account. The PIN code is tied only to a specific device: desktop computer or laptop. Information about the PIN code is located directly on the PC, it is protected in TRM (a component of the encryption system), the PIN code is not available on the Internet.

For the user, the PIN code is more convenient because you can create a code limited to four characters from letters and numbers. Of course, you can make a PIN code with a large number of characters, enter special characters there, making it look like a password. But, then the meaning of using a PIN code is lost: it is needed in order to perform an easier login to Windows.

When creating a PIN code, it will not be possible to create a very simple password, such as: “12345” or “11111”, the numbers must be different from each other, the difference between adjacent numbers must be different. Because a PIN is usually shorter than an account password, it is much easier to use. At the same time, the computer is protected from access to it by other persons.

PIN doesn’t work when booting in Windows 10 Safe Mode .

How to create a PIN in Windows

When you create a Microsoft account, you are additionally prompted to create a PIN, which is used as an alternative sign-in option for the Windows 10 operating system. In this case, a Microsoft account and a PIN are created together.

You can create a PIN code directly from the operating system, a prerequisite: you must first create a password for logging into Windows (the PC already has a Microsoft account).

1. Go to the Start menu, open the Settings app, then go to Accounts.
2. In the “Login Options” section, under the “PIN code” item, click on the “Add” button.

Create a PIN for this computer.

When creating a PIN code, follow these simple rules:

• The PIN code has a length of 4 to 127 characters.
• As symbols, you can use numbers, lowercase and uppercase letters, special characters.
• The PIN cannot be a number pattern, such as “0000” or “34567”.
• Don’t use a PIN that is too long, because it loses the point of using simplified access to the system.
• Do not use passwords from accounts, wallets, bank cards, etc. as a PIN code.

Remember and save the generated PIN code, you will use it for simplified sign-in to Windows.

Login to Windows: PIN code and password from the account

When you sign in to the Windows operating system, provided that you use a Microsoft account on your computer, a window opens with the account name and a field for entering a password.

Click on the Login Options link. Two buttons will be displayed in the window: the first button is used to enter Windows using a PIN code, the second button is used to enter the operating system using a password.

Click on the first button, in the “PIN code” field, enter the code to enter the system.

How to change your Windows 10 PIN

If you need to change your Windows login PIN, it’s very easy to do so. Do the following:

1. From the Start menu, launch the Settings app.
2. Follow the path: “Accounts”, then “Login Options”.
3. In the “PIN code” option, click on the “Change” button.
4. In the window that opens, create a new PIN code: enter the current code, then the new code, confirm the new PIN code, and finally click the “OK” button.

How to remove Windows PIN

The user may need to disable the Windows 10 PIN for one reason or another. In order to remove the Windows 10 PIN code, you will need to enter the operating system settings:

1. Open the Settings app from the Start menu, and then go to Accounts.
2. In the “Login options” section, in the “PIN code” parameter, click on the “Delete” button.
3. Next, the window will display detailed information about using a PIN code in Windows. Click on the “Delete” button.
4. In the “Confirm your account password first” window, you must enter the password for your Microsoft account, and then click on the “OK” button.

After that, the mode of signing in or locking the computer in Windows 10 using a PIN code will be disabled. You now need to enter your Microsoft account password to sign in to Windows 10.

If necessary, the user can, at any time, re-create a PIN that will be used to more easily log into Windows.

Article Conclusions

When using a Microsoft account on a computer, the user has the option to create a PIN to make signing into Windows easier. The article addresses the questions: how to create or change a PIN code, how to disable a PIN code for logging in in Windows 10. The user can remove the Windows 10 PIN that was used to log into the operating system.