Says user not found and won’t let me log in and doesn’t recognize my pin

[Pearl408]

my laptop runs on windows 11. It won’t let me switch user and only gives the option to log in with my pin but says my pin is not recognized and won’t let me reset my pin because it says user not recognized when I try to do that then the screen goes black after 

[Rachel571]

Hi @Pearl408,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're encountering a frustrating issue with logging into your Windows 11 laptop. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and hopefully regain access to your system:

Restart Your Computer: First, if you haven't already, restart your computer. This can sometimes resolve temporary glitches that may be causing the login issue.

Check for External Devices: If there are any external devices connected to your laptop (USB drives, external keyboards, etc.), disconnect them and try to log in again. Occasionally, these devices can cause issues during the startup process.

Safe Mode: Booting into Safe Mode can help you troubleshoot many issues:

• Restart your PC. As soon as the Windows logo appears on your screen, press the power button and hold it down until the PC shuts down automatically. Repeat this process 2-3 times until you see the Preparing Automatic Repair screen.
• Let Windows complete the automatic repair process, which will often lead to the “Choose an option” screen.
• Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings and click Restart.
• Once your PC restarts, a list of options will come up. Choose 4 or F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.
• If you can log in through Safe Mode, you might be able to resolve the issue or change your PIN.

Use the Microsoft Account Password: If your PIN isn't working, try logging in with your Microsoft account password instead. If you usually use a PIN, there might still be an option to switch to password entry on the login screen.

Reset Your PIN: If you're able to log in with your Microsoft account password:

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
• Select Windows Hello PIN and then choose “I forgot my PIN.”
• Follow the prompts to reset your PIN.

Check Disk for Errors: If you suspect there might be a disk error, you can check the disk from Advanced options:

• Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
• At the Command Prompt, type chkdsk C: /f /r and press Enter (replace C: with your Windows installation drive letter if different).
• Let the check disk run and fix any errors.

Restore or Reset Your PC: If none of the above steps work, and you can access the Advanced options screen, you might consider:

• System Restore: If you have system restore points created, you can try restoring your system to a previous point when everything was working fine.
• Reset Your PC: Go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC. This option lets you choose to keep your files but reinstalls Windows.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support