Forgot PIN

[phoenix_rising]

HP Pavilion x360, 2 yrs old, windows 10 I think. Only has PIN option to log in. Recently reset pin now doesn’t  work. Forgot PIN doesn’t work because I never get the email Microsoft says it sent to reset it. Not in spam either. 
the only thing I’m able to get to is command prompt with safe mode. But don’t know what to do from there. 
microsoft is running me in circles and will not answer phone or allow virtual assistant chat. So I am at a loss. Please help. 

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @phoenix_rising,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

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

Thanks for explaining your situation — I know how frustrating it can be to be locked out of your device, especially when support channels aren’t helping. Since you're able to access Safe Mode with Command Prompt, there are a few advanced recovery options we can try.

⚠️ Important Note:

These steps are intended for users who own the device and are locked out due to PIN or Microsoft account issues. If this is a work or school device, you should contact your IT administrator.

Option 1: Enable the Hidden Administrator Account

This can give you access to reset your PIN or password:

1. In the Command Prompt (Safe Mode) window, type: net user administrator /active: yes
2. Restart your computer normally. You should now see an Administrator account on the login screen.
3. Log in to that account (no password by default), then:
   • Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
   • Remove or reset the PIN for your main account.
4. Once done, you can disable the admin account again:  net user administrator /active: no

Option 2: Create a New Local User Account

If the above doesn’t work, you can create a new local user account:

1. In Command Prompt, type: net user NewUserName NewPassword /add OR (TRY)      net localgroup administrators NewUserName /add

Replace New Username and New Password with your desired username and password.

1. Restart your PC and log in with the new account.
2. From there, you can access your files and reset the original account’s credentials.

Option 3: Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

If you can boot into Advanced Startup Options (hold Shift while clicking Restart), you can try:

• System Restore (if you had restore points)
• Startup Repair
• Command Prompt (to try the above steps again)

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, as it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

VikramTheGreat

HP Support