What happened to my HP PIN?

[NottaTechie]

I got my HP laptop in November (Windows 10). When I was setting it up, it asked me for a 4-digit PIN number. Every time I boot up the laptop or come back to it after it has fallen asleep, I enter the PIN to access the computer.

Last night I logged into my microsoft account, something I don't often do. Now this morning, the PIN option is gone and I can only access my laptop using my microsoft password. How very irritating. I never told the computer to make this change.

What do I need to do to go back to logging in with my HP PIN? I don't want to type in my long microsoft password every time all day long.

Better yet, can I ditch the PIN and password altogether? It is a hassle. Plus, I don't like the fact that it changed on its own. That makes me very wary of having a password at all. I don't trust it. The next time it decides to change the password, I might not know the correct password and get totally locked out of my laptop. I usually allow my browser to save my passwords, so I don't always have them in my head.

I'm the only one who uses the computer and I keep it at home. Is it a bad idea to disable the password, if that is possible?

Thank you in advance.

[EmeraldAvenger]

Hi there @NottaTechie, 

Thank you for joining in on the HP Support Forums and Welcome! This is a great place to ask questions, find solutions and get help from others in the community! I read your post on the HP Support Forums. I wanted to reach out to you and help! I understand that you originally had a PIN to sign into Windows 10. Then it ended up being your Microsoft Account Password, but you would prefer to not have to put in a password at all. 

There is a Windows 10 document I found that has step by step instructions on how to set Windows 10 to automatically sign in at startup without needing to enter a username and password. As this website is not affiliated with HP and I have not extensively tested it, please DO NOT click on any ads that may be on the page as I cannot guarantee they are secure. 

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

The tutorial lists these steps: 

Open the Run dialog box (Windows + R keys)

Type netplwiz or control userpasswords2,

Click OK 

You will see the advanced User Accounts.
If you see:

Click Yes.

Check the Users must enter a username and password to use this computer box.

Select the User Name of the Microsoft account (email address) or local account that you want to have Windows automatically sign into at startup.

 

Note: You do not want to select a listed username for the account that shows as only a member of theHomeUsers group.

Select the user name

Uncheck the Users must enter a username and password to use this computer box

Click OK.

Enter the password of the selected local account or Microsoft account twice

Click OK.

Please let me know if I answered your question by clicking the 'Thumbs up' if the troubleshooting steps in this post resolved the issue for you please click the 'Accept as Solution' button. This will allow other's who have the same issue to find the solution also. If you require further assistance, I would be more than happy to continue to help you. Please just re-post with the results of the troubleshooting and your Model Number (How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?). 

Thanks! 😄

[NottaTechie]

Thanks so much for your reply but do you know why my HP PIN # vanished and how to get it back?

 I do not want to sign in with my complicated microsoft password 20 times a day.

I tried your suggestion for dropping the password requirement at login but I can't even begin to try it as I cannot figure out how to log in as an administrator. I googled for instrucitons but everything I found is so vague and complicated.

Also, this is a new computer and when I set it up it did not ask me to set up an administator password. ??? WHat does this mean for me?

I need "FOR DUMMIES" instructions PLEASE!

Sorry I'm a computer dummy but I can't be the only one, right? Can HP make owning a laptop a little simpler? I'm sorry but I am just really frustrated right now.

[EmeraldAvenger]

Hi there @NottaTechie, 

Don't beat yourself up! I will provide more clear instructions. I am not entirely sure why it changed from a PIN to your Microsoft password. My best guess is that when you had logged into your Microsoft account, somehow it "traded" from the PIN to your Microsoft password. 

I understand not wanting to put your password in all the time especially if you are the only one that uses your Notebook. 

Generally speaking, if the only user profile on your Notebook is the one you are currently logged into, then you should be the Administrator on the Notebook already. An Administrator password should be the same password you use to login to your Notebook currently. 

Here is a picture for you of where you can see if your user account is an administrator account. You can double check if you would like. Please follow these steps: 

Press the Windows Key + S

A search box pops up

In search type settings

In Settings, click Accounts

Click on Your Account

Under your name, if it says "Administrator", then you are already the Administrator. 

Here are instructions on how to change your password from the Microsoft account password back to using a PIN. 

"Press the Windows+S key combination to display the Search box.

Type the word pin into the Search box, then click Set up PIN sign-in.

Find the “PIN” section and click the Add button.

Type in the password for your User Account, then click the Ok button.

Select and enter a 4 digit numeric pin, then enter it again for confirmation.

Exit the PIN setup utility.

From now on you’ll be able to log in to your Windows account by entering your 4 digit PIN instead of your password."

Source: How do I log in to Windows 10 using a PIN instead of my password?

Please let me know if I answered your question by clicking the 'Thumbs up' if the troubleshooting steps in this post resolved the issue for you please click the 'Accept as Solution' button. This will allow other's who have the same issue to find the solution also. If you require further assistance, I would be more than happy to continue to help you. Please just re-post with the results of the troubleshooting. 

Thanks! 

[NottaTechie]

Thanks so much for your help!

Thanks to you I found out I am the administrator, so thank you for that. I don't know what the password is, it never asked me to set one that I can remember.

As far as the PIN goes,  I followed your instructions but I already set up the PIN number the night I got the computer, so now it is not giving me the option to "Add a PIN." Should I click on "remove the PIN" and then re-add it? I just want to switch it from signing in with my microsoft account to signing in with my PIN like before.

I am also wondering if it would work if I go to the accounts setting page and choose "sign in with a local account instead?" Is the PIN the sign-in for the local account? Sorry for so many questions, I just don't know for sure what any of this means and I'm afraid to mess with the password for fear I'll lock myself out of the computer.

Thanks so much! You are so sweet to help.

[EmeraldAvenger]

Hi there @NottaTechie, 

---

@NottaTechie wrote:

... I am also wondering if it would work if I go to the accounts setting page and choose "sign in with a local account instead?" Is the PIN the sign-in for the local account? Sorry for so many questions, I just don't know for sure what any of this means and I'm afraid to mess with the password for fear I'll lock myself out of the computer.

Thanks so much! You are so sweet to help.

---

Don't be sorry for asking questions. This is exactly what I am here for! 😄 Yes, it would probably be easiest to choose to sign in with a local account instead because you are correct. The local account should be the PIN that you had set up previously.

That was the next step I was going to tell you if you had replied and said that setting up the PIN did not work. 🙂 

As long as you have a Microsoft Account, you can always reset the password and get back into your computer.

Please re-post and let me know how everything goes! 

[NottaTechie]

OK, I went to switch to local account, and it is asking me to set up a password!!!

It says "to sign in to windows using a PIN or Windows Hello, you m ust set up a password to continue using them."

What??? Why??? This is just too many passwords! I am really afraid I am going to get locked out of my own computer. I am afraid to zst up yet another password. Why do I have to set yet another password? I didn't have to do this before when I set up my computer and set my PIN.

[EmeraldAvenger]

Hi there @NottaTechie, 

I assume it is a precautionary password. The only reason they would ask for a password is for a backup. You could always set it up to be the same as your Microsoft Account. That way you will definitely remember the password. 

I always write down my passwords. I have them all written down in a little notebook and then I put the book in a spot that I will remember it is there. 

Let me know if you are able to use the PIN again. 

[erico]

How to use the three different methods to sign into Windows 10

If you sign into Windows woth a local account instead of a microsoft account, you can choose to no use a password.  

That method is really not recommended.

It would be better idea to use a simple pin in order to at least some security. 🙂