This error mainly occurs when your Ngc folder gets corrupted, but in some cases, the problem may be more severe and require more in-depth troubleshooting. If your PIN is not working on your computer, here are some steps to fix the issue.
1. Ensure You Aren’t Entering the Incorrect PIN
You could simply be entering the wrong PIN, which is the first possible cause of your PIN not working. To eliminate this possibility, reset your PIN once.
Your computer must be connected to an active internet connection to reset your PIN. Therefore, turn on your computer and ensure that the internet is connected. To reset your PIN, go to the profile’s login page and click on I forgot my PIN.
You can either reset the PIN by verifying your identity with your Microsoft account password or choose an alternative sign-in option by clicking Send code, which sends a code to your email address.
If you select the latter option, enter the code you received by email and click Continue. Windows will direct you to enter a new PIN here, so enter it, confirm it once, and click OK.
Restart your computer once more, add your new PIN on the login screen and try logging in again to make sure it was the wrong PIN that wasn’t letting you enter the computer previously. You are good to go if you can log in this time - just don’t forget your new PIN.
If the PIN again does not work after resetting and when you are sure that the PIN you are entering is correct, your operating system is to blame.
To investigate further, reset the PIN again so that you can temporarily log in to your computer or log in using another sign-in option, such as using the password for your Microsoft account.
Once you log into your account, your first step should be deleting the Ngc folder.
2. Delete the Ngc Folder in Windows
Windows stores all your PIN-related settings in this folder, so if the OS isn’t accepting your PIN, which is correct, you should delete this folder. This process will wipe out all PIN-related data from the OS. You can then set up a new PIN, which should work fine.
You can delete the Ngc folder by following these steps:
Log in to your administrator account. Navigate to C: drive > Windows> ServiceProfiles > LocalService > AppData > Local> Microsoft. Locate the Ngc folder, right-click on it, and hit Delete.
Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options to set up a new PIN after deleting the old one. Afterward, click on Windows Hello PIN, add a new PIN, and hopefully, the PIN will start working on your operating system.
If this fix also doesn’t resolve the issue, it lies somewhere else that needs to be investigated further.
3. Rule Out User Account Specific Issues
When troubleshooting PIN issues, it’s essential to rule out account-specific problems first. To begin with, check that the problem does not persist on a single Microsoft account. The best way to confirm this is to switch to a local account. To do that, follow the below steps:
Open the Windows Settings app. Go to Accounts. Navigate to Your info in the left-sidebar. Click on Sign in with a local account instead. Click on Next. Enter your PIN. Set up your local account by adding your username and password. Once done, hit Next. Click on Sign out and finish.
By following the above steps, you will return to the login screen. Type in your PIN again to confirm it works. If it does, it’s your Microsoft account that is to blame. Creating another user account and checking if the PIN works there could help confirm that.
Therefore, if the issue originates from your Microsoft user account, you should copy your files to the new account and start using the new account permanently.
If the PIN does not work on any account, move on to the next fix.
4. Tweak PIN Sign-In Settings in Group Policy Editor
When the convenience PIN sign-in setting in the Group Policy Editor is disabled, the PIN will not work. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure it’s not causing the problem during sign-in.
Some Windows versions, however, might not have this feature. If this applies to you as well, skip this step.
Follow the below steps to adjust the settings in the Group Policy Editor:
Search for the Run app in the Windows search bar. Type “gpedit. msc” and click on OK. Navigate to Administrative Templates > System > Logon. In the right-hand pane, locate and double-click on Turn on convenience PIN sign-in setting. Check the Enabled checkbox, click Apply, and hit OK.
If the setting is already enabled, continue to apply the remaining fixes.
5. Update or Downgrade Your OS
According to Microsoft support helpers, one of the possible causes of PIN not working on Windows may be recent updates. If you remember doing an update recently, you need to roll the update back.
Conversely, if you haven’t updated your computer for quite some time, maybe the problem stems from an outdated Windows OS. In that case, follow the below steps to update your computer:
Open the Windows Settings app. Go to Update & Security. Navigate to Windows Update in the left sidebar. Click on Check for updates box.
Windows will automatically check for the latest updates and update itself if necessary. After your OS has been updated, try logging in again with your PIN if it works this time.
If the issue persists, run a malware scan to rule out the possibility of malware interference.
6. Turn Off Your Antivirus and Run a Malware Scan
Possible interference from antivirus may also result in your PIN being rejected. Therefore, temporarily turn it off to ensure that’s not the case. After that, run a Microsoft Defender offline scan to find any hidden malware.
7. Run an SFC Scan
When you remove malware from your computer, make sure it hasn’t corrupted any Windows files that might have caused the issue at hand.
The easiest way to do this is to run an SFC scan. The scan automatically searches for corrupted files and replaces them with a cached copy.
Follow the below steps to run the scan:
Type “cmd” in the Windows search bar. Right-click on the Command Prompt app and click on Run as administrator. Type “SFC /scannow” and hit Enter.
PIN Still Isn’t Working on Windows?
After you have tried all fixes listed above and the issue persists, consider restoring your computer to a previous point where the PIN was working fine. If that doesn’t solve the problem either, it’s best to factory reset your computer as a last resort.
