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Windows creating a pin not working

simon 0 Reputation points
2026-06-04T21:58:28.41+00:00

I try to create a pin because it’s much easier to log into my windows 11 device, and it does not let me it says “Something went wrong we weren’t able to set up your pin.” If I retry it does not let me set one and continues to show the same screen.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accounts, profiles, and login
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  1. Vikki-T 5,805 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-05T02:29:50.5866667+00:00

    Hi simon,

    I understand why this would be frustrating, especially when you are only trying to set up a PIN for easier sign-in.

    To narrow this down, could you please confirm a few details?

    • Are you still able to sign in to Windows using your password or another sign-in option?
    • Does the message show any error code?
    • Did this start after a Windows update, device reset, or any recent account/security change?
    • Is this a personal device only, or do you also have a work or school account connected under Settings > Accounts > Access work or school?

    In the meantime, you can try these steps:

    1, Make sure your Microsoft account password works first

    • If you use a Microsoft account, try signing in to your account on another device/browser to confirm the password is correct. If the password was recently changed, restart the PC and try setting up the PIN again after signing in.

    2, Use “I forgot my PIN” if it appears

    • Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) and check whether I forgot my PIN is available. If it is, use that option to verify your account and create a new PIN.

    3, Check Windows Update

    • Open Settings > Windows Update and install any pending updates, then restart the device.

    4, Temporarily remove and re-add Windows Hello options

    • If you have fingerprint or facial recognition already set up, remove them first under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, restart the PC, then try setting up the PIN again before re-adding fingerprint or face sign-in.

    Wishing you a smooth setup and hope you can get the PIN sign-in working again soon. While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-04T21:58:46+00:00

    Follow these steps in order to fix the “Something went wrong, we weren’t able to set up your PIN” issue on Windows 11:

    1. Try basic recovery steps
      1. Try to create the PIN again from Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello).
      2. Sign out of Windows, sign back in with the password, and try to create the PIN again.
      3. Restart the device and try again.
    2. If the error persists, rejoin the device to Microsoft Entra ID (work/school devices) If the device is joined to a work or school organization (Microsoft Entra ID / Azure AD):
      1. Go to Settings > System > About.
      2. Select Disconnect from organization to unjoin the device.
      3. Restart the device.
      4. Rejoin the device to the organization (Access work or school) and then try to create the PIN again.
    3. Handle specific error codes (if shown) When the error appears, look for an error code (for example, 0x80090005, 0x80090029, etc.). Then apply the matching mitigation:
      • 0x80090005 / 0x8009000F / 0x80090011
        Cause: Key/container issues.
        Fix: Unjoin the device from Microsoft Entra ID, then rejoin, and try creating the PIN again.
      • 0x80090029 (TPM isn’t set up)
        1. Sign in with an administrator account.
        2. Select Start, type tpm.msc, and open tpm.msc Microsoft Common Console Document.
        3. In the Actions pane, select Prepare the TPM.
        4. Restart and try to create the PIN again.
      • 0x8009002A (NTE_NO_MEMORY)
        Close apps that are using a lot of memory and try again.
      • 0x80090031 (NTE_AUTHENTICATION_IGNORED)
        1. Reboot the device and try again.
        2. If it still fails, reset the TPM or run Clear-TPM as documented in the linked guidance.
    4. If no code is shown or none of the above helps
      • Sign out and sign back in, then try again.
      • If the device is managed by an organization, contact the organization’s IT support, as policies or certificates on the domain controller can block Windows Hello PIN setup.
      • If the error code is not listed in the documented tables, contact Microsoft Support for further assistance.

    References:

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