W11 loss of PIN


ann_droid

New member
Local time
11:22 PM
Posts
3
OS
W10, W11, Mint and Debian
Hi

I have had a breach on my computer.

So I removed the NVMe and SSD, fitted an old clunker and managed to install Windows 11on the 15 March 2025.

Today is the 17th and my PIN does not work.

HOW is this possible?

""It's important to note that your PIN is not transmitted anywhere and is not stored on any server, making it more secure than a traditional password.
The PIN is encrypted and securely stored on your local device only""



I have installed Mint and recovered my Bitlocker Key(s) and need to reset my PIN.

Also killed off one of my email accounts and requested MS close my account.


help and suggestions please.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10, W11, Mint and Debian
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP,HP, HP and Lenovo
    Other Info
    Assorted hardware and OS's.
What makes you think you had a "breach" What exactly happened?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    WIN 11 Pro 24H2 - 26100.3323
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Build
    CPU
    Intel XEON E5-2699 v3
    Motherboard
    ASUS X99-A
    Memory
    64GB Teamgroup UD4-3600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER X34 Predator
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Crucial CT1000P 3P SSD8 1TB
    Crucial CT1000 BX500 SSD 1TB
    PSU
    GameMax Pro
    Case
    Fractal Design
    Cooling
    Corsair H110iGT + 6 140mm Fans
    Keyboard
    Corsair K4
    Mouse
    G-Skill G502
    Internet Speed
    50MBs
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    OEM
Hi

Well a folder was renamed and pictures of my passport etc went missing.

Passwords changed.

My local storage was ""blanked" and my PIN altered.

So I am CERTAIN.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10, W11, Mint and Debian
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP,HP, HP and Lenovo
    Other Info
    Assorted hardware and OS's.
If anything was breached it was your email account.
Have you contacted your email provider?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home X-lite version
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell OptiPlex 9010
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 (3rd Gen) 3570 / 3.4 GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel Q77 Express
    Memory
    32 GB of 1600 MHz non-ECC DDR3 SDRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 2500 Dynamic Video Memory
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" veiwsonic
Hi

Well a folder was renamed and pictures of my passport etc went missing.

Passwords changed.

My local storage was ""blanked" and my PIN altered.

So I am CERTAIN.

So if your password and pin was changed, how did you know your photos went missing?

Can’t imagine why anyone would want a passport photo. Pretty useless without a passport. Or your face.

Reset your router and change the router password, also.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5039
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    4 x LG 23MP75 - 2 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    100/40Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
My personal suggestions:

I would suggest starting off with a 100% clean install of Windows from scratch. To start, create a LOCAL user account only - no Microsoft Account to start just in case that was compromised.

Get all your programs, apps, utilities, etc. installed and customize Windows as you see fit.

Perform a complete OS drive image backup, that way you can at least get back to this point easily.

Now you can finally go about setting up your Microsoft Account (if you use one). If anything goes wrong, you can revert back to your backup quickly and resume troubleshooting from that point.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self-built
    CPU
    Intel i7 11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A MB
    Memory
    64GB (Waiting for warranty replacement of another 64GB for 128GB total)
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    3 x 512GB 2.5" SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    5 x 8TB Seagate Barracuda HDD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case
    Cooling
    Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Home Computer Specifications, Configuration, and Usage Notes General Specifications ASUS Prime Z590-A motherboard, serial number M1M0KC222467ARP Intel Core i7-11700K CPU (11th Gen Rocket Lake / LGA 1200 Socket) 128GB Crucial Ballistix RGB DDR4 3200 MHz DRAM (4 x 32GB) Corsair iCUE RGB 5000X mid tower case Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU cooler Noctua NF-S12A chromax.black.swap case fans (Qty. 7) & Corsair LL-120 RGB Fans (Qty. 3)
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    The five 8TB drives and three 512GB SSDs are part of a DrivePool using StableBit DrivePool software. The three SSDs are devoted purely to caching for the 8TB drives. All of the important data is stored in triplicate so that I can withstand simultaneous failure of 2 disks.

    Networking: 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6e
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Hi

Thank you for the info, and I will try to do that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10, W11, Mint and Debian
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP,HP, HP and Lenovo
    Other Info
    Assorted hardware and OS's.

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