Forum Discussion
Problem with PIN Availability in Safe Mode
So I had a brand new system with windows 11 pro. Followed all the setup steps Microsoft tells you too and hit this issue, I had no password login set up...
- Because the setup process never asked me to or gave that option and
- Because Microsoft have removed it as a option from the sign in options
Safe mode is supposed to be a SAFE MODE to boot into where the core windows is running only in it's purest form. It should be THE most reliable method of getting windows itself to run.
The workaround now is to convert to local account but you only know to do this as a new install after you hit this issue and have to fix this bug yourself.
This is unacceptable and needs to be taken as a very high priority bug report. Fix pin sign ins extremely robustly or make setting up the password method part of first setup.
If you are going to force feed us cloud logins they need to be working fully and not a time bomb before you get locked out of your own computer due to a bug that would not exist if it was using the normal approach.
- The fact the response in this thread is years old and the bug still exists is shocking
- The fact it's a bug in windows and it isn't all acknowledged as one and put in the backlog for fixing is unacceptable
- This fix suggested no longer works of adding a password method because why fix a big when you can make it worse
- This needs fixing ASAP, even if they want to force the cloud model they should fix the pin not working at at the very least add a better error message guiding the user into what to do next
To complicte the problem, a recent security update bug in April 2026 turned on BitLocker encryption without my consent. You'd be surprised how this can further mess up the whole situation.
I had used msconfig to login to safemode. This safeboot can only be undone by loging back in and changing the setting in msconfig. So, if you didn't have a local account running to sign into the safe mode, your PC will be stuck in a boot loop that cannot get past the safe mode login screen.
The other way around is to force trigger the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) by hard shutting your PC off several times during power on loading screen. Then use command prompt to delete the safeboot request.
But guess what?
The WinRE boot menu told me to enter my BitLocker key in order to run command prompt, or even to do a system restore! In other words, I needed a BitLocker key that I clearly never consented to setting up, to access my own device.
Luckily, the BitLocker key was found on my Microsoft account devices page. It had a key for each of my Windows 11 devices, even though I declined BitLocker encryption during all initial device setup.
That was the only way I could use command prompt to clear the safeboot loop.
I know many people who had to do a fresh install to solve the same problem. It just sucks!