Windows 11 forces PIN validation on boot for Edge, Teams and Phone Link
Hello. I am facing a persistent issue in Windows 11 where Microsoft Edge (running multiple windows and dozens of open tabs that I must keep active), Teams, and the Phone Link app demand PIN validation (Windows Hello) via toolbar prompts or "Your account requires attention" notifications upon every system startup. OneDrive is the only app that does not experience this issue. I want to make it absolutely clear that I DO NOT want to disable any convenience features (automatic reopening of apps on boot and Edge startup boost are enabled by necessity), I DO NOT want to switch to a local account (I strictly need settings synchronization active between my other Windows 11 devices), and I DO NOT clear cookies on close. To save time and avoid repetitive, generic troubleshooting steps, please note that I have already performed advanced troubleshooting procedures. I have disabled the Windows Hello requirement in settings, cleared credentials in Credential Manager, reset the Ngc security cache folder via terminal, applied local Group Policies for Edge, and even implemented a registry startup queue delay to prevent overcrowded login requests before the internet connection stabilizes. The issue gets temporarily fixed for 2 or 3 startups after applying these fixes, but Windows automatically overwrites or ignores these directives and goes back to demanding the PIN to revalidate the Single Sign-On (SSO) token of my personal Hotmail email across native background apps. There is clearly a hidden system maintenance scheduled task or a Cloud Identity Service component forcing this strict re-authentication cyclically, overriding user preferences. How can I stop Windows Hello from interfering with the automatic, silent login of these specific apps without breaking my device synchronization settings?
Permanently purge an account
Simple: how do I purge an account from the system? My situation is this: I had 2 account, my personal one and one I used that was given to me by uni for the Office package, the one used for Office had license revoked and I finished uni, so I no longer have access to that account and I want it gone, how?
Windows 11 Insider Build 29683.1000 - Explorer.exe does not start automatically after sign-in
Windows version: Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview Build 29683.1000 Issue: Black screen after sign-in; desktop and taskbar do not load. Temporary workaround: Running explorer.exe manually from Task Manager restores the desktop. Troubleshooting already performed: DISM SFC Registry verification New user profile test System Restore Attempted in-place repair installation When the issue started: Approximately 1-2 months ago. The ISO download and repair installation could not be completed. Help is required. Pradeep Kumar Bebarta
Anyone else think Windows 11's File Explorer is getting worse with every update?
Is it just me, or does File Explorer keep getting slower and more bloated with each update? Opening a folder with a few hundred files now takes a solid second or two, and the right-click context menu still feels laggy even after they "fixed" it. I'm on Windows 11 25H2 and it honestly feels like Microsoft keeps bolting on new features (tabs, Copilot, recommendations) without ever addressing the basics. Half the time I just want to rename a file and it takes three clicks instead of one. Anyone else frustrated, or is it just my machine?
Full-screen video freezing issue
한국어와 영어로 글을 남깁니다. 이 글을 남기기 이전에 기술 지원을 24시간 대기 중이라는 분에게서 받았습니다. 그 분은 가장 해결 확률이 높고 가장 해결이 완벽에 가까운 방식을 제안했습니다. 그건 코덱을 업데이트하거나 코덱을 설치하라는 것이었습니다. 전 이 방법이 해결방법에 가깝다고 느낍니다. 제가 드리려는 말은 우연히 이 문제를 해결했다고 생각하기에 그 해결 방법을 공유하는 것입니다. 윈도우 제품에는 사소한 버그가 있고 서로 다른 프로그램이 충돌하는 경우가 있을 수 있으며 특정 프로그램이 버그를 만들 때도 있기 때문입니다. 전 전체화면으로 영상을 시청할 때에 멈추는 증상이 해결이 안 되었어요. 신기한 건 다른 회사의 그래픽 카드를 사용할 때엔 이런 문제가 발생하지 않는다는 점이었습니다. 인텔 ARC 그래픽 카드는 이런 문제가 없어요. AMD의 라데온 그래픽 카드를 사용할 때에 다 좋은데 이 문제 때문에 좀 불편했습니다. 지금도 인텔 CPU와 인텔 GPU를 쓰면 문제가 없고, 인텔 CPU와 AMD GPU 혹은 AMD CPU와 AMD GPU를 쓰면 전체화면 영상이 멈춥니다. 모니터는 상관이 없던 것 같아요. 그래서 결론은 코덱을 찾아볼 수도 있는데 어떤 코덱이 필요한지 제가 정확하게 모르거든요. 우연하게 찾은 해결책은 윈도우 설정에 작업 표시줄 옵션이 있습니다. 거기서 작업 표시줄 단추 합치기 및 레이블 숨기기 / 작업 표시줄 단추 합치기 및 다른 작업 표시줄의 레이블 숨기기 / 더 작은 앱 아이콘 표시 옵션을 조절하는 것이었습니다. 항상-작업 표시줄이 꽉 찼을 때-안 함 중에 문제가 해결되는 옵션을 고르세요. 전 작업 표시줄이 꽉 찼을 때를 3개 모두 설정해 두니 전체화면 영상이 더 이상 멈추지 않아요. 라데온 그래픽카드 드라이버 문제일 수도 있고 이 라데온 프로그램이 윈도우와 우연하게 충돌이 일어나는 것일 수도 있을 것 같아요. 전 전문가가 아니라 우연히 옵션 조정으로 방법을 찾았다는 점만 말하고 싶습니다. 그러므로 이 문제는 해결이 될 수도 사용자에 따라서 해결이 되지 않을 수도 있습니다. 제가 지내던 커뮤니티에선 라데온 그래픽카드 드라이버 프로그램이 이전부터 전문적이지 않다는 이야기가 돌았는데 전 그 때 그 말을 믿지 않았지만 지금은 그 말에 신빙성이 있다는 생각도 듭니다. 엔비디아 지포스에서도 동일한 증상이나 멈춤 현상이 있는 것 같기는 합니다. 윈도우의 호환성 문제일 수도 있겠지요. 잘은 모르겠지만요. 도움이 되시길 바랍니다. I am posting this in both Korean and English. Before writing this, I received assistance from a technical support representative who was available around the clock. They suggested a solution that was highly likely to work and offered the most complete fix: updating or installing the necessary codecs. I believe this is the right approach. I am sharing this because I managed to resolve the issue—albeit somewhat by chance—and want to pass on the solution. Windows products can have minor bugs, conflicts between different programs can occur, and specific programs can sometimes trigger these issues. I wasn't able to resolve the issue where the video would freeze during full-screen playback. Interestingly, this problem didn't occur when using graphics cards from other manufacturers; Intel Arc graphics cards, for instance, don't have this issue. While AMD Radeon graphics cards are otherwise excellent, this specific problem was a bit of a hassle. Even now, I experience no issues when using an Intel CPU with an Intel GPU, but the video freezes in full-screen mode if I pair an Intel CPU with an AMD GPU or use an AMD CPU with an AMD GPU. The monitor didn't seem to be a factor. I suppose I could look into codecs, but I'm not exactly sure which ones are needed. I stumbled upon a solution within the Windows taskbar settings. The fix involved adjusting options such as "Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels," "Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels on other taskbars," and "Use small taskbar buttons." You should experiment with the available settings—"Always," "When taskbar is full," or "Never"—to find the one that resolves the issue. For me, setting all three options to "When taskbar is full" stopped the full-screen videos from freezing. This could be an issue with the Radeon graphics card driver, or perhaps a random conflict between the Radeon software and Windows. I am not an expert; I simply wanted to share a method I discovered by chance while tweaking settings. Consequently, this solution might work for some users but not for others. In the online community I frequent, there had long been talk that Radeon graphics card driver software wasn't exactly professional-grade; I didn't believe it at the time, but now I’m starting to think there might be some truth to it. That said, it seems like similar symptoms or freezing issues occur with Nvidia GeForce cards as well. It could be a Windows compatibility issue, though I’m not entirely sure. I hope this helps.Save the date: Windows office hours - October 15, 2026
Need answers from the people behind the products you manage every day? Join us for Windows Office Hours on October 15th from 8:00–9:00 AM PT, where experts from Windows, Microsoft Intune, Configuration Manager, Windows 365, Windows Autopilot, security, public sector, FastTrack, and more will be available to answer your questions. This is a live, chat-based event with no video and no meeting link. Simply join the discussion, ask your questions, and participate in conversations with Microsoft engineers and specialists. If you can't attend live, post your questions on the event page in advance and we'll address them during the session.
Windows 11 is really F annoying, it could actually cost someone their life.
Earlier today, a family member suddenly fell ill and required emergency care. After rushing them to the hospital and ensuring their condition had stabilized, I returned home intending to look up information about his illness. I had just installed Windows 11 26H2 a few hours prior. When I tried to go online to search for info, I needed to install the built-in Windows language input method, it took a full 20 minutes to finish, as long as installing the monthly security patches, whereas on Windows 10, it takes less than 2 minutes. Then there are the constant, junk notifications, things like "We'd like your feedback on Windows 11" or "Do you want to enable Onedrive syncing?" (and the only option is to snooze the reminder for a week). Not to mention the right-click menu, which suffers from extreme latency (over 0.4 seconds). F—CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW I FELT AT THAT MOMENT? Fortunately, it wasn't a critical emergency this time. And then there are the various basic functions that stop working at any moment, it’s basically a MALFUNCTIONING operating system. I’ve switched back to Windows 10 now.HP Smart Tank 790 All-in-One Scanner is not recognized any more
Greetings. I have an HP i7 Pavilion x36-dh1004nx running Windows 11 Ver. 26H2 (OS Build 26300.9550. I'm having a serious problem with my HP Smart tank 790 connected via USB. The scanner stopped working since one week (before it was working fine), and when I run HP Smart, it displays a message that it's not connected (below is a screen shot). While the printer status is working, the scanner is not!!. It tried to remove it and install it again, installed the latest driver (July 2026 ver) from HP site, but no success. I ran the control panel, it showed the scanner is not appearing. When I click on the ? icon, it open a web page about Windows Protect Mode!!!!!!!! I'm not sure what is this, but for whatever reason, this thing is stopping me from using the Scanner. Any help to get my HP Smart Tank 790 All-in-one printer Scanner working. The below screen is from HP SMart app.Unable to remove an inactive/old linked PC from Link to Windows Android app
Hi everyone, I currently have two PCs linked to the Link to Windows Android app. One of them is no longer active, but it still appears in the app, and I’m unable to remove it. I have already tried the usual troubleshooting steps, including resetting the Link to Windows app, but the inactive PC continues to be listed. Interestingly, when I check Devices under my Microsoft Account, only my currently active PC is shown. The inactive PC does not appear there. This issue has been ongoing for more than two years. I recently contacted Microsoft Support regarding this issue, and after further troubleshooting, I was advised to seek assistance from the Microsoft Community. Has anyone experienced a similar issue or knows how to remove an old/inactive PC that is still listed in the Link to Windows Android app? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
