Just to let other not so clued up users like myself know that if you are having trouble logging into your Microsoft account it could simply be the fact that you are trying to log in using a Password instead of a PIN number.

 

After logging in for years on my PC with my Password, I found I could not enter my Password into the login box.  The letters in my PW would not appear and no error messages explained why not.

 

Turns out that now you have to use a PIN number specific to your computer to login.

 

If you have never set up your PIN number in your Microsoft account you can enter your account and do this.  Catch22 is that how can you enter your account to do this if you have no PIN to log in?

 

I found I could still login using the McAffee True Key option that had mysteriously appeared from somewhere although it was tricky to use and time consuming for this to work.

 

The other method was to use the 'cannot remember my password/PIN' option on the login page. Go through the verification process to set up a new password. From memory I did this but did not actually set up a new password. Just clicked with blank new password boxes and I was directed to my Microsoft account, keeping my old password. Then go into your account settings and set up a new PIN number. After that logging in was a doddle.

 

Maybe you can also enter your account using a Password on a different device as I think I read that the PIN is specific to one computer.

 

Hope the above helps to save hours of wasted time. I still resent the fact that I have to login on my own home computer to use it, but the option to remove this requirement which many people post about seems to have disappeared.

 

 

 

I have two MS accounts. I just bounced in and out of both of them with a password, had no problems.

 

Windows 10 pc, MS Edge browser.

If anybody wants to get up to date MS statements then follow on twitter: @MSFT365Status 

That is the official Microsoft account. 

To the OP, it has been like this for years, password or PIN. What's so difficult in putting in 4 digits?

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

To the OP, it has been like this for years, password or PIN. What's so difficult in putting in 4 digits?

If you cannot input a password and you have never used a PIN,  them's your problem.

12 hours ago, rak sa_ngop said:

If you cannot input a password and you have never used a PIN,  them's your problem.

I CAN put in a PIN, or a password. 

I used the PIN option for ages, but lost this ability this week with a recent Windows update.

 

I added a new PIN. Settings, Accounts Sign-in Options.

 

You can also use a Security Key.

 

18 hours ago, rak sa_ngop said:

I still resent the fact that I have to login on my own home computer to use it

I think you can remove any log-in/PIN from your account?

 

At least they aren't charging a monthly subscription fee, yet.

 

 

 

On 12/17/2021 at 9:44 AM, mtls2005 said:

I think you can remove any log-in/PIN from your account?

 

I have read posts that show a window where you can tick an option to not use a login/PIN to enter your account. This option is now missing from my account. 

Just to repeat, my Microsoft login window only has two options: Enter  PIN number or click the 'forgot your PIN' link. Cannot enter a password (or any alphabet characters} just numbers.

6 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Well my Settings>Sign-in options page is not the same as the above.

 

The Windows Hello PIN box only has the Change selection box highlighted. The Remove selection box is not highlighted so cannot be selected.

 

And below the Security Key icon there is NO Password icon.

 

Below that there is a 'Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts' option which is turned on. Maybe turning this off I can revert to a Password log-in? Not sure and not willing to mess around trying. I have now set up a PIN so that solved my log-in difficulty

 

I have been using this account for a number of years with a Password sign-in. This change has occurred in the last few months, for me anyway. Reporting this change may help other users who suddenly find they have the same problem logging in.