Hi there, I recently tried to login to my back up laptop. I was asked identity questions 1. The name of my first pet.  2. My childhood nick name.  3. My first school. So I answered these questions and I was told I got one or more answers wrong. So I repeated the process 4-5 times, thoroughly checked my answers and got the same reply. Is there a way around this?

Just now, Mason45 said:

Hi there, I recently tried to login to my back up laptop. I was asked identity questions 1. The name of my first pet.  2. My childhood nick name.  3. My first school. So I answered these questions and I was told I got one or more answers wrong. So I repeated the process 4-5 times, thoroughly checked my answers and got the same reply. Is there a way around this?

Firstly I only ever had one family pet.  I went to one only primary school. I've had the same nick name all my life. So I don't understand what my problem is.

I suppose this is a windows machine with microsoft account ?

Just now, FlorC said:

I suppose this is a windows machine with microsoft account ?

Yes

29 minutes ago, FlorC said:

I suppose this is a windows machine with microsoft account ?

What's that got to do with it please? 

My three Windows 11 Pro PCs sometimes ask these questions with no problems as long as I put in the correct answers.

They are doing it for your security.

What do you use?

Did you spell your pet's name with a capital letter but imputted it with a lower case letter?

Just grasping at straws, but I seem to remember in the past I keyed in my mother's maiden name as 'edna' and it should have been 'Edna'.

 

 

Thank you , I'll try that.

22 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

Thank you , I'll try that.

I've tried everything again using upper and lower case letters and it still won't grant me access. Is there a workaround?

2 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

I've tried everything again using upper and lower letters and it still won't grant me access. Is there a workaround?

Win 10? 

First thing I need to know if you can go to the Microsoft Account security page and login. If so, then it should be possible to reset your security questions. 

7 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

I've tried everything again using upper and lower case letters and it still won't grant me access. Is there a workaround?

 This is last case scenario, Its your back up Laptop? Is your primary working OK at the moment, is there anything on your back up that's not on your primary? 

 

I had the same problem 18 months ago, couldn't log on. Just did a clean reinstall. 

 

 

10 minutes ago, sungod said:

 This is last case scenario, Its your back up Laptop? Is your primary working OK at the moment, is there anything on your back up that's not on your primary? 

 

I had the same problem 18 months ago, couldn't log on. Just did a clean reinstall. 

 

 

How do I do a clean re install when I can't get past the pin number when trying to open my laptop

1 hour ago, Mason45 said:

Hi there, I recently tried to login to my back up laptop. I was asked identity questions 1. The name of my first pet.  2. My childhood nick name.  3. My first school. So I answered these questions and I was told I got one or more answers wrong. So I repeated the process 4-5 times, thoroughly checked my answers and got the same reply. Is there a way around this?

Sounds like these are questions from the cloud, it's not your laptop asking for answers. 

 

Disable your internet connection and try to login 

I went back to my main laptop, shut it down, I then reopened it, typed in my pin number and it fired up immediately. I've used the same pin number for many years as it's an abbreviation of the sporting club I played for and the year I was made a life member. So I wouldn't forget it easily. I would do a clean install as suggested but I can't get past the pin number which works ok on my main laptop.

7 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

How do I do a clean re install when I can't get past the pin number when trying to open my laptop

 

You dont go that far.  Using windows installation media tool, make a bootable USB, then using the boot menu (you will have to find which key you press for your model such as Del, Esc, F8, f10) you boot from the USB and follow the prompts. 

 

Sounds complicated, actually very easy- I dont have much in the way of IT skills but this is doable by following instructions from the myriad of articles on the net. 

Or for a small price, a computer shop can do it for you. More fun doing it yourself, sense of achievement 🙂

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

What's that got to do with it please? 

My three Windows 11 Pro PCs sometimes ask these questions with no problems as long as I put in the correct answers.

They are doing it for your security.

What do you use?

W11 but NO microsoft account and no bitlocker.

I don't want to be locked out or get these questions like the OP got.

 

For my security ?  Please 😄

All seems a bit confused. Writing about PIN and security questions and Microsoft accounts. These are all separate things.

I don't think there are security questions when using a PIN. Security questions are for when you forget your password.

The OP seems to be all over the shop...

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/change-or-reset-your-pin-in-windows-a386c519-3ab2-b873-1e9b-bb228a98b904

3 hours ago, JakeC said:

All seems a bit confused. Writing about PIN and security questions and Microsoft accounts. These are all separate things.

I don't think there are security questions when using a PIN. Security questions are for when you forget your password.

The OP seems to be all over the shop...

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/change-or-reset-your-pin-in-windows-a386c519-3ab2-b873-1e9b-bb228a98b904

It refused my pin number multiple times, so I tried to reset my pin number. It asked me 3 saved questions. I was told that one or more of my answers are wrong. I made the questions as simple as possible. The pin number works fine on my main computer, so I have no need to answer the security questions.

Ok here goes I opened my laptop at last. I went through all my old passwords from years ago. I wrote them all down and after 5-6 attempts my pin number was accepted and I had access to my laptop. Here's the strange part, I did a factory reset 6 months ago because it was rather sluggish. I didn't even know the password still existed so how could have I used it to open my laptop after the reset. Anyway all's well that ends well. Thanks all for your  assistance, it was much appreciated.

11 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

did a factory reset 6 months ago because it was rather sluggish. I didn't even know the password still existed so how could have I used it to open my laptop

Your password was stored remotely, in the cloud. 

 

Factory reset removes everything apart from certain manufacturer installs 

Complete OS reinstall will fix it.

If you get this fixed, I recommend the following: Turn ALL the answers to the same one word. For example, coffee.

 

What city were you born in? - coffee

What was your childhood nickname? - coffee

What street did you grow up on? - coffee

 

Best of luck.

35 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

after 5-6 attempts my pin number was accepted and I had access to my laptop.

It sounds to me as if you are trying to log into the same Microsoft account IN THE CLOUD from a second device and forgot the passwords for the cloud? Normally there might have been an option like  “I forgot the answer” or “Use a different verification method”.

 

Never guess answers repeatedly — too many wrong attempts can temporarily lock the account.

On 9/17/2025 at 7:50 AM, Mason45 said:

Firstly I only ever had one family pet.  I went to one only primary school. I've had the same nick name all my life. So I don't understand what my problem is.

I think you might want to check your keyboard settings, caps lock - is it on or off? Then have a look at your language setting, if there is more than one system language the # key and the " can become swapped.

 

To be safe, open an app such as notepad, type in your answers and see if it is correct.

A,I suggests the following.

 

Steps to Solve the Laptop Login Problem

1. Check for Basic Input Issues
   • Keyboard Settings: Verify that the keyboard language and layout are correct. A wrong keyboard setting (e.g., US vs. UK layout) can cause symbols or letters to input incorrectly. Check this in the Windows login screen by clicking the language icon (bottom-left corner) and ensuring it matches your usual settings.
   • Caps Lock and Case Sensitivity: Security answers may be case-sensitive. For example, "Edna" vs. "edna" could cause a failure. Test by typing answers in Notepad on another device to confirm correct spelling and case.
   • Network Dependency: The thread suggests the security questions may be linked to a Microsoft account in the cloud. Try disconnecting from the internet (disable Wi-Fi or unplug Ethernet) and attempt to log in using the PIN or a local account password, if available.
2. Verify Microsoft Account Details
   • Access Microsoft Account Security Page: On another device, go to account.microsoft.com/security and log in with the same Microsoft account used on the backup laptop. If you can log in, you may be able to:
     • Reset or update security questions.
     • Change the password or PIN associated with the account.
   • Use Alternative Verification: If prompted for security questions, look for an option like “I forgot the answer” or “Use a different verification method” (e.g., email or phone number linked to the account). This can bypass the security questions.
   • Avoid Repeated Guesses: As noted in the thread, too many incorrect attempts may temporarily lock the account. Wait a few hours if you suspect this has happened.
3. Bypass PIN with Local Account (if applicable)
   • If the laptop was set up with a local account (not a Microsoft account), the security questions might not apply. Try logging in with the local account password instead of the PIN.
   • If you don’t remember the local password, proceed to recovery options below.
4. Reset the PIN or Password
   • From Login Screen:
     • On the login screen, click “I forgot my PIN” (below the PIN entry field).
     • Follow prompts to sign in with your Microsoft account password. If successful, you can set a new PIN.
     • If security questions block this process, use another device to reset the Microsoft account password or PIN via account.microsoft.com.
   • Using Recovery Email/Phone: If you can’t answer security questions, use the recovery email or phone number associated with your Microsoft account to receive a verification code and reset access.
5. Boot into Safe Mode
   • Restart the laptop and boot into Safe Mode to bypass certain login restrictions:
     • Press the power button to restart, then repeatedly press F8, F11, or Esc (depending on your laptop model) to access the boot menu.
     • Select “Safe Mode” or “Safe Mode with Networking.”
     • Attempt to log in. If successful, you can reset the PIN or password from the Settings menu (Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options).
   • If Safe Mode doesn’t help, proceed to recovery options.
6. Perform a System Reset or Reinstall Windows
   • If none of the above work, a clean reinstall of Windows may be necessary, as suggested in the thread. However, this will erase data on the laptop unless backed up.
   • Create a Bootable USB:
     • On another computer, download the Windows Media Creation Tool from microsoft.com.
     • Create a bootable USB drive with Windows 10 or 11.
     • Boot the laptop from the USB by accessing the boot menu (usually F2, F12, Del, or Esc during startup).
     • Follow prompts to reinstall Windows. Choose to keep files if possible, but note that a full reset may be required.
   • Consider Professional Help: If this process seems complex, take the laptop to a computer shop for a reset, as suggested in the thread.
7. Prevent Future Issues
   • Update Security Info: After regaining access, update your Microsoft account security questions, recovery email, and phone number to avoid similar issues.
   • Use a Local Account: As one user (FlorC) suggested, consider using a local account instead of a Microsoft account to avoid cloud-based security prompts.
   • Backup Important Data: Ensure critical files on the backup laptop are synced or backed up to avoid data loss during resets.