Many people are not accustomed to keeping a password or pin to log into their home PC, but the evolution of operating systems is bringing new requirements that will bring that practice to an end. Don’t get locked out—follow these best practices to ensure you always have access to your home PC.
Accounting For Accounts
Windows 11 requires all users to have a Microsoft account for their Windows login. This means if you don’t already have a Microsoft account, you’ll need to create one when you move to 11, either using an existing email address as your username or by creating a new Microsoft email address at Outlook.com. It is crucial that you remember the password for this Microsoft account. Windows will prompt you to set a PIN for quick and easy sign-in; this is where many people run into trouble because they forget that they had a password and if the PIN gets changed or something goes wrong with Windows the system prompts them for the original password.
We Can Reset It, We Have The Technology
So you’ve been signing in with a PIN every day for a year and one day you boot up your computer and Windows is asking you for a password… or for some reason the PIN isn’t working. Unlike old operating systems such as Windows 7, Windows 10 and 11 have network connectivity at the login screen. This means you can issue a PIN or password reset command from the login prompt—but, you will need to have access to the email address associated with your Microsoft account on another device or have set your mobile phone number as a recovery method. Many users run into problems with these resets because they don’t know their email password, as it is saved in the mail client or browser in the computer they are trying to access. Setting your mobile phone as a recovery method bypasses this issue, as does remembering your original password.
Login With A Smile.
If your computer has a functioning webcam, you can use the “Windows Hello” feature to unlock your computer via facial recognition. This is a major time saver and allows you to bypass the everyday use of a PIN or password. However, if something happens to your computer’s camera or something resets on the software level, it is still crucial to know your Microsoft account password or at the least be able to reset it via email or text message.
If you need assistance making sense of your accounts or your computer security, give us a call at Mankato Computer Technology.