You type your PIN, Windows 11 shakes its head with “Something happened and your PIN isn’t available” — or the PIN option has vanished from the sign-in screen entirely. This is one of the most reported Windows 11 annoyances on forums, and it almost always traces back to a corrupted PIN credential store rather than anything you did wrong.

The fix is quick: clear the corrupted credential folder, re-register your PIN, and you are back to one-tap sign-in. This guide covers the standard case and the trickier variants (forgotten PIN, missing PIN option, post-update breakage). If your whole sign-in flow is broken rather than just the PIN, our guide to factory resetting without a password is the escalation path.

Why this happens

  • Corrupted NGC folder. Your PIN lives in C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc. If those files get damaged — common after updates — Windows cannot validate the PIN.
  • TPM state changed. The PIN is sealed to the TPM chip. A BIOS update, TPM clear, or firmware change invalidates the stored credential.
  • Failed or partial Windows update. Updates that touch the credential stack can leave the PIN registration in a half-migrated state.
  • Domain or policy changes. On work laptops, a Group Policy or Intune change can disable PIN sign-in remotely, making the option disappear.
  • Corrupted user profile. Rare, but a damaged profile breaks the link between your account and its Hello credentials.
  • “I forgot my PIN” loop. The reset link on the login screen sometimes fails silently when the NGC store is corrupted, leaving you stuck.

How to fix it

Work through these in order — Fix 2 resolves the vast majority of cases.

Fix 1: Sign in with your password first

You need to get into Windows before you can repair the PIN.

  1. On the sign-in screen, click Sign-in options and choose the password (key) icon.
  2. Enter your Microsoft account or local account password.
  3. If you do not remember the password either, use the I forgot my password link or sign in with another administrator account on the machine.
  4. Once you are on the desktop, continue to Fix 2.

Fix 2: Delete the NGC folder and re-create the PIN

This is the canonical fix. It works because it forces Windows to build a fresh credential store.

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc. (You may need to click through “you don’t have permission” prompts — click Continue.)
  2. Delete everything inside the Ngc folder. If Windows refuses, take ownership: right-click the folder, choose Properties > Security > Advanced > Change owner to your account, grant yourself Full control, then delete.
  3. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
  4. Under PIN (Windows Hello), click Set up (or Remove first, then Add) and create your new PIN.
  5. Lock the screen (Win + L) and test the new PIN immediately.

Fix 3: Use the “I forgot my PIN” reset properly

If the NGC delete felt too manual, the built-in reset does the same thing through the UI.

  1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello).
  2. Click I forgot my PIN and follow the Microsoft account verification.
  3. Set a new PIN when prompted.
  4. If the reset errors out, fall back to Fix 2’s manual NGC deletion — it bypasses whatever the UI is choking on.

Fix 4: Check that TPM is healthy

Since the PIN is TPM-backed, a TPM problem breaks PIN sign-in at the root.

  1. Press Win + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Confirm it says “The TPM is ready for use.” If not, restart and check the TPM setting in your BIOS (usually under Security).
  3. If the TPM shows errors, choose Clear TPM in the console (this removes all TPM-stored keys — you will need to re-set up the PIN and BitLocker afterward).
  4. Re-create the PIN after the TPM is healthy.

Fix 5: Toggle the PIN requirement and convenience PIN sign-in

A policy or registry quirk can hide or break the PIN option.

  1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc (Windows 11 Pro) and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon. Set Turn on convenience PIN sign-in to Enabled.
  2. On Home edition (no gpedit), press Win + R, type regedit, and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System. Create a DWORD (32-bit) value named AllowDomainPINLogon set to 1.
  3. Also check Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and make sure “For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts” is toggled in a way that still permits your PIN.
  4. Restart and test.

Fix 6: Run SFC and DISM to repair the credential stack

  1. Open Terminal (Admin) with Win + X.
  2. Run sfc /scannow, then DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, then sfc /scannow once more.
  3. Restart, then re-create the PIN via Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
  4. Microsoft’s Windows support hub documents additional sign-in repair steps if system file damage is extensive.

Fix 7: Create a new user profile (last resort)

If the PIN works for other accounts but not yours, the profile itself is damaged.

  1. Create a new local administrator account: Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add account, then change it to Administrator.
  2. Sign in as the new account and set up a PIN there to confirm the system is fine. (If the new account has its own shell quirks, our Start menu fix guide covers those — but the PIN itself should work.)
  3. Move your files from C:\Users\<oldname> to the new profile, reinstall your apps, and retire the old profile.

Closing

A dead PIN on Windows 11 is annoying but almost never serious — the NGC folder reset in Fix 2 clears it up for the overwhelming majority of people, usually in under ten minutes. The PIN is a convenience layer on top of your real account credential, so nothing is ever truly lost when it breaks. Re-create it, test it with Win + L, and get back to the one-second sign-in you are used to.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Windows 11 say my PIN is unavailable?
The PIN credential store — a protected folder called NGC — is corrupted, usually after a Windows update, a TPM hiccup, or a failed feature update. Deleting the NGC folder contents and setting up the PIN again fixes it in nearly every case.
I forgot my PIN and the reset option does nothing. What now?
Sign in with your Microsoft account password instead (click Sign-in options on the login screen). Once you are in, remove the PIN under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and add a fresh one. If the password sign-in is also broken, use another admin account or the recovery environment.
Does deleting the NGC folder delete anything important?
No. It only removes stored PIN and Windows Hello credentials, which you re-create in two minutes. Your files, Microsoft account, and password sign-in are completely unaffected.
Can a Windows update break PIN sign-in?
Yes — it is one of the most common triggers. Updates sometimes invalidate the TPM-backed credential container. The NGC reset below was practically designed for exactly this scenario.