Short answer
A rejected login is usually an account problem rather than a broken computer, and your files are almost always still there. What matters is not making it worse with repeated guesses or a rushed reset.
What's happening
You get to the sign-in screen and the password you've always used is refused. Or the PIN says it's incorrect. Or you type it, the screen flashes, and you're back at the sign-in screen again. It feels like the computer has locked you out of your own life. In nearly every case the files are untouched — the door is stuck, the house is fine.
Common causes
- The account is a Microsoft account and the online password was changed somewhere else — on a phone, for example.
- The PIN has broken after an update. The PIN is stored on the machine and can be corrupted separately from the password.
- Caps Lock, Num Lock, or a keyboard typing the wrong characters because of a language setting.
- The user profile is damaged, which is what causes the sign-in-and-bounce-straight-back loop.
- Someone else changed it — including a scammer, if you had a support call recently.
- A failing drive, when the login screen is also slow and the machine has been misbehaving generally.
Safe things to try
- 1
Check Caps Lock and Num Lock
Type the password into the username box first so you can see the characters, then retype it in the right box.
- 2
Try the password instead of the PIN
On the sign-in screen there's usually a "Sign-in options" link. If the password works, only the PIN is broken and it can be reset once you're in.
- 3
Reset a Microsoft account password from another device
Use your phone or another computer to reset it at Microsoft's own website, then use the new password on the computer. It needs to be online for that to take effect.
- 4
Try a different keyboard
On a desktop, plug in another USB keyboard. A key that's stopped working will fail silently behind the dots.
- 5
Stop after a few attempts
Repeated failed attempts can lock the account for a period or, on a work machine, trigger a security lockout.
What not to do
- Don't download a "password cracker" tool. Most of the ones that appear in search results carry malware, and some encrypt the machine.
- Don't reset the PC to get past the login — the options that get past it usually erase your files.
- Don't let anyone who called you "fix" it remotely. Nobody legitimate calls first.
- Don't keep guessing dozens of times. It rarely helps and can lock the account entirely.
Your files are usually fine
When to bring it in
If the password is right and Windows still won't let you in, or you sign in and get thrown straight back out, bring the computer to our counter in Bellevue. Bring any email address the machine signs in with. We'll get you back into the machine, or get your files out of it, and tell you which of those it's going to be before we start.
Common questions
- Can you unlock a computer if I've forgotten the password?
- Usually, yes — how depends on whether it's a local account or a Microsoft account, and whether the drive is encrypted. Bring it in and we'll tell you what's possible before doing anything.
- Why did my PIN stop working after an update?
- The PIN is stored on the machine itself and can be corrupted by an update. Signing in with the account password usually still works, and the PIN can be set again afterwards.
- I sign in and it goes straight back to the login screen. What is that?
- That's typically a damaged user profile. The account exists and the files are still there, but Windows can't load the desktop for it. It's fixable.
- Will I lose my files if I can't get back into my account?
- Not usually. Files can normally be copied off the drive even when the account can't be used, as long as the drive is healthy and not encrypted without a key.
- Someone called claiming to be Microsoft and now I'm locked out. What should I do?
- Stop talking to them, don't call any number they gave you, and check your email and financial accounts through numbers and websites you already know. Then bring the computer in so we can see what was changed.
The service that covers this
Computer Diagnostics & Repair
No power, no display, won't boot, blue screens or running slow? We diagnose the real cause before anything gets replaced — customers call it knowledgeable and honest.
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