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surface pro 10 link to micro password should have worked

Matthew Scott 0 Reputation points
2026-03-05T22:44:50.7733333+00:00

My Surface Pro 10 toggled to password from pin and i cannot get it to return to pin option, having forgotten my password it text prompts to use microsoft account, which i had to update..it doesn't recognize the new password, or an older one..it is connected to our wifi. what to do what to do/ it will not toggle back to pin number..is there a trick to toggle back to pin or a trick in microsoft accout to search for this device by serial number of past logins?

Surface | Other
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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-05T22:45:05.67+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    A PIN can only be used after successfully signing in with the account password at least once. If the password for the Microsoft account that signs into the Surface Pro 10 is not accepted, the PIN option cannot be re-enabled until that password issue is fixed.

    Use these steps in order:

    1. Reset the Microsoft account password
      • From another device (phone or PC), follow the guidance in Reset a forgotten Microsoft account password to set a new working password for the Microsoft account that is used on the Surface.
      • If verification codes are not arriving or there are issues completing reset, use the troubleshooting guidance under Forgot your Microsoft account password and Not getting verification codes.
    2. Sign in to the Surface with the new password
      • On the Surface sign-in screen, switch to password sign-in (not PIN or Windows Hello) and enter the newly reset Microsoft account password.
      • Once the password is accepted and the desktop is reached, the device is fully authenticated with that account.
    3. Recreate the PIN
      • On the Surface, go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
      • Under PIN (Windows Hello), choose I forgot my PIN or set up a new PIN, and follow the on-screen instructions.
      • After this, the PIN option will appear again on the sign-in screen and can be used instead of the password.

    A PIN cannot be recovered or viewed, only reset after a successful account sign-in. There is no supported method in the Microsoft account portal to search for or unlock a device by serial number or past logins to bypass the account password.

    If the Microsoft account password still cannot be reset or verified using the available methods, use the Sign-in helper and related self-help flows described in the Windows sign-in troubleshooting article to regain access to the account, then repeat the steps above.

    References:

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