BIOS update and now my computer won't recognize my PIN.

Hi Rez. My computer is a Dell. I was able to contact customer service via their website. It ended up that he recommended re-installing W11 as well, but by using the built-in Dell app that I was still able to get to by pressing the F12 key repeatedly during boot up. This is the second time since I got this computer 2 years ago. The Dell app allows you to reinstall W11 and keep your data, which made the process MUCH easier. I still had to reinstall some of my programs, but it wasn't difficult. It was time consuming as you can imagine! Even my desktop was restored!

Thanks again for your help!

Hi again. I did watch the video you passed along and that may have been the better uption as it looks like I would have kept my programs as well.

It's too late now, but I'll keep this in my back pocket just it case it happens again.

All I can say is I'm very disappointed with Dell for pushing untested BIOS updates to unsuspecting users. That just shouldn't happen!

I really want to that you again for your help! You're doing your fellow man a great service. 👌

Hi Dluxdlitz,

Thanks for reaching out. What you’re experiencing is a fairly common situation after a BIOS update. When the BIOS is updated, it often resets certain hardware and security settings back to their defaults. This can affect two things:

Windows Hello PIN – Your PIN is tied to the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and secure boot configuration. If the BIOS update cleared or changed TPM settings, Windows may no longer recognize the PIN. In this case, you’ll need to sign in with your Microsoft account password instead of the PIN. Once you’re logged in, you can reset the PIN under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

Keyboard and Mouse in Recovery – If your keyboard and mouse don’t work on the blue recovery screen, it usually means USB support is disabled or misconfigured in the BIOS. Go back into the BIOS/UEFI setup (press Del, F2, or Esc at startup depending on your device) and check for options such as Legacy USB Support, USB Keyboard/Mouse Support, or USB Configuration. Make sure these are enabled. Also, disabling Fast Boot can help, since it sometimes prevents USB devices from initializing in recovery. If you’re using wireless peripherals, try a wired USB keyboard and mouse for reliability.

Once USB support is restored, you should be able to use your devices in the recovery environment. From there, you can choose to log in with your Microsoft account password, and then reset your PIN.

If TPM was cleared during the BIOS update, you may also need to re‑enable it in the BIOS before Windows Hello PIN can be set up again.

In summary, the BIOS update likely reset both TPM and USB initialization settings. Re‑enable USB support so your keyboard and mouse work in recovery, then sign in with your Microsoft account password and reset your PIN.

Hope this helps you get back up and running.

Best regards,

Unfortunately, none of those BIOS options are available on my computer.

I'm at my wits end. How do I reinstall W11? That seems to be my last option.

Additionally, I only see the "something happened and your PIN isn't available. Click to set up your PIN again" message. When I go through the steps, there is no option to use another account, and it takes me back to the first screen. When I try to sign in with my password, I'm taken back to the same loop.

I don't have a wired keyboard or mouse.