Windows Hello PIN Broken After Update? Here's the Real Fix

When This Hits

You boot up your Windows 10 or 11 machine after a cumulative update (the kind that gets pushed on Patch Tuesday), and suddenly your PIN login is dead. The screen shows "Something went wrong" or just a blank PIN entry field. Or worse, you get the dreaded "This sign-in option is disabled because of failed sign-in attempts" — even though you haven't mistyped anything. I had a client last month whose entire office workflow ground to a halt because their primary workstation refused to accept the PIN after a security update. The exact trigger? A Windows Defender definition update combined with a cumulative patch that re-signed the credential provider DLLs.

What Actually Went Wrong

Microsoft security updates occasionally invalidate the cryptographic container that stores your PIN. This container lives in the C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc folder. When the update changes the security policies (like TPM attestation keys or credential guard), the PIN container becomes orphaned. Windows doesn't know how to validate it, so it just gives up. It's not a hardware failure. It's not a corrupt profile. It's a stale container that Windows won't clean up on its own because that folder is protected by SYSTEM permissions.

Fix: Delete the NGC Folder

Skip the usual advice — running sfc /scannow or DISM won't touch this. The real fix is straightforward but you need to work with the right account. Here's the exact sequence I've used on dozens of machines:

1. Boot into Safe Mode with Networking. Hold Shift while clicking Restart, then go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. Press 5 or F5 for Safe Mode with Networking. This gets you past the broken PIN screen.
2. Log in with your Microsoft account password — not a local admin account. If you only have a local account, you'll need to create a temporary admin user first via Command Prompt from the recovery environment (net user temp /add, net localgroup administrators temp /add).
3. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft. You won't see the Ngc folder unless you enable hidden items and system files. Click View > Show > Hidden items, and also uncheck "Hide protected operating system files".
4. Right-click the Ngc folder and select Properties > Security > Advanced. Click Change next to the owner, type your current username, and check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects". Apply. Now you can take ownership.
5. Delete the entire Ngc folder. If it says the folder is in use, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to Details, and kill any Ngc or ngcsvc processes. Then try again.
6. Restart normally. Windows will regenerate the NGC container on next boot. When you log in, choose PIN setup — you'll be prompted to re-create your PIN. Use a different PIN than before. I recommend something you haven't used in the last six months.

Still Broken? Check These

If deleting the NGC folder didn't work, you've got one of these edge cases:

• TPM is disabled in firmware. Hit F2/Del during boot, check Security > TPM. Should be enabled. A BIOS update from your OEM can flip this off unexpectedly.
• Credential Guard is on. Run msinfo32 and check if Credential Guard is running. If it is, you'll need to disable it via Group Policy or WMI — that's a deeper dive. Had a client on a domain whose IT admin turned on Credential Guard without warning.
• Corrupt user profile. Create a new local admin account, log into it, then try setting up PIN. If it works, your original profile is toast. Migrate your data and start fresh.
• Windows Hello biometrics also dead. If fingerprint or face recognition are also broken, the issue is the biometric service. Run services.msc, find Windows Biometric Service, set it to Automatic and start it. Then re-enroll your biometrics in Settings.

The NGC folder delete is the fix 9 times out of 10. Don't waste time on sfc or DISM. Just clean that container and move on.