Cannot login to Windows even though my Password is correct

[Woodman78]

Hey,

I got an email yesterday from Microsoft saying that "Security Info was Added" to my account. I did not add this.

Then I could not access Minecraft and when I tried to login into it, it would not accept the Password that I had been using. I reset the password but that did nothing. Eventually gave up and turned the machine off. Turned it on this morning and I could not even log in. It kept saying that my password was not correct. I went to another PC and signed into Microsoft there and changed my password thinking that might be the issue. I now have access to my Microsoft account on that other PC but I cannot access Windows on my main PC. I booted into the Recovery menu and when I started that I got an error saying "Your device ran into a problem and couldn't be repaired.". I am stumped. I tried to boot into Safe Mode with Networking but that will not accept the password either. I tried to go to the Command Line and load the Hive to remove that error but I cannot access that either and it says that it is currently in use. I don't see how that is since I just turned the PC on.

Is this something to do with the local password being out of sync with the online one? Something happened yesterday and I don't know what.

Yesterday I was getting the window in the attached image but it was showing an email address that had nothing to do with me.

I would appreciate any help that anyone can give on how to get back into Windows?

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Woodman78,
This does not look like a normal “password out of sync” issue.
Your screenshot shows an unfamiliar Microsoft account and an unknown recovery email (az*****@azona.cc). Combined with the “Security info was added” email and the sudden loss of access to Minecraft and Windows, the most likely explanation is that your Microsoft account was compromised. Microsoft’s guidance for a compromised account is to secure the account first from a trusted device, then recover sign-in access.

What is probably happening​

1. Your Windows password and your Microsoft account password are the same thing if you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account.
2. Your PIN is different. It is device-local and not the same as your Microsoft password.
3. In Safe Mode, Windows generally requires the password, not the PIN or biometrics.

Do this first from the other PC or your phone​

1. Do not use the affected PC yet for account recovery.
2. Sign in to your Microsoft account from the clean PC and open Recent activity.
3. Review every sign-in and profile/security change you do not recognize.
4. Mark unknown events as “This wasn’t me” if offered.
5. Go to Security and:
   1. Change the password again to a brand new one.
   2. Remove any security info you did not add.
   3. Remove unknown aliases / recovery methods / devices.
   4. Turn on two-step verification and preferably add Microsoft Authenticator.
6. Run a full malware scan on the affected PC before trusting it again. Microsoft explicitly recommends scanning for malware before or during recovery of a compromised account.

Then try to get back into Windows​

1. Boot to the normal Windows sign-in screen.
2. Make sure the PC is connected to the internet from the sign-in screen.
3. Select Sign-in options.
4. Choose the password/key icon, not the PIN option.
5. Enter your new Microsoft account password.
6. If you see “I forgot my password”, use it.
7. If you see “Web sign-in”, use that. Microsoft supports password reset from the sign-in screen through Forgot password or Web sign-in.

If Windows asks for the PIN instead​

1. Click Sign-in options.
2. Switch to password.
3. If “I forgot my PIN” is available, you can reset the PIN from the sign-in screen.
4. If “I forgot my PIN” is not available, Microsoft says you must sign in with your password first, then reset the PIN afterward.

If the wrong account is shown on the sign-in screen​

1. Look for Other user.
2. Enter your actual Microsoft email address manually.
3. Then enter your new Microsoft password. Microsoft notes that if the needed account is not listed, you can sign in as Other user and type that account’s credentials.

Important quick checks​

1. Verify the keyboard layout on the sign-in screen.
2. Test letters carefully in the password box for:
   1. @
   2. uppercase/lowercase
   3. number row vs numpad
3. If Caps Lock is on, turn it off.
4. If you normally used a PIN, remember that Safe Mode will not accept the PIN. Use the Microsoft account password.

My direct answer to your sync question​

Not exactly.
This is usually not a “local password is out of sync” problem. For a Microsoft-account Windows login, the password is your Microsoft account password, while the PIN is local to the device. If you changed the Microsoft password, the correct thing to try at Windows sign-in is the new Microsoft password, using the password sign-in option, not the PIN.

If it still will not accept the password​

1. Tell me exactly what you see on the sign-in screen:
   1. PIN box or password box
   2. whether Sign-in options is visible
   3. whether Other user is available
   4. whether the PC is definitely online
2. Tell me whether you can still sign in to account.microsoft.com with the new password right now.
3. Tell me your Windows version:
   1. Windows 10
   2. Windows 11

If you reply with those three details, I can give you the next exact recovery step without guessing.

 

[Woodman78]

That will not work because the activity does not show up in recent activity.

 

[ChatGPT]

That actually fits a compromise scenario.
Microsoft says the Recent activity page does not show all account activity; you’ll usually only see significant events, so nothing showing there does not rule out unauthorized changes.

What to do next​

1. From the other PC, go straight to your Microsoft account Security area.
2. Check every sign-in / verification method and remove anything you do not recognize.
3. Check for:
   1. Unknown email addresses
   2. Unknown phone numbers
   3. Unknown Authenticator / passkey entries
   4. Unknown aliases
4. Change the password again to a brand new one.
5. Turn on two-step verification after you remove the bad security info.
6. Use Microsoft’s compromised account recovery flow if any unknown security info remains or you cannot fully clean it up. Microsoft’s hacked-account guidance is to treat the PC as potentially infected, run a full malware scan, then secure the account. (support.microsoft.com)

For getting back into Windows​

1. At the sign-in screen, choose Sign-in options.
2. Select the password option, not the PIN.
3. Use your new Microsoft account password.
4. If needed, use I forgot my password or Web sign-in from the Windows sign-in screen. Microsoft documents both of those recovery paths.
5. If Windows is asking for a PIN, remember the PIN is separate from your Microsoft password. If I forgot my PIN is available, use it; if not, you must sign in with the password first.
6. If the wrong account is shown, choose Other user and manually type your real Microsoft email address and password.

Important note about Safe Mode​

1. Safe Mode usually requires the password, not the PIN.
2. So if Safe Mode rejected what you entered, make sure you were entering the Microsoft account password, not the Windows Hello PIN.

My best guess now​

The fact that:

1. you received “Security info was added”
2. the screenshot showed an unknown account / recovery address
3. Recent activity shows nothing useful

suggests the attacker may have changed or added account/security data in a way that is not fully reflected there, which Microsoft explicitly warns can happen because not all activity is shown.

Reply with these 3 things​

1. On the clean PC, do you currently see any unknown security methods or aliases on your Microsoft account?
2. On the affected PC, does the sign-in screen show password, PIN, or Other user?
3. Is the affected PC definitely connected to the internet at the sign-in screen?

If you give me those 3 answers, I can tell you the next exact step.