Unable to access pc in safe mode

[SioEdw]

Hi all, hoping for some help, my pc froze so forced a shutdown, it then wouldn’t boot so I started it in safe mode then it finally booted but says there is a problem with your Microsoft pin, click to create new, then says you need an app to do it > search App Store then does nothing, with no option for another sign in, I have shift + L and gone to restore to an earlier date and it also needs Microsoft account sign in, it says password incorrect for e mail so I have changed it and still says incorrect and won’t let me proceed. Any advice? All I can guess is remove Microsoft account from pc via Microsoft sign in remotely but will this let me back into the pc? Will there be Data loss? Can I add the account back if I do this? TIA

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hi all, hoping for some help, my pc froze so forced a shutdown, it then wouldn’t boot so I started it in safe mode then it finally booted but says there is a problem with your Microsoft pin, click to create new, then says you need an app to do it > search App Store then does nothing, with no option for another sign in, I have shift + L and gone to restore to an earlier date and it also needs Microsoft account sign in, it says password incorrect for e mail so I have changed it and still says incorrect and won’t let me proceed. Any advice? All I can guess is remove Microsoft account from pc via Microsoft sign in remotely but will this let me back into the pc? Will there be Data loss? Can I add the account back if I do this? TIA

Is this a pcspecialist system? Can you post your full specs from the order page?

 

[SioEdw]

Case
FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)
Promotional Item
Get Chivalry 2 & HITMAN 3 with select Intel® Core™ Processors
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i7 Eight Core Processor i7-10700K (3.8GHz) 16MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® PRIME Z490-P (LGA1200, USB 3.2, CrossFireX) - ARGB Ready
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2666MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card
8GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 Ti - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
256GB PCS PCIe M.2 SSD (2000 MB/R, 1100 MB/W)
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE BARRACUDA SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
PCS FrostFlow 100 V3 Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
LED Lighting
50cm RGB LED Strip
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Card
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS 802.11N 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Subject to stock availability on pre-order products
Welcome Book
PCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland
Logo Branding
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Price: £0.00 including VAT and Delivery
Unique URL to re-configure: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/saved-configurations/intel-z490-pc/v6bT3dFSts/

 

[SioEdw]

Is this a pcspecialist system? Can you post your full specs from the order page?

Yes it is a PC Specialist system

 

[SpyderTracks]

Yes it is a PC Specialist system

Seems like a known windows issue

Found this from a Microsoft rep, give it a try and let us know:

Redirecting

 

[SpyderTracks]

This looks promising on the same issue and makes more logical sense:

I've solved the issue !!! in my case. none of the solutions here works.
In my case for some reason the bios has made reset, which caused disabling TPM 2.
Once the tpm has been enabled again from the bios, I was managed to set up a new pin, by the option displayed in the login screen.

If you don't know how to enable TPM, Find out which mother-board manufacturer you have (in my case GYGABYTE)
and check how to enable TPM in your bios manufacturer, it is very easy.

Redirecting

 

[TonyCarter]

It looks like it’s a few years old, so I suppose the CMOS battery may have died to cause the reset?

 

[SpyderTracks]

It looks like it’s a few years old, so I suppose the CMOS battery may have died to cause the reset?

Yeah, or perhaps BIOS has automatically updated through windows update and reset or something like that.

That makes a lot more sense, the other people were stating their Microsoft Account was getting brute forced so had been locked out, but OP was able to reset their password, so I don't think that's connected.

 

[SioEdw]

Thanks for your speedy replies guys, i'll give the tpm2 a go, that seems to match my issue precisely, sorry to be a pain but can anyone advise how you do this? is it in advanced options in the bios? for my motherboard posted above

Hopefully it will then let me make a new pin without the microsft password that it wont recognise, i'll post results tomorrow, once again, thanks for your help

If i manage to do it does anyone know of a way to just remove the microsft pasword from restoring to earlier dates etc? It should be straight forward for issues like this and just restore from the day before

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks for your speedy replies guys, i'll give the tpm2 a go, that seems to match my issue precisely, sorry to be a pain but can anyone advise how you do this? is it in advanced options in the bios? for my motherboard posted above

Hopefully it will then let me make a new pin without the microsft password that it wont recognise, i'll post results tomorrow, once again, thanks for your help

If i manage to do it does anyone know of a way to just remove the microsft pasword from restoring to earlier dates etc? It should be straight forward for issues like this and just restore from the day before

Yep, it's page 42 on the manual here:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/13MANUAL/PRIME_PRO_PROART_TUF_GAMING_Intel_400_Series_BIOS_EM_WEB_EN.pdf?model=PRIME%20Z490-P

In Advanced / PCH-FW Configuration, under PTT, make sure that's set to enabled

If it is disabled though, I'd give PCS a call and enquire about updating your BIOS, as that setting should be enabled by default on a modern BIOS version.

 

[SioEdw]

Thanks, is that the directions for the tpm2, is it PTT that should be disabled? As I thought I was needing to enable tpm2?

Just to clarify, in your last statement is it that it should be enabled or disabled?
Thanks

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks, is that the directions for the tpm2, is it PTT that should be disabled? As I thought I was needing to enable tpm2?

Just to clarify, in your last statement is it that it should be enabled or disabled?
Thanks

Sorry, it should be enabled, not disabled! That’s the TPM

 

[SioEdw]

Thanks all, no luck, microsoft password still not working to do a system restore.

With regards to TPM, please see attached / below image, under advanced settings > PCH-FW Configuration> the option is showing is enable discreet TPM , the only other option is enable firmware TPM. Any ideas? Also no other options shown so cannot see a PTT anywhwere?

Close to giving it a bath..See if that does anything! Would PCS offer any support ?

 

[TonyCarter]

That looks like it's got a more recent BIOS than the manual shows, as the PTT (Platform Trust Technology) item has been renamed to TPM (Trusted Platform Module)...but it's the same thing.

 

[SioEdw]

Ahh, ok, thanks, so which setting should it be on ? I'm guessing that is not what is causing my issues then?

I'm thinking re-formatting is my only option unless i want to pay someone ? Unless anyone knows how to bypass the microsoft sign in to enable a system restore?

I have really important files not backed up! Nightmare

 

[TonyCarter]

Surely all your files are on the HDD? So if it's just the SSD that's failed, then a replacement and a new install of Windows will get you up & running...but we don't know if the SSD has died or not.

Can you get into Start Up Repair as detailed in the links provided previously?

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks all, no luck, microsoft password still not working to do a system restore.

With regards to TPM, please see attached / below image, under advanced settings > PCH-FW Configuration> the option is showing is enable discreet TPM , the only other option is enable firmware TPM. Any ideas? Also no other options shown so cannot see a PTT anywhwere?

Close to giving it a bath..See if that does anything! Would PCS offer any support ?

It should be on firmware TPM, you don’t have a discrete TPM

 

[SioEdw]

Thanks again,

Spyder, it is set to enable discrete TPM so i'll swap this over and see if it does anything, hopefully i wont loose any data?

Tony, unfortunately it wont let me use any of the repair tools whatsoever as you need your microsft e-mail password to access them but the thing thats gone wrong is stopping the password synching so it won't recognise the password and wont let me creat a new pin to gain access to the OS, from looking on forums this seems to be a big issue in that , it stores the e-mail password from when you set up your system and i have changed password may times since and it won't work with any i can remember, some folks on the forum were lucky and remebered their old passwords. I think the hard drives are ok and that it is an update that has triggered something in the Bios, i am not good with modern computers, but from my limited knowledge i think i can reset from the Bios and choose to keep hard drive files and settings?



TIA

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks again,

Spyder, it is set to enable discrete TPM so i'll swap this over and see if it does anything, hopefully i wont loose any data?

Tony, unfortunately it wont let me use any of the repair tools whatsoever as you need your microsft e-mail password to access them but the thing thats gone wrong is stopping the password synching so it won't recognise the password and wont let me creat a new pin to gain access to the OS, from looking on forums this seems to be a big issue in that , it stores the e-mail password from when you set up your system and i have changed password may times since and it won't work with any i can remember, some folks on the forum were lucky and remebered their old passwords. I think the hard drives are ok and that it is an update that has triggered something in the Bios, i am not good with modern computers, but from my limited knowledge i think i can reset from the Bios and choose to keep hard drive files and settings?



TIA

Shouldn’t lose anything by enabling fTPM. All that’s doing is allowing things like passwords to be stored in an encrypted part of the BIOS essentially.

Its like it’s unlocking the BIOS so that windows is allowed to access it and drop things like the Windows PIN in there.

At the moment as it’s set to discrete, windows is looking for a dedicated TPM card (which doesn’t exist)

What may happen is that it can’t find the relevant PIN stored, but hopefully once fTPM is set it will show the option to change the PIN