October 2026 | OXEN Technology Blog
If you've tried to log into your computer recently and your PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition suddenly didn't work, there's a good chance it's related to the October Windows security updates. We've been fielding calls about this across our client base for the past week.
Microsoft is replacing a security certificate that's been baked into Windows since 2011. Part of that process requires the computer to rebuild trust between the operating system and the security chip (called a TPM) that stores your Windows Hello credentials: your PIN, facial recognition data, or fingerprint.
When that rebuild happens, your old PIN or biometric stops working. Windows falls back to the password prompt instead.
This is a planned transition that Microsoft has been running for months, with a final deadline that landed in October 2026.
Not every computer will hit this. It depends on when your machine completes the certificate transition and what hardware it has inside. Computers with dedicated graphics cards (common in workstations and higher-end laptops) are more likely to see related issues because of how their hardware interacts with the startup security process.
Once a computer completes the transition, this specific issue is permanently resolved for that device.
Make sure you know your Windows account password.
Most people haven't typed their actual password in months, maybe years, because Windows Hello handles the login automatically. That convenience becomes a real problem when the PIN suddenly stops working and you're staring at a password field you can't fill in.
Test it now:
Lock your computer (Windows key + L)
On the sign-in screen, click Sign-in options
Select the key icon to switch to password entry
Type your password and sign in
If it works, you're good. If it doesn't, reset your password now while you still have access.
If it already happened to you
Sign in using your account password (see steps above), then:
1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options
2. Under PIN (Windows Hello), click Remove, then Add to set up a new PIN
3. Re-enroll facial recognition or fingerprint if you use those
The whole process takes about two minutes. Your files, applications, and settings are untouched.
Some computers may also prompt for a BitLocker recovery key at startup. That's a 48-digit number most people have never seen. Same root cause, different symptom. If you hit this screen, don't panic. Your IT team or managed service provider should have the recovery key on file.
OXEN clients: we escrow recovery keys for all managed devices. Call our support team and we'll get you back in.
Microsoft's 2011 Secure Boot certificate is being retired after more than a decade. The 2023 replacement is already active on most newer computers. The last batch of machines still running the old certificate are transitioning now.
This is the kind of infrastructure change that normally happens invisibly. The timing of the October security updates and the certificate deadline created a visible bump for some users, but it's a one-time event. Once a machine completes the switch, this particular issue is behind it.
If you're not sure whether your computers are affected, or if you need help getting your team ready, reach out to your OXEN account manager or contact our support team. We've been running audits across our managed fleet to get ahead of this.