Cannot use my PIN

I would suggest you Run Microsoft account troubleshooter and check.
Microsoft Account Troubleshooter
http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/2/4/F24D0C03-4181-4E5B-A23B-5C3A6B5974E3/microsoftaccounts.diagcab
You also can press CTRL+Alt+Del and choose to Change Password. Here you can also create a Recover Password disc.
You can also go to Start/Search and type Credentials. Go to the Windows Credentials tab and View your Windows Credentials, Back them up, or Restore backed up credentials.
If this still fails, Enable the Hidden Built In Administrator, log out as you, login as the Built in Admin, Here you can change the your user name Password or PIN. Be sure to Hide the Administrator account when done.

Terrypin said:

On bootup I am now asked for my password instead of my handy PIN.



Clicking this results in a very brief appearance of the 'spinner' then nothing. Nor is there a 'Forgot my PIN' facility anywhere, as mentioned in several articles.
I haven't forgotten my PIN - it just no longer appears at login, so I have to use a long password. I even tried changing that, but the same issue remains.

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

@Terrypin, did this just start happening? Have you made any changes to your system, such as upgraded to Creators Update, or clean installed? Any other recent unexplained sudden changes?

Terrypin said:

Thanks Dick. I have been doing a lot of experimenting/fiddling/tweaking today, so I guess I may have screwed up. But nothing obvious I can pinpoint.

My first approach was therefore a recent System Restore (BTW, it had to be very recent, as there were few offered, a puzzle I'll pursue later). But it failed, with an unknown error. I'm getting more worried....

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

Side note, Restore Points are not very reliable. Image backups, such as ones made with free Macrium Reflect, are as close to bulletproof as you can get. No, I do not work for them!

Here's a link if you want to look. Highly recommended by most on Tenforums.

Macrium Reflect Free | Macrium Software

Terrypin said:

My first approach was therefore a recent System Restore (BTW, it had to be very recent, as there were few offered, a puzzle I'll pursue later). But it failed, with an unknown error. I'm getting more worried....

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

@Terrypin

A thought on this part. Check your setting for usage. May be too low, and older ones are being deleted automatically to make room for new ones. Ignore my other settings, I have System Protection turned off.

Terrypin said:

Thanks Dick, I agree. I upped mine a short while ago from about 6 GB to 12 GB, when I saw how few SR's I had to fall back on. With my old XP PC, predecessor of this, I never had this problem - recall having many restore points. Do SRs have to be on my C: OS drive, which is a 256 GB SSD and so could be a limitation, or can I put them on my D: drive, 4 TB?

To my knowledge, they must reside on the boot drive, otherwise recovery may not see them. They're also in the System Volume Information directory, so kinda tied to the "C" drive.

I rely on MR alone. I do not even use Restore Points.