Diff between Hyper-V Home and Pro guest logins using PIN?

Cbarnhorst · 19 Apr 2017

Although both Windows 10 Home and Pro support use of a PIN for login on devices, that does not appear to be the case when using Hyper-V virtual machines.

I have three W10 Home x64 virtual machines and five W10 Pro x64 virtual machines spread across two hosts.

I use PINs to log in to all three of the W10 Home vms, but the option to use a PIN is not even present in any of the five W10 Pro virtual machines.

Is a PIN incompatible with remote desktop connections or something that Pro supports and Home doesn't?

What gives?

Mystere · 19 Apr 2017

I just happened to have installed a Hyper-V instance of Win10 Pro CU and was given the option to create a pin (which I declined), so it seems to be offered on Hyper-v.

Cbarnhorst · 19 Apr 2017

Please see if you have an option for a PIN in Accounts/Login Options. The option remains in Home but not in Pro on my Hyper-V instances of Pro.

Kari · 20 Apr 2017

Of course PIN is working on Hyper-V guests running any edition of Windows 10 in normal mode. However, PIN sign-in is not available in Enhanced Session Mode (ESM) which is based on Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) which requires a password sign-in disabling PIN.

When you run a a guest VM and click Connect when ESM prompt is shown you will be connected to VM using ESM:

Diff between Hyper-V Home and Pro guest logins using PIN?-image.png

If you decide to save connection settings, EMS will be be default connection to that VM and this prompt will no longer be shown but instead you will always be connected using ESM:

Now when VM is connected in ESM, PIN will be disabled and sign in screen does not even show the Sign-in options link under the password field:

(Click screenshots to enlarge.)

In ESM you cannot set / remove / change PIN because it is completely disabled, therefore PIN options are not even shown in Settings:

Simply unselecting ESM from View menu enables PIN again, Sign-in options link again visible:

And PIN, once again enabled, will be shown in Settings:

Enhanced Session Mode is available on all guests running any edition of Windows 8 or later when guest is a Generation 2 virtual machine, and in Windows 8 / 8.1 PRO and Enterprise as well as Windows 10 PRO, Education and Enterprise editions on Generation 1 virtual machines.

Short: judging by your original post I think your Home edition guests are Generation 1 virtual machines and therefore the ESM connection prompt is not shown as Generation 1 VM running Home edition does not support it. Because ESM is supported by PRO guests regardless of their generation, you will be connected using ESM thus having yourself selected to disable PIN login.

To connect in normal mode just close the EMS prompt when it's shown. If you want to you can completely disable EMS in Hyper-V settings:

Kari

Cbarnhorst · 20 Apr 2017

Thanks for the great reply! By the way, the Home guests are Generation 2. ESM is disabled for Home guests. IIRC, Home doesn't have RDP.

Boomalator · 24 Jul 2017

Kari said:

Of course PIN is working on Hyper-V guests running any edition of Windows 10 in normal mode. However, PIN sign-in is not available in Enhanced Session Mode (ESM) which is based on Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) which requires a password sign-in disabling PIN.
When you run a a guest VM and click Connect when ESM prompt is shown you will be connected to VM using ESM...

You rock. Thanks!

MikeEEE · 10 Aug 2018

Pardon my confusion here and thank you in advance for any assistance you can lend... how does one enable Hello/PIN with Enhanced Session Mode on?

Cbarnhorst · 10 Aug 2018

@MikeEEEE. You can't. Enhanced mode uses a remote connection and a PIN can only be used directly on the device. A PIN cannot be entered by any sort of remote connection. A PIN thus provides extra security against remote access of your device, requiring the person logging in to be physically at the computer.

MikeEEE · 11 Aug 2018

Thank you for taking the time to provide that context and information, @Cbarnhorst. In this case, I am on the "device" or server by way of Hyper-V. Is there any magic that can be done to enable this for this scenario?