Fix a Missing Sign-In Box on the Lock Screen
Your lock screen works and the mouse moves, but there's no box to type your PIN or password, so you can't get in. Start with the quick checks; most people never need the later steps.
Have your BitLocker recovery key ready
Some fixes below restart into Windows' recovery menu, which may ask for a BitLocker recovery key, a long string of numbers. Most Windows 11 laptops have this turned on without you knowing.
If you signed in with a Microsoft account, you can find it on another device at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. Steps 1–3 don't need it.
FIXTry these in order
The first three take seconds. The rest use Windows' recovery menu.
- Click once on the lock screen, or press Space or Enter. The picture should slide up and show the box.
- Press Ctrl Alt Delete.
- Just start typing your PIN or password; sometimes the box is there but invisible, and typing then pressing Enter signs you in.
If a second monitor or TV is connected, even switched off, the sign-in box may be showing there.
- Turn on any connected monitor or TV and look for the box.
- Or unplug the extra screen, then press Space.
- On a laptop with the lid closed, open the lid.
- Press Win Ctrl Shift B. The screen flickers as the display driver restarts, which can make the box appear.
- No luck? Click the power icon at the bottom right and choose Restart. If there's no power icon, hold the power button for 10 seconds to turn off, then turn back on.
The next steps all start here.
- If you can see the power icon: hold Shift, click the power icon, and choose Restart. Keep holding Shift until a blue screen appears.
- If you can't: turn the computer on, and as soon as the Windows logo appears, hold the power button to turn it off. Do this 3 times. On the next start, Windows opens Automatic Repair; choose Advanced options.
You'll reach a blue screen titled Choose an option. Steps 5–8 start from it.
- From Choose an option, go to Troubleshoot › Advanced options › Startup Settings and click Restart.
- When the list appears, press 4 for Safe Mode, or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.
If the sign-in box appears in Safe Mode, sign in, then update or roll back your display driver in Device Manager › Display adapters, and restart normally. Safe Mode loads only basic drivers, so a display driver or startup app is the likely cause.
If this started right after Windows installed updates, remove the newest one.
From Choose an option, go to Troubleshoot › Advanced options › Uninstall Updates and choose Uninstall latest quality update. Follow the prompts and restart.
From Choose an option, go to Troubleshoot › Advanced options › System Restore, choose a restore point from before the problem started, and follow the prompts.
Your documents aren't affected, but apps and drivers installed after that date are removed. If you get an error, try an older restore point.
This is the last resort, and the fix that worked for people hit by the April 2026 update. From Choose an option, go to Troubleshoot › Reset this PC and choose Keep my files.
- Contact your computer maker's support, or Microsoft Support. Mention that the sign-in box is missing (not that you forgot your password), and which steps you've tried.
- A repair shop can copy your files off the drive before a full reinstall if you need them.
PREVENTMake it less likely next time
Turn off Fast Startup
Some people avoided the problem this way. In Control Panel, open Power Options › Choose what the power buttons do, click Change settings that are currently unavailable, and untick Turn on fast startup.
Save your recovery key
Print or photograph your BitLocker recovery key now, so you can always reach the recovery menu.
Back up regularly
OneDrive or an external drive means a reset is an inconvenience, not a disaster.
Wait a few days on big updates
Pausing updates for a week lets others find problems first. Don't pause for long; updates fix security holes.
FAQCommon questions
Why is there no password or PIN box on my lock screen?
The part of Windows that draws the sign-in box has failed to load. It's usually caused by a display driver problem, a bad update or a damaged system file, not by anything you did.
Will uninstalling an update delete my files?
No. It only removes the update itself. Your documents, photos and apps are untouched.
Does “Reset this PC” delete my files?
Not if you choose Keep my files. That keeps your personal files but removes installed apps and their settings. Remove everything erases all of it.
What is the BitLocker recovery key and where is it?
BitLocker encrypts your drive, and the recovery key unlocks it when Windows can't confirm it's really your PC. If you use a Microsoft account, it's saved at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. Work PCs: ask your IT team.
I can see the box but my PIN isn't accepted. Is this the same problem?
No. That's a PIN or account problem. Click Sign-in options under the box to use your password instead, or I forgot my PIN to reset it.