Many users rely on their computer’s PIN to sign in each day and rarely type their actual Microsoft 365 password. That works fine until something goes wrong, for example if Outlook stops opening or a password change is required.
Your Microsoft 365 password is the key to your entire account: Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and more. If you only know your PIN, you may not be able to access your data from another device or recover your account quickly.
We recommend:
- Make sure you know your current Microsoft 365 password (and not just your Windows PIN).
- Test it by signing into portal.office.com.
- Store it securely in a password manager (We use and supply Keeper but there are many) or note it somewhere safe.
💻 Switching Between PIN and Password Login on Windows
If you ever need to sign into your computer with your full Microsoft 365 password instead of your PIN, here’s how:
- On the Windows sign-in screen, click ‘sign-in options’
- Look for a key under the PIN entry box — click this to switch to password login.
- Enter your full Microsoft 365 password instead of your PIN.
If you want to go back to signing in with your PIN next time, the icon is the little number-pad for PIN. (You may also have a fingerprint option if you use biometric logins too).
This info can be helpful if:
- You’ve forgotten your PIN but still know your password.
- You’ve forgotten your Password but still know your PIN.
- Someone like Anvil has logged in using a password, and the login screen is still ‘set’ to Password login and you need to know how to get back to PIN login
Some other info I wanted to share off the back of a reminder about knowing your MS365 password:
💡 If Desktop Outlook Won’t Open, Use Outlook Web
If the Outlook app ever stops opening or syncing on your PC or Mac, you can always access your email and calendar online.
Just visit https://outlook.office.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 email address and password.
This web version of Outlook should give you full access to your inbox, calendar, and contacts, so you can stay productive while we help resolve any local issues.
Need a hand checking your login details or recovering your Microsoft 365 password?
Contact the Anvil Support Team — we can verify your access and make sure you’re ready before a problem occurs.