How to Fix Windows stuck in Diagnostic Startup mode

Here are some practical techniques to troubleshoot the issue if you are stuck in Diagnostic Startup mode on your Windows 11/10 PC and an error screen says your PIN isn't available. This could happen if you have set Windows to start in Diagnostic Startup mode in MSCONFIG and cannot change it.

The "Your PIN isn't available" error message is a common issue among Windows users when trying to sign in to their computers using the Windows Hello PIN. This may occur in an array of contexts. For instance, users who try to test or troubleshoot something in Diagnostic Startup mode often find themselves stuck there. Because of the problem, the system cannot validate the current PIN, and hence the user cannot create a new PIN. The whole error message is as follows:

There was an issue and your PIN is currently unavailable. To reset your PIN, click here.

This issue appears with newer editions of Windows 11 and 10 due to a setting that involves Microsoft accounts. This setting blocks the use of password logins and favors Windows Hello authentication methods instead, such as PIN. That said, if services related to Windows Hello are shut down, the system will be unable to check the PIN, making signing in using only your Microsoft account impossible.

I don't understand why it would conflict with your PIN, but hey, it's Diagnostic Startup Mode, anyway. Diagnostic Startup: A debugging configuration that simply loads only necessary drivers and services, which allows one to find problems with Windows-related software, drivers, or configurations with ease.

During diagnostic startup, Windows Hello and PIN authentication, among other non-essential services, are disabled. The system cannot validate an existing PIN or allow the creation of a new one without these services.

Windows 11: How to Disable Diagnostic Startup

If you can't seem to get out of Diagnostic Startup mode in Windows and can't remember your PIN, here are a few things you can try:

Enable Command Prompt in Utilman for Normal Boot

Use Regedit while in Windows Recovery mode to disable PIN-only sign-in.

When in a recovery environment, use system restore.

Look at this closely.

1] Use the Command Prompt to Restore Normal Boot (Utilman)

One workaround is to use the Recovery Environment to switch out Utilman.exe for cmd.exe (Command Prompt), which will allow you to access administrative tools directly from the login screen.

One system utility that helps make the internet more accessible for people with impairments is utilman.exe. The Ease of Access symbol is located on the login screen. You can access the Command Prompt from your login screen, launch MSConfig, and return the system to Normal Startup by temporarily substituting "cmd.exe" for "Utilman.exe." Give it a try:

To reboot, Shift + click the Power icon in the bottom-right corner of the login screen and select Restart. When Windows boots up, it will enter the Recovery Environment.

Under the "Choose an option" section, under Troubleshoot, select Advanced options, then select Command Prompt.

Once your computer restarts, you may be prompted to enter the administrator password. To proceed, select your account and enter the appropriate password.

By default, the Command Prompt will open with administrative privileges. For every command that you will be typing in the Command Prompt window, make sure to press Enter afterwards:

move utilman.exe from c:windowssystem32 to a different location. type the following command: c:windowssystem32utilman.exe c:windowssystem32cmd.exe

Once the commands have executed, execute this command:

end shutdown

In a blink of an eye, your computer will start again. From the login screen icons, click on Ease of Access (icons are located in the bottom right corner). This will open the Command Prompt.

In the Command Prompt, after typing msconfig, press the Enter key. A window, System Configuration, will appear.

From the General tab, select Normal startup from the Startup menu. To save your changes, click Apply and then OK.

In the Command Prompt, type exit and press Enter to close it. Restart the device, and from the login screen, select the Power button at the bottom right of the window. Click that.

You can now sign in normally using your PIN on your computer since it has booted with all necessary services on.

Next, follow these steps to restore the original Utilman.exe file to its former glory:

Open File Explorer to C: /, where the original Utilman.exe file is temporarily located. Navigate to C:WindowsSystem32 and right-click the "Utilman.exe" file there. Once you have opened the folder, click "Paste". If you are prompted to continue, click Continue to complete the operation.

2. Disable PIN-only sign-in using Regedit in Windows Recovery mode.

This involves turning off the PIN-only sign-in policy using the Registry Editor in Recovery Mode.

Be very careful with the registry in Recovery Mode. A mistake can render your system unbootable or worse. Proceed with caution, and only if you understand the steps clearly.

To boot into recovery mode, follow the steps as described above. Select Command Prompt under the Advanced options submenu of Troubleshoot in the Recovery menu.

Type regedit onto the Command Prompt and hit Enter. Similar to RegEdit in WinRE by default, this will open the Registry Editor without registry hives.

Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE from the left-hand pane, then go to the File menu, and finally, choose Load Hive. to load the registry hives.

Identify which drive Windows is installed on. By default, in WinRE, it is not C:, it may be D: or E:. Go to the [Drive letter]:Go into the WindowsSystem32Config directory and select the SOFTWARE hive file. If prompted, name the hive temporarily (like "ssoftware").

Go to the next step and expand the loaded hive with this path:

Software registry key This computer does not have a requirement for password access to Microsoft Windows.

Locate Find DevicePasswordLessBuildVersion and change the value from 2 to 0.

Require Windows Hello sign-in with a PIN is unchecked.

Test that you can log in using your password after the reboot. If your password isn't accepted, you might need to go through extra steps because it wasn't used locally previously. This is how you ensure that all of the services required for you to log in, connect to the network, and validate back to Microsoft servers are running.

Reboot and return to the WinRE Command Prompt. Open Registry Editor again. Again, load the SYSTEM hive, this time prefixing it with "system".

Next, locate this key:

the registry key for the system control set 001 services

For each of those services, set the Start key value to the following:

Manual (Start = 3):

Internet Protocol/IP NetBIOS Helper lmhosts

Netman, responsible for networking

The Credential Manager at VaultSvc

What is Windows Event Collector, or Wecsvc?

Windows Biometric Service, or WbioSrvc for short

The Windows Live ID Sign-in Component

Start automatically at 2:

This is the DHCP client.

Microsoft's EventLog

COM+ Event System, or EventSystem

Server known as LanmanServer

Your computer, LanmanWorkstation

Network Location Awareness, or NlaSvc.

"Network Store Interface Service" means "nsi."

Manager of Security Accounts, SamSs

Restart your computer and power it on. The machine should now be able to connect to Microsoft servers to validate your login password because the services have been restored.

See also: Windows cannot exit Selective Startup mode.

Third, do system restore in recovery environment.

The best way to get your system back to normal once an issue has occurred is to have a restore point created before the problem occurred.

Hold down Shift and choose Restart from the Power button on the login screen. Alternatively, you can boot from the installation disc, then select the language you want to use and then click the Next button.

Click on the Repair Your Computer option.

Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore once you enter the WinRE.

Clicking this button opens the System Restore window, where you can choose one of the previously created backups.

Select a restore point before enabling Diagnostic Startup. Then click Next and follow the on-screen instructions in order to complete the restore. That is all, good luck.