Microsoft has fixed a long-standing Windows 11 issue that caused the password sign-in option to disappear from the lock screen after installing updates released since August 2025.
The bug affected systems running Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, particularly for users who had multiple sign-in methods enabled, such as PIN, password, fingerprint, or security keys. In these cases, the password icon was missing from the lock screen, even though password-based sign-in was still functional.
Microsoft previously explained that when only a password is configured, Windows 11 shows the password field by default, so no separate icon appears. However, for users with multiple sign-in options, the password icon should normally be visible. If users installed the August 2025 KB5064081 non-security preview update or later updates, the icon could remain hidden due to the bug.
Despite the missing icon, affected users were still able to sign in. Hovering over the empty space where the password icon should appear revealed a hidden button, which could be selected to enter a password and continue signing in normally.
Microsoft has now resolved the issue with the release of the January 2025 optional cumulative update KB5074105, which became available on January 29. Users can install the update by opening Settings, going to Windows Update, checking for updates, and selecting “Download and install,” or by manually downloading it from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
The KB5074105 preview update includes 32 fixes and improvements beyond the lock screen issue. It resolves several boot, sign-in, and activation problems, including iSCSI boot failures that caused “Inaccessible Boot Device” errors and startup hangs when Windows Boot Manager debugging was enabled. It also fixes an issue where Explorer.exe could freeze during the first login if certain apps were set to launch at startup, as well as a bug that caused Windows license migrations to fail during system upgrades.
If this article helped you, please consider supporting our work. Every small contribution keeps Abijita.com independent and running.
