Client forgot pin, trying to delete Ngc folder issues

[katz]

Long story short:

Client forgot their pin, and when we click on "forgot pin," it gives a message that the pc is locked & and to have an administrator log in. I think the owner had set up a local account.

So, my research has led me to trying to delete Ngc folder/contents. My issue at this point is, when trying to take ownership of said folder, my bench PC only sees my account. I'm unable to navigate to the client's drive that I have slaved to my pc. Client's location is not showing up. In other words, I am unable to navigate to a different drive letter.

I figured this would be a simple issue once I slaved to my bench pc, as I've done 100x in the past, but I suppose I am missing something. Ideas?

 

[Diggs]

It sounds like Bitlocker or drive encryption is at work but I can't remember for sure how those show up (or don't show up) on another system.

 

[katz]

It sounds like Bitlocker or drive encryption is at work but I can't remember for sure how those show up (or don't show up) on another system.

I should have mentioned; Bitlocker was enabled, but I was able to unlock it using CMD. Fortunately, I have access to their Msoft account, and I was able to get the Bitlocker key. I have been able to copy their data as well. I'm just not sure if a Windows reinstall will work when I put this drive back in their pc.

 

[HCHTech]

Need some more detail on when this message is presented. During boot, on Windows lock screen, on folder access to slaved drive?

Honestly with the price of drives being so low, it's not worth messing around too long...

 

[katz]

Need some more detail on when this message is presented. During boot, on Windows lock screen, on folder access to slaved drive?

Honestly with the price of drives being so low, it's not worth messing around too long...

From what I have read, it seems to be part of Win 11 quirkiness behavior to sometimes "lose" the pin, causing these issues. She is actually very good about keeping records, and she has never changed her pin. I did notice that when I got it in here, here were updates in the que that applied when I first booted it. I suppose a recent update could have toasted it.

This message occurs on the log in screen, after you enter the pin.

 

[timeshifter]

trying to delete Ngc folder/contents

What is Ngc?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

What is Ngc?

Where Windows stores login creds...
Under C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft

OP, did the end user forget her account password? You can choose to log in a different way, and select the Microsoft account password. Or run through the "forgot password wizard"...satisfy the security questions.

 

[katz]

Where Windows stores login creds...
Under C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft

OP, did the end user forget her account password? You can choose to log in a different way, and select the Microsoft account password. Or run through the "forgot password wizard"...satisfy the security questions.

No, she did not, She just went to use it one morning and it was stuck like this. When she clicks on "I forgot my pin" it then gives her a message that an administrator needs to log in to gain access. There is no other account on the pc but hers.

 

[Markverhyden]

I should have mentioned; Bitlocker was enabled, but I was able to unlock it using CMD. Fortunately, I have access to their Msoft account, and I was able to get the Bitlocker key. I have been able to copy their data as well. I'm just not sure if a Windows reinstall will work when I put this drive back in their pc.

Did you decrypt or just unlock to access? I had a situation where there were a bunch of laptops BL'd. No way to unlock. Because of that I had to disable secure boot to run OS install. Not sure about if you permanently decrypt.

 

[katz]

Did you decrypt or just unlock to access? I had a situation where there were a bunch of laptops BL'd. No way to unlock. Because of that I had to disable secure boot to run OS install. Not sure about if you permanently decrypt.

I read your thread about that. And I'm not sure, lol. I mean, I was able to copy all of their data over afterwards when I slaved the drive to my bench.

 

[Markverhyden]

I read your thread about that. And I'm not sure, lol. I mean, I was able to copy all of their data over afterwards when I slaved the drive to my bench.

TPM stores the BL "activity" AFAIK. So if you have a machine that was BL'd and you just nuked the drive secure boot, aka TPM, is looking for the old key. I'd think just unlocking it would be the same. But now that I think about it with secure boot enabled I was presented with a window to enter the key to do the install. Can you access recovery mode? If so can probably use the existing key.

 

[GTP]

What is Ngc?

No Go Computer?

Seriously though, I'd like to know as well.

 

[GTP]

So @katz are you going to put us out of our misery? Or keep us guessing?

 

[katz]

So @katz are you going to put us out of our misery? Or keep us guessing?

LOL - YeOldeStonecat answered it well -

"Where Windows stores login creds...
Under C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft"

At this point, I have backed everything up, and am attempting a clean install.

​

 

[Rigo]

LOL - YeOldeStonecat answered it well -

"Where Windows stores login creds...
Under C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft"

At this point, I have backed everything up, and am attempting a clean install.

​

Once I manage to get all data out of the drive slaved to one of my computers I just diskpart/clean the drive then proceed to clean install from a USB to save some pain.
Most people nowadays have access to ways of re-installing their programs.

 

[katz]

Success. Clean install went without a hitch. During install, the pc connected to the Msoft store ( signed into it during one of the install prompts) and it then downloaded/restored her backups from the cloud. Was able to create a new PIN, everything turned out well in the end.

Do most of you leave Bitlocker on or off?

 

[Markverhyden]

Success. Clean install went without a hitch. During install, the pc connected to the Msoft store ( signed into it during one of the install prompts) and it then downloaded/restored her backups from the cloud. Was able to create a new PIN, everything turned out well in the end.

Do most of you leave Bitlocker on or off?

In the past I mandated FDE for anyone who was in certain industries that required that as part of data protection. Like health care or financial. But in the end it included so many more since many business have PII for employees as well as customer on their machines. Consumers I didn't push very had.

Times have changed and basically it's being pushed on everyone these days. So like anything else it's a matter of managing the inevitable. So with existing customers it's not so bad. But when new ones come along you never know what you'll get. In those cases I'll generally try to get them properly setup with an MS account, etc if they're getting a new computer.

 

[britechguy]

Do most of you leave Bitlocker on or off?

Unless absolutely necessary for some clear business reason: OFF. For residential clients: OFF.

I literally just had to N&P a very new-ish (less than a year old) Dell laptop the other day, and the first thing I did after it came back up and we got the client logged in with her Microsoft Account Linked Win11 User account was to turn BitLocker off.

I have seen so much grief caused by issues with BitLocker gone awry (which is NOT to say I've seen a lot of it, but what I have had to deal with is horrific) that I just don't want it enabled without very, very good reason.

Unsurprisingly, it's OFF on this Windows 11 Pro machine I'm typing this message from even though it had been on at initial setup and the key is associated with my MS Account.