The Problem

I can’t log in to a remote server using an Azure Active Domain computer.

This is a problem we’ve seen a lot of recently. Computers using Azure Active Domain force users to log in with a Windows Hello PIN code rather than a conventional password. This can create confusion in regards to the difference between a password and a PIN, but it also creates problems when trying to log into remote servers.

Why does this happen?

Once you’ve logged into Windows using your Hello PIN, when you attempt to log into a remote server you will be asked again for the PIN code, but when the PIN is entered it is not accepted by the remote server, even when you triple check that you’ve entered it correctly. This is because the remote server needs a password rather than a Windows Hello PIN, therefore it will never work.

How can I fix this?

This problem will need to be fixed by Microsoft, but until that happens, here is our work around.

To be able to log into the remote server you will need to log out, making sure to save any documents or emails you’re writing as these will be lost if not saved before logging out. You will be taken to the windows login screen where you will need to do the following:

1. Where it asks you to enter your PIN code, navigate below and click “Sign in options”.
2. Click the key symbol option- This prompts windows to accept a password rather than the PIN.
3. Enter your password to log back in.
4. Now navigate to the remote server that you were initially trying to connect to and your password will now work.

Note that you will need to do this each time you log in to Windows with the intention of logging in to your remote server.