To protect your computer from unauthorized access, Windows employs several security features, and the first one you would usually encounter is the Windows login. In Windows 11 and Windows 10, Microsoft offers Windows Hello for even tighter security.
With Windows Hello, users can log into their devices, websites, and applications using a preset PIN, facial recognition, iris scan, or fingerprints. However, it’s not smooth sailing. Sometimes, logging setting up Windows Hello for business fails, and the system throws the 0x80040154 error code.
Error 0x80040154 can be seen when using Windows Update or Microsoft Store, running Outlook, in Mail & Calendar app, in Microsoft Edge browser, etc. Here we discuss this error code when it appears when setting up a PIN.
Windows Hello for Business PIN setup error 0x80040154
If you are unable to log in or set up Windows Hello for business, and you experiencing the 0x80040154 error code, you can fix it with the following solutions:
- Update your Windows version.
- Enable DomainPINLogo in the Windows Registry.
- Clear the Ngc folder on your computer.
- Turn on the TPM.
- Verify your Microsoft Account on Windows.
Read on, as I explore the above solution in detail.
1] Update your Windows version
The error 0x80040154 is established to affect computers running on specific Windows versions. In response, Microsoft has rolled out a Windows Update that fixes the bug. Below is a brief guide for updating your Windows version.
- First, press the Windows + I key combination to open Windows Settings. Here, click on Windows Update from the side panel.
- Next, click on the Check for updates button if your system is not up to date. If the search finds available updates, click on Download and install, and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
- Downloading the updates may take minutes or hours, depending on the size of the updates. Following the download, install the updates and restart your machine to finalize the operation.
If your computer is up to date but the 0x80040154 error keeps showing up when you set up your PIN for Windows Hello, continue with the next solution below.
Read: List of Windows PIN Error Codes with solutions.
2] Enable DomainPINLogo in the Windows Registry
Some users may experienced a reset of their Windows Hello PIN during a feature upgrade. You may be one of these users, and as such, you have to enable domain PIN login from the Registry Editor. Follow the steps below to do this:
Press the Windows key + R key combination, enter regedit, and hit ENTER to open the Registry Editor. If the Registry Editor fails to open, read this guide.
In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
Here, look for AllowDomainPINLogo from the right-hand pane. If you don’t find it, you have to create it by right-clicking on an empty area on the right and going to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the value AllowDomainPINLogo and proceed with this guide.
Next, double-click on AllowDomainPINLogo and enter 1 in the Value data field. Select Hexadecimal radio option Base and finally, click on the OK button to save and close the window.
When you complete the above steps, close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
3] Clear the Ngc folder on your computer
It is important to note that you aren’t meant to delete the Ngc folder but empty its contents. The Ngc folder stores data required for saving and accessing your PIN information. Therefore, this folder is the next suspect when updating your Windows OS version does not fix the 0x80040154 error.
NOTE: You need to be logged into Windows with an Administrator account to get to the Ngc folder.
First, access the Ngc folder by navigating to:
C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft
Here, double-click on the Ngc folder to open it.
Here, click on any content of the folder and press the CTRL + A combination to select every other content of the Ngc folder.
Finally, hit the DELETE button and confirm your action. Restart your PC after deleting everything in the Ngc folder, and you should no longer get the error 0x80040154.
4] Turn on the TPM
To set up TPM to fix the 0x80040154 error, invoke the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R combination. Next, type tpm.msc into the Run dialog box and hit ENTER.
On the new Trusted Platform Module window that opens, click on Action from the top menu and select Prepare the TPM from the context menu.
Following the previous step, you should now restart your PC to effect the changes. When your computer starts up, follow the next steps as directed on the screen.
Finally, restart your computer again to finalize the TPM set up and clear the Windows Hello 0x80040154 error.
5] Verify your Microsoft Account on Windows
Press the Windows key + I combination to launch Windows Settings. Here, click on Settings from the left-hand pane.
Next, click on Your info and you will see an option that says Verify your identity to sync passwords across your devices. Click on Verify.
Next, a little window pops up, which shows your email address and verification options. Click on your email address if you have access to it, and you will receive an email from the Microsoft account team.
Open this email and find a 7-digit PIN. Type this PIN into the Windows account verification window to complete the verification. If you do not have access to your Microsoft account email, you can explore the other verification methods given on the screen.
What is TPM?
TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module, and it has been on Windows PCs for the last few years. TPM is a chip on your computer’s motherboard that supplies a cryptographic key for securing access to your computer.
What is Windows Hello for Business?
Window Hello for Business is similar to Windows Hello, but instead of passwords, the user gets strong two-factor authentication protection for their devices and account.
What type of camera is needed for Windows Hello?
In order to make use of Windows Hello Facial Recognition, your webcam must have special infrared sensors and hardware, according to Microsoft. Typically, you need either an Intel ReaseSense or a 3D camera. If a developer wishes to build an infrared (IR) camera for Windows Hello, they have to first get the camera certified by the Hello Companion Device framework. Without this, you can’t integrate the IR camera into a Hello solution.
