3 Simple Steps to Remove Pin from Windows 11

3 Simple Steps to Remove Pin from Windows 11

3 Simple Steps to Remove Pin from Windows 11
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If you’ve been using a PIN to log in to Windows 11, you may have noticed that it’s not as secure as you thought. That’s because PINs can be easily guessed or cracked, especially if they’re simple or common. If you’re concerned about the security of your PIN, you can remove it from your Windows 11 account. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Settings app. You can do this by clicking on the Start button and then clicking on the Settings icon.
2. Click on the Accounts tab.
3. Click on the Sign-in options link in the left sidebar.
4. Under the “PIN” section, click on the Remove button.
5. Enter your password when prompted.
6. Click on the Remove button again to confirm.

Your PIN will now be removed from your Windows 11 account. You will need to use your password to log in to your account from now on.

Identifying the Pinned Items

The first step in removing a pin from Windows 11 is to identify the items that are currently pinned to your Start menu or taskbar. There are two main ways to do this:

Via the Start Menu:

  1. Click on the Start button located in the lower-left corner of your screen.
  2. Hover your mouse over the pinned item you want to identify, which will display its name and icon in a tooltip.
  3. You can also right-click on the pinned item to view a context menu containing additional information about the item, such as its file path or program name.

    Via the Taskbar:

    1. Locate the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
    2. Hover your mouse over the pinned item you want to identify, which will display its name and icon in a tooltip.
    3. You can also right-click on the pinned item to view a context menu containing additional information about the item, such as its file path or program name.

      Modifying the Start Menu Settings

      To modify the Start menu settings and remove pinned content, follow these steps:

      1. Right-click on the Start button or press the Windows key + X and select “Settings”.

      2. In the Settings window, click on “Personalization” and then select “Start” from the left-hand menu.

      3. In the Start settings, scroll down to the “Customize Start” section and click on the “Change what appears on Start” link.

      4. In the “Customize Start” window, you will see a list of items that can be pinned to the Start menu. To remove an item, simply uncheck the box next to it.

      5. Once you have unchecked all of the items you want to remove, click on the “Apply” button. The changes will be saved and the pinned items will be removed from the Start menu.

      Removing Pinned Apps

      To remove a pinned app from the Start menu, follow these steps:

      1. Right-click on the app icon in the Start menu.
      2. Select “Unpin from Start” from the context menu.

      Removing Pinned Folders

      To remove a pinned folder from the Start menu, follow these steps:

      1. Right-click on the folder icon in the Start menu.
      2. Select “Unpin from Start” from the context menu.

      Removing Pinned Tiles

      To remove a pinned tile from the Start menu, follow these steps:

      1. Right-click on the tile in the Start menu.
      2. Select “Unpin from Start” from the context menu.

      Unpinning Widgets

      If you have a widget pinned to your desktop and you want to remove it, you can do so by following these steps:

      1. Click on the widget to open it.

      2. Click on the three dots in the top-right corner of the widget.

      3. Select “Unpin from desktop”.

      This will remove the widget from your desktop. If you want to pin the widget back to your desktop later, you can do so by following the steps in “Pinning Widgets” section.

      Unpinning All Widgets

      If you have multiple widgets pinned to your desktop and you want to remove them all at once, you can do so by following these steps:

      1. Right-click on your desktop.

      2. Select “Personalize”.

      3. Select “Widgets”.

      4. Click on the “Unpin all widgets” button.

      This will remove all of the widgets from your desktop.

      Unpinning Widgets Using the Registry

      If you are comfortable editing the registry, you can also unpin widgets by using the registry editor.

      1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

      2. Type “regedit” and press Enter.

      3. Navigate to the following key:

      “`
      HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
      “`

      4. In the right pane, find the “TaskbarCo” DWORD value.

      5. Double-click on the TaskbarCo value and change the value data to “0”.

      6. Click on “OK” to save the changes.

      This will unpin all of the widgets from your desktop.

      Using Windows PowerShell

      Windows PowerShell is a powerful command-line interface that provides advanced management and automation capabilities in Windows 11. Using PowerShell, you can remove pinned items from the taskbar with just a few simple commands.

      Here’s how to do it:

      1. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager from the context menu.
      2. Click on the More Details button in the Task Manager window.
      3. Select the Details tab.
      4. Find the process named explorer.exe and right-click on it.
      5. Select End task from the context menu.
      6. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
      7. Type powershell and press Enter to open Windows PowerShell.
      8. In the PowerShell window, run the following command to remove the pinned item represented by the AppUserModelID of the icon:
      “`
      Remove-Item “Registry::HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband\Favorites\AppUserModelID\{AppUserModelID}”
      “`
      Where `{AppUserModelID}` should be replaced with the actual AppUserModelID of the pinned item. You can obtain this ID by opening the Registry Editor (regedit) and navigating to the following key:
      “`
      Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband\Favorites
      “`
      Each pinned item will have a unique AppUserModelID.

      Once you have entered the correct command, press Enter to execute it. The pinned item will be removed from the taskbar.

      Restoring the Start Menu to Default

      If you’ve made significant changes to your Start Menu and want to revert to its original state, here’s how:

      1. Open Settings

      Launch the Settings app from the Start Menu or by pressing Windows + I.

      2. Navigate to Personalization

      In the Settings window, select the "Personalization" tab from the left sidebar.

      3. Click "Start"

      Under the "Personalization" section, click on the "Start" option to access Start Menu customization settings.

      4. Reset the Start Menu

      Scroll down to the bottom of the "Start" settings page and find the "Reset Start" button. Click on it to restore the Start Menu to its default layout.

      5. Confirm Reset

      A confirmation dialog will appear. Click on "Reset" to proceed with resetting the Start Menu.

      6. Wait for Reset

      The reset process will take a few moments. Once complete, you’ll be notified.

      7. Check the Start Menu

      After the reset, the Start Menu will have been restored to its default layout. All pinned items, custom groups, and settings will be removed.

      8. Repin Desired Items

      Once the Start Menu is restored, you can repin desired apps, programs, and folders by dragging and dropping them from the All Apps list or the taskbar.

      9. Create New Groups (Optional)

      If you prefer, you can create new groups in the Start Menu to organize your shortcuts. To do this, simply drag and drop one icon onto another.

      10. Customize Start Menu Appearance (Optional)

      You can further customize the appearance of the Start Menu by adjusting the color, transparency, and size of the tiles. To do this, navigate to "Settings" > "Personalization" > "Colors" and make the desired changes under "Start Menu."

      How to Remove a Pin from Windows 11

      If you’ve set up a PIN to log into your Windows 11 computer, you may eventually want to remove it. Here are the steps on how to do so:

      1. Open the Settings app.
      2. Click on “Accounts”.
      3. Click on “Sign-in options”.
      4. Click on “PIN” under “Ways to sign in”.
      5. Click on the “Remove” button.
      6. Enter your password to confirm.

      Once you’ve completed these steps, the PIN will be removed from your computer and you’ll be able to log in using your password.

      People Also Ask

      How do I change my PIN in Windows 11?

      To change your PIN in Windows 11, follow these steps:

      1. Open the Settings app.
      2. Click on “Accounts”.
      3. Click on “Sign-in options”.
      4. Click on “PIN” under “Ways to sign in”.
      5. Click on the “Change” button.
      6. Enter your current PIN.
      7. Enter your new PIN.
      8. Enter your new PIN again to confirm.
      9. Click on the “OK” button.

      How do I remove a PIN from a Microsoft account?

      To remove a PIN from a Microsoft account, you can do so through the Microsoft account website:

      1. Go to the Microsoft account website.
      2. Sign in to your account.
      3. Click on “Security”.
      4. Under “Two-step verification”, click on “Manage PIN”.
      5. Click on the “Remove” button.
      6. Enter your password to confirm.