Microsoft has restored the password sign‑in icon to the Windows 11 lock screen, which disappeared in August

Microsoft fixed the disappearing password login button in Windows 11

After several months of users complaining that after installing Windows 11 updates the “login with password” option disappears from the lock screen menu, the company announced a solution.

What was happening
* When multiple sign‑in methods (password, PIN, biometrics) were available, the password icon disappeared from the lock screen.
* If the user hovered the mouse cursor over where the icon should appear, it “appeared” and the password could be entered.

Microsoft acknowledged the bug in November 2025. It affected Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 after installing update KB5064081 (August 2025) or any subsequent patches.

> “If you hover the cursor over where the icon should appear, you’ll see that the password entry button is still available…,” the company explained.

How to temporarily solve the problem
1. Hover the mouse over where the icon should be.
2. Press a key – a password field will open.
3. Enter your password and log in as usual.

Final fix
In the cumulative update KB5074105 released on January 29, 2026, Microsoft completely eliminated this issue. The same patch also fixed:

* Explorer freezing on first sign‑in;
* OS boot failure with Windows Task Manager debugging enabled;
* iSCSI “Boot device unavailable” error;
* Failed migration of Windows licenses due to inability to register with the activation server.

After installing the update, 24H2 and 25H2 systems will move to builds 26200.7705 and 26100.7705 respectively.

How to install
1. Open Windows Update.
2. Select “Check for updates.”
3. If KB5074105 appears in the list, click “Download and install” (the update is optional).
4. Optionally, you can download the patch manually from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Result: the password login button is now visible again on the lock screen, and other minor Windows 11 issues have been resolved.