How to fix error 0x80280013 when logging in Windows

Windows provides 4 different ways to log in to the computer for users: Face recognition, fingerprint, PIN code and security key. Most of the time all these options work fine but sometimes you will get error 0x80280013 when trying to sign in with PIN.

Often an incompatible Windows update is the cause of the error, but sometimes the problem can be more serious. If you are getting login error 0x80280013 here are a few things you can try.

What causes Windows logon error 0x80280013?

The PIN is the favorite way to sign in to Windows for many users. But sometimes you will get error 0x80280013 even if you enter the correct PIN.

Here are some causes of error 0x80280013:

1. You are more likely to get error 0x80280013 if you are using an outdated version of Windows or have problems with the current update.
2. Ngc folder is corrupted due to various reasons and leads to login failure.
3. Error 0x80280013 can also appear if TPM is disabled on your machine.

Now, we will come to the solutions that can help fix error 0x80280013.

1. Update or remove the most recent Windows update

The first thing you need to do to fix this problem is to download the latest Windows update. This will work if the error stems from an issue in the current version of Windows. The steps are as follows:

1. Go to Settings and then select Windows Update
2. Click Check for updates
3. After you see the update, click Download and install and then wait for the system to download and install the update.
4. After the system has finished installing the update, you need to restart the computer (if it did not restart during the update process) and then check if the error has been fixed or not.

In the opposite case, if the error 0x80280013 appears right after you install a new update, you need to fix it by removing that update. You can do the following:

1. Open the Start menu then type Control Panel and press Enter
2. Click on Programs > Programs and Features
3. Click View installed updates in the left panel
4. Click the Uninstall button next to the most recently installed update and click Uninstall again to confirm your choice.
   
5. Restart your computer to see if the problem is fixed or not.
6. You can also follow the instructions in the video below to uninstall a Windows update:

2. Delete Ngc . folder

As mentioned above, there are many ways to log in to your Windows computer. But if you use a PIN code, your computer will create a separate folder to store all PIN related information. This folder is named Ngc.

However, sometimes the Ngc folder is corrupted and it makes you unable to log in to the computer. To solve this, you need to delete all the content inside the Ngc folder. Here's how to do it:

Note: You need to use an account with admin rights to be able to access and delete the Ngc folder.

1. Press the shortcut Win + R to open Run then copy / paste the following path into Run and then click OK.
   

   C:WindowsServiceProfilesLocalServiceAppDataLocalMicrosoft

2. Right-click the Ngc folder and select Delete in the context menu.

Now try to restart the computer and log in to Windows to see if the error is fixed or not.

3. Adjust TPM settings

The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) uses encryption keys to keep your computer safe. If you want to use a PIN to sign in to Windows, you must enable TPM. Here's how to turn it on:

1. Press Windows + R to open Run then type tpm.msc and press Enter.
2. In the TPM management window, click the Action tab in the upper bar and select Prepare the TPM from the context menu.

Restart the computer to save the changes.

Don't worry if the Prepare the TPM option is grayed out and cannot be selected because it means TPm is already enabled on your computer.

4. Disable Fast Startup

Most boot or logon problems are usually fixed by disabling Fast Startup, which makes the computer start up faster. There are many ways to disable Fast Startup on Windows but this is the simplest way:

1. Open Control Panel and go to System and Security > Power Options .
2. Click Choose what the power button does in the left pane.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable .
4. Uncheck Turn on fast startup under Shutdowns settings .
5. Click Save changes .

So Fast Startup has been turned off. Please restart your computer and try to log in again.

5. Enable convenient PIN login

The convenient PIN sign-in feature in Group Policy allows you to decide which users are allowed to log in with a PIN. If this feature is disabled, there is no way you can sign in with a PIN.

You can enable this feature by following these instructions:

1. Open Run then type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon .
3. Find and double-tap Turn on convenience PIN sign-in .
4. Click Enable and click Apply > OK .

If you cannot open the Group Policy Editor, you are probably using Windows Home edition. At that time, use other solutions to fix error 0x80280013.

6. Enable the IPsec Policy Agent service

The next solution that you can try is to enable the IPsec Policy Agent service. Here's how:

1. Open the Start Menu, type Service in the search bar and press Enter.
2. Find and double-click the IPsec Policy Agent service .
3. Click the arrow in the drop-down menu of the Startup type section and then select Automatic.
4. Click the Start button in the Service status section.
5. Click Apply > OK to save the changes.

7. Reset PIN

If you still get the error 0x80280013, there is no other way but to reset the PIN. You can do it by following the instructions below:

1. Open Settings by pressing the shortcut Win + I .
2. Select Accounts in the left pane.
3. Select Sign-in options under Account settings .
4. Select the drop-down icon next to PIN (Windows Hello) .
5. Click the I forgot my PIN link .
6. Click Continue.
7. Enter the code sent to your email.
8. Set up a new PIN .

Above are some solutions you can apply to fix Windows login error 0x80280013. Good luck!

Jessica Tanner

Update 27 June 2023