Microsoft: Windows updates make password login option invisible

Microsoft warned users that Windows 11 updates released since August may cause the password sign-in option to disappear from the lock screen options, even though the button remains functional.

On Windows 11, the password icon appears only if multiple sign-in options (e.g., PIN, security key, password, fingerprint) are available. If you only use a password, the icon may not appear at all since Windows will just show the password field by default.

As Microsoft revealed in updated support documents this week, users with multiple sign-in options enabled may still not see the password icon on the lock screen if they installed the August 2025 KB5064081 non-security preview update or subsequent updates on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 systems.

However, it added that hovering over the space where the icon should appear reveals the button, allowing users to sign in with their password.

"If you hover over the space where the icon should appear, you'll see that the password button is still available," Microsoft explained. "Select this placeholder to open the password text box and enter your password. After entering your password, you can sign in normally."

Microsoft has not released a workaround beyond using the invisible button functionality and said that it's working to resolve the problem, but has yet to provide a timeline for a fix.

In late September, it addressed another known issue triggered by the KB5064081 optional update that caused playback interruptions, freezing, or black screens when trying to play DRM-protected video in Blu-ray/DVD/Digital TV applications.

The same month, it fixed other issues caused by the August 2025 Windows updates, including app installation problems for non-admin Windows users due to unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts and severe lag and stuttering issues affecting NDI streaming software on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.

In August, after releasing the monthly Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft also had to resolve a known issue that caused security updates delivered via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to fail with 0x80240069 errors and released emergency Windows updates to fix broken Windows reset and recovery on Windows 10 and Windows 10 Enterprise devices.

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post. Feedback welcome.

Posted Saturday 29 November 2025 at 9:47 am AEST (my time).

News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of October): 5,009

RIP Matrix