Latest Windows 10 Update - Two Separate Cumulatives

So... today, 7/10/2018, while I was at work, my system downloaded and installed two separate cumulative updates on my Windows 10 Home Edition system. As we all know, there are often times adverse effects and issues that occur as a result of a lot of these updates, but this one was a new one on me. However, I don't think this is a newly discovered problem... on the contrary, I found at least one other occurrence of this exact same issue dated back in 2015. There is, however, one major difference in every documented case I've found...

I DO NOT LOG INTO MY PC USING A MICROSOFT ACCOUNT.

I did at one time, but always decide it isn't worth it... and that's exactly what they want everyone to do. Yeah... there are substantial benefits, I just feel too conformist and ... has anyone seen that movie "The Circle" ?? If anyone reading this has... it would completely explain my adversity towards things like this. ANYWAY....

Somehow, which now reflecting back seems odd... but somehow, reverting back to a local account still allowed use of a PIN as an alternative to the standard password. This may be 100% normal and supposed to be an option, I wouldn't know being this is the first time I've actually set up a PIN as well... BUT...

I came home this evening, attempted to login using just the PIN and received the message: 'The password has been changed from another device. You must first login to the system using the new password before being able to use your PIN'

Typically, an average user's reaction is going to be... "I've been hacked!!!" ... and I won't lie... I considered it. Especially with the incidents I've dealt with over the past few months, but no... two updates being installed immediately before this issue is too coincidental... should be a huge red flag in troubleshooting.

KB4284848 (OS Build 17134.137)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4284848/windows-10-update-kb4284848

KB4338819 (OS Build 17134.165)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4338819/windows-10-update-kb4338819

I have absolutely no logs, proof, or evidence to show these updates caused the problem, but just as with most Windows Updates, if it, indeed, was Microsoft, it will be fairly widespread, giving me all the confirmation I'd need. I checked logonsessions64 just in case... I didn't delve much deeper than that since I was able to rectify the situation with somewhat little frustration... but I will say that I legitimately had to resort to unorthodox methods that I won't mention here ... just to gain access to the command prompt.

Created brand new, fresh Recovery Disk from the system sitting 3 feet to my right, also Windows 10 Home, had to completely eliminate the HD in the boot sequence just to force the system to boot from said disk... then wasn't able to get the desired result, exactly... prior to that... I had SHIFT+Restart'ed several times attempting to make this an easy, fast fix... but nooooo...

I had to basically "hack" my own damn system... through means that you won't find listed on any Microsoft Support forums... or hell, maybe you would. It might take some digging. It's not a huge secret... I just think I remember Major Geeks having a policy which does not condone the public sharing of such things that could easily be misused in the wrong hands/situations. Sooo... with that being said, just be warned about the latest updates.

I know that was an extremely long way to go about saying that, but omg... it seems like every couple weeks its something else wreaking havoc on my main high-end system. I suppose I'll keep looking at it like a learning experience and go on... but for others' sake, I hope most of you actually do use a Microsoft account to login to your system... that way, resetting your password will be as easy as logging into live.com from a different device.

Good luck, fair warning, I strongly feel this is Microsoft's screw up again... sooo... heads up!

 

You can also use a PIN when logging in to a Microsoft account

 

Yet another type of reason why i choose to stick with an older OS like windows 7.

 

I loved Windows 7 too... and, like a massive amount of others, I refused to upgrade to 10 even if they were offering it for free. Microsoft offering that free upgrade actually convinced me even further... like... yeah, right... since when do they give their OS out for free unless you buy a new system? In a nutshell, I was one of those stubborn, bullheaded people adamant to remain with what I know and loved. Something happened not long after that... causing the purchase of a new system, and, inevitably, it came with Windows 10.

I had every intention of completely formatting the hard drive but... I didn't have a Windows 7 disk and they wanted $100 for it back then. My mind was so made up that I was still going to pay the C-note to get Windows 7 but while I was biding my time saving the cash, I had tinkered around Windows 10 and eventually, to my surprise (total surprise) and evident enough to overrule my bias in favor of Windows 7, I liked Windows 10.

Just wanted to share that... because I was pretty much the same way. But yeah, its true they keep plugging one hole in the dam wall while causing two other holes to bust open, shooting water in all our faces. But hey... it serves as a catalyst to learn and familiarize yourself with the OS that much more. At any rate, I'm not 'doggin' your comment... actually, I agree with you. I loved Windows 7, and the free upgrade to 10 they offered way back when was a 'beta' of the OS, released with the intent to have the public 'test' it for them.

They've come a long way though... I honestly like it better than Win 7... just wanted to share that should you still be bias towards it.

 

Yeah, that's what I was meaning... it seems like earlier on, only using a Microsoft account to sign in had the option to set up a PIN. I may be wrong, though... I thought local accounts only had the option to sign in with their password. I was trying to figure out whether I had inadvertently discovered a bug, or if they had added that feature to local accounts (or .. it'd always been an option and I just didn't realize).

The bug I thought must have existed at first involved setting up a Microsoft account, then setting up a PIN, but later reverting back to a local account whereas the PIN remained a valid login option. This might explain why it gave me such a strange error message about 'password was changed from another device' because that's impossible... unless I really was hacked. Which I highly doubt. I was thinking it was already a known 'bug' and they must've fixed it in one of the two updates, and locking me out of my own computer in the process.

Kind of a strain to reach so far for such a theory/hypothesis, I know... but sounds feasible, doesn't it?