There are several Windows applications that will have access to your Microsoft account information. Now, this feature can be helpful sometimes because some applications need to access your account information to work as intended. Applications will be able to use your account name, your account picture, and any other information about you in order to provide a personalized Windows experience. However, some users will not want to share their account information with other applications. Users that are concerned about the privacy of their account information can disable the access of applications.

How to Prevent Apps from Getting Account Information on Windows 10? - 1

Access to account information

There are several methods to configure the access of account information on your system. We have included the default method that is by configuring the privacy settings. This can also be done through the Local Group Policy Editor. For those who don’t have Group Policy Editor for their Windows can try using the Registry Editor for the same setting.

Disabling Account Information Access for Apps through Windows Settings

The setting where you can disable the account information access for applications can be found in the Windows Settings. Most of the users are already familiar with the Windows Settings. This is also the most default way to configure the account information access for applications. Users can disable the access completely for all applications or just disable it for specific applications. Follow the below steps to configure it out:

  1. Press the Windows + I key together to open the Windows Settings . Now click on the Privacy option. Opening Privacy settings in Windows Settings
  2. In the left pane, click on the Account Info option under the App permissions. Scroll down and turn Off the Allow apps to access your account info option. This will completely turn off access for all applications. Turning off the access of account information for apps
  3. You can also disable it for the specific application that is listed below. Once you change this setting, the account information will not be accessed by apps anymore.

Disabling Account Information Access for Apps through the Local Group Policy Editor

Another method where you can find all these options is through the Local Group Policy Editor . Almost everything can be configured for the operating system through the Group Policy. However, some options for this setting will require the Package Family Names (PFNs).

If you are using a Windows 10 Home Edition , then skip this method.

Follow the below steps If you have the Local Group Policy Editor on your system:

  1. Hold the Windows key and press R to open a Run dialog. Now type “ gpedit.msc ” and press the Enter key to open the Local Group Policy Editor . Note : You must choose the Yes option for the User Account Control prompt. Opening Local Group Policy Editor
  2. Next is to navigate to the following path in the Local Group Policy Editor window: Computer Configuration\ Administrative Templates\ Windows Components\ App Privacy Opening setting
  3. Double-click on the “ Let Windows app access account information ” setting. Change the toggle to Enabled option and then provide the Package Family Names (PFN) of apps in the following three boxes for different options as stated. Click the Apply/Ok button to apply the changes. Changing the setting
  4. You can find the Package Family Name (PFN) of an app in the PowerShell . Search PowerShell through the Windows search feature and open it as an administrator . Now type the following command: Get-AppxPackage -Name “Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge” Finding the Package Family Name
  5. Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge is a package name . To find the package name you can type the following command in PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName Finding all the package names on your system
  6. By providing the Package Family Name (PFN) in the Force Deny box, it will disable access of account information for those apps.

Disabling Account Information Access for Apps through Registry Editor

If you do not have the Local Group Policy Editor, then you can use the Registry Editor for the same exact setting. However, some of the keys/values will be missing in the Registry Editor and users need to create them manually on their own.

Also, just to be careful you can create a backup of your registry by the export feature. Follow the below steps to check how each value works in this setting:

  1. Open a Run dialog by holding the Windows key and pressing the R key. Then, type “ regedit ” in the box and press Enter to open Registry Editor . Choose Yes for the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. Opening the Registry Editor
  2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following key. If the key is missing just create it like shown: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy Creating missing key
  3. Right-click on the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit Value) and name it as “ LetAppsAccessAccountInfo “. Double-click on it and change the value data to 2 . Note : This setting in this value will be considered as a default value for all applications. The value data 0 is for the user in control , 1 is for the force allow , and 2 is for the force deny . Creating a new value and changing value data
  4. If you want to have the three options like in the Local Group Policy Editor. You can create three different values for different options. Right-click on the right pane and choose New > Multi-String Value option.
  5. For user in control value, name it as “ LetAppsAccessAccountInfo_UserInControlOfTheseApps “. For force allow , name it as “ LetAppsAccessAccountInfo_ForceAllowTheseApps “. And for the force deny , name it as “ LetAppsAccessAccountInfo_ForceDenyTheseApps “. Creating three multi-string values
  6. Now you can open any value and put the Package Family Names (PFNs) in it. That will apply that specific setting for that specific application. Once everything is configured, make sure to restart your system to let the changes take effect. Note : The PFNs added in the screenshot are just to give you the idea about how it will look like. Adding PFNs in values

How to Fix “Printer is in an error state” Issue?

The “ Cannot change fingerprint or PIN ” problem in Windows 11 happens when the options to change these settings are greyed out in Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options. Even if you are the administrator, you can’t update your Windows Hello credentials. You might also see a message like “ This option is temporarily unavailable. ”

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

This usually happens because Windows Hello’s stored data (in the Ngc folder) is damaged or not in sync. Other reasons include security rules set by your workplace or school, connected work accounts, or restrictions set in the registry or group policy.

Now that you’re aware of the potential causes, let’s go through some steps that have helped other users fix or work around this problem:

1. Change the PIN or Fingerprint the Conventional Way

If your goal is to remove the fingerprint or PIN without setting up another sign-in method, please note that this is not possible on Windows 11.

Windows 11 requires you to have at least one Sign-in option enabled. The Remove button will remain grayed out if you only have one active sign-in method.

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

For example, the Remove button for your PIN will stay unavailable until you add a different sign-in option (like Facial Recognition, Fingerprint, or a Security Key).

If you want to stop using your PIN or Fingerprint, you’ll need to set up an additional way to sign in.

Below are step-by-step instructions to set up a new sign-in option and then remove your current one:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. Inside the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the vertical menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If the left menu is hidden by default, click the menu button (top-left corner) to reveal it.
  3. Once in the Accounts menu, move to the right-hand section of the screen and select Sign-in options. Accessing the Sign In Options menu
  4. Now, choose which sign-in method you’d like to set as a fallback. Sign-in Options Note: Your available options depend on your device. If your PC doesn’t support facial recognition or you don’t have a security key, you can switch between PIN and fingerprint.
  5. After you pick your new sign-in method, follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
  6. Once your second sign-in option is set, you’ll be able to click the Remove button to get rid of your previous sign-in method. You can also choose Change PIN or Change Fingerprint to update, rather than remove, your sign-in credentials. Modify the current PIN or remove one of the configured sign-in options

2. Remove PIN or Fingerprint Requirement by Using a Local Account

If you want to completely remove all sign-in options like PIN or Fingerprint, you will have to switch to a local account .

We generally don’t recommend this unless you really need to, as it can limit the functionality of some built-in Windows features (like Windows Update and the Microsoft Store).

If you still want to remove your PIN or Fingerprint sign-in, you’ll need to set up a local account with a password instead. Keep in mind, this means you’ll need to stop using your Microsoft account on your PC.

Important: This method isn’t available if you’re enrolled in the Windows Insider program.

To change from a Microsoft account with PIN or fingerprint to a local password, follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. In the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If you don’t see the left menu, click the menu icon (top-left corner).
  3. Inside Accounts , click on Family & other users on the right-hand side. Accessing the Family and other users tab
  4. In the Family & other users tab, check for any accounts listed under Other users. If you find any, remove them before moving on.
  5. Next, return to the main Accounts menu and click on Your info on the right. Accessing the Your Info tab
  6. Scroll down to Account Settings and click on Sign in with a local account instead . Sign in with a local account instead
  7. On the next screen, click Next .
  8. When prompted, enter your current PIN or use your fingerprint as requested. Inserting the PIN
  9. Then, you’ll be asked to create a username and password for your new local account, along with a password hint in case you forget. Configure the local account
  10. Finally, click Sign out and finish to complete the switch.