Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed with increasing frequency I am having trouble logging into my Windows 8.1 notebook. I try to sign in at the usual screen after boot and get the following message... "You can't sign in to your PC right now. Go to account.live.com to fix the problem, or try the last password you used on this PC." The way it works is I get this message the first two times I try and the 3rd time it works (all using the same password that I have always used). My wife has a Surface running 8.1 RT and she is getting the same issue. Anyone know what is going on? 

Dave

Hi,

Please disconnect your Microsoft account when you login with the local account and then reconnect by following this article:

Change Microsoft live to a local account in Windows 8.1

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/quick-tip-change-microsoft-live-to-a-local-account-in-windows-81/

If the issue persists, please try to run the MS account troubleshooter to check the issue:

Microsoft Account Troubleshooter
http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/2/4/F24D0C03-4181-4E5B-A23B-5C3A6B5974E3/microsoftaccounts.diagcab

Any further issue, please get back to me with your event log for further research.

Thanks Kate.  In my case, I don't login with a local account at all.  When I installed 8.1 I went with the Microsoft account only.  I don't think that article would apply.  Also, I think I have found the problem.  My notebook has SSDs and boots up very quickly.  I notice this only happens when I enter the password immediately on boot.  I think I am entering it faster than the wireless has established a connection which is causing the disconnect.  If I wait even 10 seconds longer it works. 

• Marked as answer by David WoltersModerator Thursday, January 02, 2014 7:24 PM

That problem is insane! Just had the same issue on my daughters new PC only bought yesterday! Nothing would work to solve it other than putting in the password - which it wouldn't accept. I then rebooted, pressed ESC on startup and went into BIOS, I then exited out of BIOS, and it booted up as normal. I then put the same password in I had been trying earlier, and it finally accepted it. (Going into BIOS, obviously cleared whatever was locking it up and not allowing the password to work - and it started working again). Normal Joe Blogs, would not know how to go into BIOS, I think its insane to expect any computer user to figure these things out for themselves Microsoft! Very Pleased I got it working without issue though, and have now set up an administrator local account and put my daughters account as Child local account (deleted the one linking to her live email) so she is unable to change any settings, and we have a back up login, if it happens again. Craaazy!