9 Ways to Fix Windows Hello Fingerprint Not Working

Using a fingerprint scanner is perhaps the most convenient way to log into a Windows computer.Not only does it save you the hassle of entering complex passwords or PINs every time you access your computer, it also saves time.but if Windows Hello What to do if fingerprint authentication stopped working on your computer?

Fortunately, there are several ways to fix this annoying problem.So let's dig into what happens when Windows Hello What to do when fingerprint login fails.

1. Delete and re-register fingerprints

The first step is to remove the Windows Hello fingerprint and re-enroll.It sounds simple, but it's one of the most straightforward ways to get your fingerprint reader working again.Below are the steps you can follow.

1. Press Win + I to open the "Settings" app.

2. Go to "Account" > "Sign-in Options".

3. Under the Windows Hello section, click the Remove button.

4. After deletion, click the "Settings" button and follow the on-screen instructions to register your fingerprints again.

If the problem persists, or if you cannot remove and re-add fingerprints due to a "This option is currently unavailable" error on the Windows Hello page, there may be a problem with the biometric driver on your computer.

2. Reinstall the biometric device driver

Biometric drivers on your computer help Windows communicate with your computer's fingerprint scanner.If these drivers are outdated or malfunctioning, you may experience problems.

In most cases, simply uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers on your computer will resolve the issue.Here's how to do it:

1. Right-click the "Start" icon to open the "Power User" menu.

2. Select Device Manager from the list.

3. Expand Biometric Devices.

4. Right-click the Fingerprint Scanner device and select Uninstall Device.

5. Select "Uninstall" to confirm.

Also, you should expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section in Device Manager and look for any entries with a yellow exclamation point.If found, remove them one by one by right-clicking and selecting "Uninstall Devices".

Restart the computer after completing the above steps and check if the problem still occurs.

3. Run the hardware and device troubleshooter

Windows 10 and 11 include many troubleshooters for various system related issues.In this case, you should run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.It will scan your computer's fingerprint scanner, look for any problems and try to fix them.

Follow the steps below to run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter on Windows:

1. Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog.

2. Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic in the Open field and press Enter.

3. Click Next in the Hardware and Devices window.

Wait while Windows diagnoses any problems with your computer.If any issues are detected, follow the onscreen instructions to apply the suggested fixes.

4. Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startup is a handy feature of Windows that speeds up your computer's startup time after it has been shut down.However, this feature may sometimes prevent Windows from loading properly.When this happens, the fingerprint scanner may not work on Windows 10 or 11 PCs.

5. Configure the Windows Biometric Service to start automatically

The Windows Biometric Service is a must for Windows Hello because it captures and manages your fingerprint data.Ideally, this service should start automatically every time Windows is started.However, if the service is not configured properly, it may not start automatically.

Configure the Windows Biometric Service using the following steps:

1. Open the "Services" application using the search menu.

2. Scroll down to find Windows Biometric Service in the list.

3. Right-click the service and select Properties.

4. Click the drop-down menu and change the Startup type to Automatic.

5. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Then restart the computer.After that, you can log in with your fingerprint.

6. Enable Biometrics via the Local Group Policy Editor

Another reason why Windows Hello fingerprint login may not work is that the feature is disabled by a local group policy.It should be noted that Group Policy settings only apply to Professional, Educational, and Enterprise editions of Windows.If you're using Windows Home Edition, you don't need to worry about this step.

To enable thumbprint authentication through the Local Group Policy Editor, use the following steps:

1. Press Win + S to open the search menu.

2. Type gpedit.msc in the search box and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

3. Using the left pane, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Biometrics.

4. Check that all policies in the Biometrics folder are enabled.If not, double-click each policy one by one and set it to Enabled.

Restart the computer one more time and check if the problem persists.

7. Create a new user account

Problems with the current user account can also cause some Windows features to stop working.This usually happens when user account files are corrupted.If you suspect this is the case, you can create and switch to a new user account to resolve the issue.The following is the specific method.

1. Press Win + I to open the "Settings" app.

2. Go to Accounts > Other Users.

3. Click the Add Account button.

4. In the "Microsoft Account" window, click "I don't have this person's login information" and follow the on-screen prompts to create a new user account.

Set up Windows Hello fingerprint login for new user accounts and see if you can log in with fingerprints.

8. Perform a system restore

If the problem with your fingerprint not working occurred recently, you can use System Restore to restore Windows to its previous state.This will undo any changes that may have caused the problem.Note that this is only possible if "System Restore" is enabled on the computer.

Follow the steps below to perform a system restore on Windows:

1. Press Win + S to open the search menu.

2. Type create a restore point in the search box and press Enter.

3. Under the System Protection tab, click System Restore.

4. Click Next.

5. Select a restore point before the problem first occurred, and then click Next.

6. Review all details one more time before clicking Finish.

Windows will restart and restore to the specified restore point.After that, the fingerprint should work as before.

9. Install the latest Windows updates

Microsoft regularly releases software updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 to add new features, improve performance, and -- for us -- fix bugs.If the fingerprint not working issue is caused by a system error, updating Windows to the latest version should help.

You can check for new updates by going to the Windows Update tab in the Settings app.Download and install any pending updates on your computer.Hope this solves the problem.

Fix Windows Hello's fingerprint check issue

It's annoying when your computer's fingerprint scanner suddenly stops working.However, this shouldn't force you to use a password or PIN to log into your computer.

We hope one of the methods above will help you to log in with your fingerprint again.However, if all else fails, you might want to consider resetting your Windows PC.