As convenient as it is, there can be times when Windows Hello fingerprint authentication stops working on your computer. Fortunately, there are several ways to fix this annoying issue. So, let’s dive in and explore what you can do when the Windows Hello fingerprint login isn’t working.
1. Remove and Re-Register Your Fingerprint
The first thing you should do is remove your Windows Hello fingerprint and register it again. This may sound basic, but it is one of the most straightforward ways to get your fingerprint reader to work again.
Press Win + I to open the Settings app. Head to Accounts > Sign-in options. Under the Windows Hello section, click the Remove button. Once removed, click the Set up button and follow the on-screen instructions to register your fingerprint again.
2. Run the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
Windows 10 and 11 include a number of troubleshooters that can help you resolve various system issues. You can run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to allow Windows to scan and resolve any common issues with your computer’s fingerprint scanner.
Follow these steps to run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter on Windows:
Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box. Type msdt. exe -id DeviceDiagnostic in the Open field and press Enter. In the Hardware and Devices window, click Next.
Wait for Windows to diagnose any issues with your computer. If any issues are detected, follow the on-screen instructions to apply the recommended fixes.
3. Update or Reinstall the Biometric Device Driver
Biometric drivers on your PC help Windows communicate with your PC’s fingerprint scanner. However, if those drivers are outdated or malfunctioning, you may encounter problems.
In most cases, you should be able to fix the issue by simply updating the driver from the Device Manager. Here’s how you can go about it.
Right-click on the Start icon to open the Power User menu. Select Device Manager from the list. Expand Biometric devices. Right-click on your fingerprint scanner device and select Update driver. Select Search automatically for drivers to let Windows find and install the best drivers.
If the issue persists even after updating the driver, it’s likely that your PC’s biometric driver is damaged. In that case, you’ll need to uninstall the driver and install it again. Refer to our guide on how to fix corrupt drivers on Windows for more instructions on how to fix this.
4. Configure Windows Biometric Service to Start Automatically
The Windows Biometric Service is an essential program for Windows Hello because it captures and manages your fingerprint data. Ideally, the service should start automatically every time Windows boots. However, this might not happen if the service is not configured correctly.
Use these steps to configure Windows Biometric Service:
Open the Services app using the search menu. Scroll down to locate the Windows Biometric Service on the list. Right-click on it and select Properties. Click the drop-down menu to change the Startup type to Automatic. Hit Apply followed by OK.
Restart your PC after this. Following that, you should be able to sign in with your fingerprint.
5. Enable Biometrics via the Local Group Policy Editor
Another reason why the Windows Hello fingerprint sign-in may not work is if the feature is disabled from the Local Group Policy. If you’re on Windows Home, be sure to check out how to access the Local Group Policy Editor on Windows Home before continuing.
You can check the Local Group Policy settings on your PC by following the steps below.
Press Win + S to open the search menu. Type gpedit. msc in the search box and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Use the left pane to navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Biometrics. Check if all the policies within the Biometrics folder are enabled. If not, double-click each policy one by one and set it to Enabled.
6. Create a New User Account
An issue with your current user account can also cause certain Windows features to stop working. This usually happens when your user account files get corrupted. If you suspect that to be the case, you can create and switch to a new user account to fix the issue. Here’s how you can go about it.
Open Start and head to Accounts > Other users. Click the Add account button. In the Microsoft account window, click on I don’t have this person’s sign-in information and follow the on-screen prompts to create a new user account.
Set up Windows Hello fingerprint login for your new user account and see if you can sign in with your fingerprint.
7. Perform a System Restore
If the fingerprint not working issue only occurred recently, you can use System Restore to revert Windows to a previous state. This way, you can undo any changes that may have caused the issue. Note that this is only possible if you have previously enabled System Restore on your PC.
Follow these steps to perform a system restore on Windows:
Press Win + S to open the search menu. Type in Create a restore point in the search box and press Enter. Under the System Protection tab, click on System Restore. Click Next. Select a restore point before the issue first appeared and hit Next. Review all the details one more time before hitting Finish.
Windows will restart and revert to the specified restore point. After that, the fingerprint should work as before.
8. Install the Latest Windows Updates
Microsoft regularly releases software updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 to add new features, improve performance, and—crucially for our purposes—fix bugs. If the fingerprint not working issue is caused by a system bug, updating Windows to its most recent 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 PC. Hopefully, this will resolve the issue.
Fixing Windows Hello’s Fingerprint Check
It’s annoying when your PC’s fingerprint scanner stops working all of a sudden. However, that shouldn’t force you to use your password or PIN to sign in to your computer.
We hope one of the methods mentioned above helped you resolve this issue for good, and you are able to sign in with your fingerprint again. However, if all else fails, you may want to consider resetting your Windows computer.
