6 Ways to Fix Windows Hello Fingerprint Option Unavailable or Not Working

Quick Tips

• Update or re-install the biometrics driver using the Device Manager tool on your PC.
• Delete your fingerprint, and register it again in Windows Hello settings.
• Open the Services program, and restart the Windows Biometric Service.

Basic Fixes

• Restart PC: Restart your PC to fix any temporary bugs and glitches.
• Clean your finger and the sensor: The biometrics sensor on your PC will not work if it is dirty, or if your finger isn’t clean.
• Update PC: Update your PC to the latest available version of Windows for a bug-free experience.
• Check for malware: Using Windows Defender, scan for malware that may be causing the problem.

Fix 1: Update or Reinstall the Biometrics (Fingerprint) Driver

The software drivers for the biometrics hardware on your Windows PC may be outdated and are due for an update. The update can fix bugs and problems that you are facing with the Windows Hello fingerprint service. Additionally, if the biometrics driver was installed through a corrupt package, it may cause issues with Windows Hello.

Therefore, updating or reinstalling these drivers will help.

Step 1: Open Device Manager from the start menu.

Step 2: Click to expand Biometric Devices.

Step 3: Right-click on the biometric device and click on Update driver.

Step 4: Choose whether you want to browse the update file locally or, let Windows search the internet for the same.

If you want to re-install the driver, click on Uninstall Device, confirm your action, and restart your PC to automatically install the driver.

Also Read: How to open device manager in Windows 11.

Fix 2: Re-Register Your Fingerprints

If the saved fingerprint on your PC is corrupted, removing it and registering your fingerprint once again will help.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your PC.

Step 2: Select Accounts in the sidebar and click on Sign-In Options.

Step 3: Click on Fingerprint Recognition.

Step 4: Click on Remove to delete the registered fingerprint.

Step 5: Now, click on Set Up, and register your fingerprints once again.

Fix 3: Start Biometrics Service Automatically

If the Windows Biometric service – a process that is required to activate the fingerprint sensor on your device does not start up every time you boot up your PC, you may encounter problems with Windows Hello.

Step 1: Open the Services application from the Start menu.

Step 2: Scroll down to find, and right-click on Windows Biometric Service.

Step 3: Click on Properties.

Step 4: Open the dropdown menu for Startup type, and click on Automatic. Click on Apply and OK to confirm your changes.

Also Read: 5 ways to open Services on Windows.

Fix 4: Reset WinBio Database

Your Windows PC stores all the biometrics data in the WinBio database. If any entry is corrupted, it may be responsible for the error message.

Step 1: Open the Services application from the Start menu.

Step 2: Scroll down to find, and right-click on Windows Biometric Service.

Step 3: Click on Stop.

Step 4: Now, navigate to This PC -> Windows (C:) -> Windows -> System32 and open the WindBioDatabase folder.

Step 5: We will have to delete all the files present here.

But we recommend taking a backup. Select all files. Copy and paste them onto a different location.

Step 6: Once you have created a copy of all the files in a different destination – go ahead and delete the files.

Step 7: Now, go back to Windows Services, right-click on Windows Biometric Service, and click on Start.

Once you restart the biometric service, you must register your fingerprint again in the Settings app. Refer to the ‘Fix 2’ section to register your fingerprint.

Fix 5: Edit the Registry

If the biometric login is deactivated via the Registry on your Windows PC, you can enable it by using the registry editor.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor from the Start menu.

Step 2: Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder.

Step 3: Click on SOFTWARE.

Step 4: Click on Policies -> Windows -> and right-click on System.

Step 5: Click on New -> DWORD (32-Bit) Value.

Step 6: Right-click on the new entry and click on Rename.

Enter the new name as AllowDomainPINLogon.

Step 7: Double-click on the new entry.

Step 8: Enter 1 in the value data. Click on OK.

Fix 6: Troubleshoot Hardware Devices

Running the hardware troubleshooting service on your Windows PC can fix issues with the fingerprint scanner.

Step 1: Open the Run window on your PC.

Step 2: Enter the following command, and click on OK to open the hardware diagnostics service.

msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostics

Step 3: Click on Next, and the troubleshooting will begin. Once it is complete, follow the on-screen instructions to take the relevant actions.