Fix: Fingerprint Scanner not Working on Windows 10

Windows 10’s Windows Hello is a secure way to log in to your device without the hassle of passwords. It uses Biometric Authentication (fingerprint and facial recognition), which makes it faster, safer, and easier to access your PC. Biometric Authentication allows both fingerprint as well as facial feature recognition. It can start your device and assist in logging in to your apps and other devices. As you must have noticed, most Android phones and iPhones use the same technology for system security.

Many users have reported that the Fingerprint sensor on their Windows 10 PC is not working. This may happen because of several reasons.

Let us look at why you face this issue of the fingerprint sensor not working and how to fix it.

Why is a fingerprint sensor on Windows 10 PC not working?

• Hardware issues– Scratches on the sensor, dust, dirt, or grease on the scanner may cause this issue.
• Corrupt device driver– If the device driver of the fingerprint sensor gets outdated or corrupt, the fingerprint reader software may malfunction.
• Incorrect settings– The Windows Hello settings are not configured correctly.
• Corrupt system files– The fingerprint reader may find disfunction due to damaged system files.
• Software-related issues- Software conflicts between the Fingerprint software and other system software may cause malfunction.

How to fix- Fingerprint scanner not working for Windows 10

The fingerprint scanner is a security feature to safeguard the contents of your computer from trespassers. What if it isn’t working?

Let us look into how we can fix the fingerprint not working issue.

Fix#1- Rollback fingerprint scanner driver

Step#1– Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager from the list.

Step#2- Locate your fingerprint scanner and double-click on it to open the Properties window.

Step#3– Click on the Rollback Drive option.

Fix#2- Fingerprint reader not working after Windows update

Many users have complained that their Windows Hello fingerprint failed to log in once they performed Windows updates.

This can be possible as the fingerprint features can be affected by incompatible software relating to updating or upgrading to the latest version of Windows.

To fix this, you will need to check the System Update. Here’s how:

Step#1– Open the Windows Settings app through the Windows Start button. On the Settings window, select the Update and Security option.

Step#2– On the next window, select View update history.

Step#3- In the View update history window, from the list of updates, select the recent update that may be causing the fingerprint reader malfunction and click Uninstall updates.

Test the functioning of Windows Hello fingerprint after you restart your computer.

Fix#3- Reinstall Fingerprint Driver

The fingerprint sensors not working could be annoying. Changing the settings with the fingerprint reader drivers may resolve the issue. Go ahead, and follow these steps.

Step 1– Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager.

Step#2– Expand the Biometric driver or Human interface device. Now, look for the Fingerprint driver that has already been installed.

Step#3– Right-click and select Uninstall.

Step#4– Restart your computer to save changes.

Fix#4- Rescan your fingerprints

There are chances that the fingerprint reader is unable to read your fingerprint. This may happen because there might be an injury on the same finger, like a cut. This may cause the Window Hello Fingerprint not to recognize it. Here’s how to rescan your fingerprint.

Step#1- Perform a hard reboot. Generally, it is done by pressing the power button until the computer shuts down and restarting it again.

Step#2– Go to Windows Hello settings and delete the fingerprints already saved.

Step#3– Perform the hard reboot again, and then, Open Windows Hello, Find the Fingerprint option or Security section and rescan your new fingerprint.

Step#4– Restart your computer to see if the issue persists.

Fix#5- Update System Driver

There are chances that the fingerprint driver may have been corrupt during a software update or by any other process. This may cause the fingerprint sensor to malfunction.

One of the solutions you can try is to update your driver. Follow these steps:

Step#1– Right-click the Windows Start button and select Device Manager from the list.

Step#2- Locate and find your driver under Biometric devices—Right-click it to open the Properties window.

Step#3– Select Remove driver software.

Step#4– Repeat for all drivers related to Windows Hello.

Step#5– Restart your computer to save the changes made.

Fix#6- Prevent Windows from turning off the sensor

If an external fingerprint reader or hardware is used via a USB device, the Windows system will turn off only to save power.

You need to disable the Power Management settings for your fingerprint module or fingerprint sensor to work correctly.

Step#1– Press the Windows icon + R to launch the Run dialog box. Type in devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Device Manager.

Step#2- The Device Manager window will open with a list of drivers. Scroll down and expand by double-clicking- Universal Serial Bus controller.

Now, double-click the first USB Root Hub in the list.

Step#3- In the USB Root Hub Properties pane that opens, click on the Power Management tab.

Uncheck the box saying Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. And click OK.

Step#4– Once the changes are made, plug in the USB to see if the computer recognizes it. Test the fingerprint reader through fingerprint login.

Fix#7- Make sure Biometrics is enabled

If your Windows Hello Fingerprint or Windows Hello face are not working, you should look at the Biometrics and check if they are enabled. For this, you will need to edit group policy settings.

Step#1– Press the Windows icon + R to launch the Run box. In the Run box, type cmd and press Enter to open the command prompt window.

Step#2– Type in gpedit in the command prompt window, then press the Enter key to launch Group Policy Editor.

Step#3– The Local Group Policy Editor will open. Under the Local Computer Policy tab, select Computer Configuration.

Step#4– From the Computer Configuration window, select Administrative Templates.

Step #5– The Administrative Templates window will have a bunch of options; select Windows Components.

Step#6– Now, the Windows components window will open. Here, locate and click on Biometrics.

Step#7– The settings window will open; make a double click on Allow the use of biometrics.

Step#8– In the next window, select the Enabled button and click Apply, then OK.

Fix#8- Remove and recreate PIN

You can refresh your fingerprint software by exiting the existing account and recreating another PIN.

Step#1– Open the Settings app by clicking on the Start menu.

In the Settings window, select Accounts.

Step #2– Select the Sign-in option on the left side of the screen. From the list of options on the right side, select Windows Hello PIN.

Step#3– Click the Remove button again click the Remove button to confirm.

Step#4– Add your Microsoft account password and select OK in the next window.

Step#5– Recreate a new PIN by following the on-screen instructions.

Fix#9- Turn off Fast Start-up

Windows 10 has a Fast start-up feature; closing the laptop will not result in a complete system shutdown when enabled. Instead, it is somewhere between a shutdown and hibernation. This may affect the fingerprint reader.

You can turn off the fast start-up feature by following these steps.

Step#1– Open the Windows Settings through the Start button. In the search bar, type Power and Sleep, and press the Enter key.

Step#2– Select Additional power settings from the Power and Sleep window.

Step#3– Now, select Choose what the power button does.

Step#4– Make sure the fast start-up button is not On. If so, click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.

Step#5- Now, uncheck the Turn on fast startup (recommended) button and click the Save changes option at the bottom of the window.

Step#6- Shut down the PC from the Windows Start button and restart it.

After performing this fix, test the fingerprint scanner’s ability to identify your fingerprint.

Fix#10- Update BIOS

BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is very important for the normal functioning of your computer. Mostly the BIOS will automatically update your system. However, if it has not received an update from BIOS, you need to install the BIOS version and check the one available on the motherboard manufacturer’s website.

Step#1– Launch the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows and R keys together. In the dialog box, type in msinfo32 and press OK. This will launch the system information window.

Step#2– Locate the BIOS version/Date to know the version installed on the manufacturer’s website. You will need to download and install it if required to solve the issue. If you still face the same issue of fingerprint not working, you need to see a computer technician to resolve it.

Fingerprint recognition not working on Android device

All recently released Android phones have fingerprint scanning as a login security feature. There are chances you may face the issue where fingerprint recognition is unable to scan your fingerprint.

The following steps will ensure the phone fingerprint working returns back to normal.

1- Restart your phone

The primary fix for any system-related problem is to reboot the system. This not only refreshes the system but also reloads the operating system files and clears many minor glitches in the device.

Your Android is facing this malfunction because it has not rebooted yet.

2- Wipe System Cache

Even after restarting the device, you need to clear your phone’s cache memory if the Android fingerprint sensor can still not identify your fingerprint login.

This could be the reason for the malfunction. Follow these steps to refresh the phone system cache.

Step#1– Switch off and restart your phone in recovery mode.

Step#2– Select wipe cache partition using the volume buttons, and confirm by using the power button.

Step#3– Restart your Android device and test it by logging in using the fingerprint scanning feature.

Conclusion

The above fixes are sure to solve the issue of the fingerprint not working. But, in any case, the Windows Hello fingerprint does not work even after trying the solutions mentioned above; the last resort would be to visit a repair center or service center or try to factory reset to default factory settings.