is an advantage Windows Hello It's very useful for quickly unlocking your device or using it to authenticate your account across various services. If you're used to this feature, it can be frustrating when it doesn't work. You may see a message stating that the Windows Hello fingerprint option is unavailable when it doesn't work.
In this article, we want to show you eleven ways to effectively fix the problem on your Windows computer. Before we move on, let's understand why the Windows Hello fingerprint option isn't working in the first place.
Why is Windows Hello fingerprint not working on my computer?
Here are some possible reasons why Windows Hello fingerprint option is not available on your PC.
- There is a bug affecting the Biometric driver on your Windows computer.
- There is an error running in the current Windows session.
- The registered fingerprint is corrupted.
- The fingerprint reader may be physically damaged.
We'll explain the causes above and provide step-by-step instructions to fix the issue. Let's get started and get Windows Hello fingerprint working as usual.
WINDOWS HELLO FINGERPRINT “This option is currently unavailable”: How to fix the problem
Here are eleven ways to fix the Windows Hello fingerprint issue on your computer. Let's start by restarting your computer.
1. Restart your Windows computer
If an error is running as a background process affecting your biometric device, restarting your computer will help. Once you shut down your computer, all processes—including errors—are closed, and errors are unlikely to start again once you restart your computer.
2. Update or reinstall the Biometric (Fingerprint) driver.
The drivers for the biometric devices on your Windows PC may be outdated and should be updated. Updating can fix errors and issues you're experiencing with the Windows Hello fingerprint service. Additionally, if the biometric driver was installed through a corrupted package, it can cause problems with Windows Hello.
So, updating or reinstalling these drivers will help you, and here's how to do it.
Step 1: Open Device Manager From the start menu.
Step 2: Click to expand Biometric devices.
Step 3: Right click on the device Biometric and click Update the driver.
Step 4: Choose whether to browse for the update file locally or let Windows search the Internet for it.
If you want to reinstall the driver, click Uninstall the deviceConfirm your action, and restart your computer to install the driver automatically.
3. Re-register your fingerprints
If the fingerprint stored on your computer is corrupted, removing it and registering your fingerprint again will help. Here's how.
Step 1: Open an app Settings on your computer.
Step 2: Locate Finance In the sidebar, click on Sign-in options.
Step 3: tap on Fingerprint recognition.
Step 4: Click "Removal" To delete the registered fingerprint.
Step 5: Now, click "numbers" Register your fingerprints again.
Once you've registered your fingerprint, you can check if it's working properly. If not, take a look at all the methods below.
4. Start the Biometric service automatically
If the Windows Biometric service isn't running—a process required to activate your device's fingerprint sensor every time you start your PC—you may experience issues with Windows Hello. Here's how to configure it to start automatically.
Step 1: Open an app Services From a list Start.
Step 2: Scroll down to find Windows Biometric Service Right click on it.
Step 4: Open the Startup type drop-down list, and click automatic. Click “Apply” and “Agree” to confirm the changes.
5. Reset WinBio database
Your Windows PC stores all biometric data in the WinBio database. If any entry is corrupted, it may be responsible for the "Windows Hello fingerprint option is unavailable" error message. Here's how to reset and clean the WinBio database.
Step 1: Open an app Services From a list Start.
Step 2: Scroll down to find Windows Biometric Service Right click on it.
Step 3: tap on turning off.
Step 4: Now, go to This PC -> Windows (C:) -> Windows -> System32 Open the folder WindBioDatabase.
Step 5: We'll need to delete all the files here. But we recommend making a backup. Select all the files. Copy and paste them to 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, and right-click on “Windows Biometric Service”, Then click Start.
Once you restart the Biometric service, you'll need to enroll your fingerprint again in the Settings app.
Step 1: Open an app Settings on your computer.
Step 2: Locate Finance In the sidebar, click on Sign-in options.
Step 3: Click on Learn About The Lord of the Rings.
Step 4: Now, click "numbers" Register your fingerprints again.
6. Edit the registration
If biometric sign-in is disabled via the registry on your Windows PC, here's how to enable it using the Registry Editor.
Step 1: Open Registry Editor From a list Start.
Step 2: Select the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Step 4: Click Policies -> Windows -> Right click on the system.
Step 5: Click New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Step 6: Right-click on the new entry and click Rename.
Enter the new name as AllowDomainPINLogon.
Step 7: Double click New entry.
7. Troubleshoot hardware issues
Running the Hardware Troubleshooting Service on your Windows PC can fix issues with your fingerprint scanner. Here's how.
Step 1: Open the Run window on your computer.
Step 2: Enter the following command, and click "OK" To open the hardware diagnostics service.
msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostics
Step 3: Click "the next", The troubleshooting process will begin. Once complete, follow the on-screen instructions to take the appropriate actions.
8. Disable fast startup
If you have Fast Startup enabled on your Windows system, some services and processes may not be closed while your computer is shutting down. This is to ensure your computer boots up as quickly as possible. This can cause problems with Windows Hello if the processes that are causing the errors are not completely shut down. Here's how. Disable Fast Startup on your Windows PC.
Step 1: Open Control Panel on your computer.
Step 2: tap on Hardware and Sound.
Step 3: tap on Power Options.
Step 4: Click "Choosing what the power buttons do".
Step 6: Uncheck the option “Turn on fastboot (recommended)” andtap on Saving changes.
9. Switch to a local account
If the Microsoft account associated with your Windows Hello fingerprint is experiencing issues, you may notice some issues. Therefore, convert your current account to a local account and check if the fingerprint scanner is working without any problems.
Note: Switching to a local account will sign you out across all apps, and your settings won't sync across all other devices that use your Microsoft account.
Step 1: Open an app Settings.
Step 2: tap on Finance In the sidebar. Click on Your information.
Step 3: Click “Sign in with a local account instead.”
Step 4: You may need to back up your recovery key, if you have one, before continuing. Follow the on-screen instructions to back up your recovery key. If not, tap Skip this step.
Step 5: tap on Next For confirmation.
10. Update Windows
If many users experience issues with the Windows Hello fingerprint service, Microsoft will release an update to fix the issue. Therefore, you should ensure that you are using The latest available version of Windows.
Step 1: Open an app Settings.
Step 2: Click Windows Update in the sidebar.
Step 3: Click "Check for updates".
Step 4: Click Download and install to install New Windows Update.
11. Contact customer support
If none of the above methods work, your biometric device or fingerprint scanner may be damaged. Contact your device manufacturer's customer support, and they will be able to help you resolve the issue.
If you have any further questions, please take a look at the FAQ section below.
Frequently asked questions about Windows fingerprint recognition not available
Q1. How many fingerprints can I add to my Windows PC?
The answer: You can register up to 10 fingerprints for Windows Hello.
Q2. Does Windows Hello fingerprint service require an internet connection?
The answer: No. Windows Hello does not require an internet connection to read your fingerprint data.
Q3. Why doesn't Windows recognize my fingerprint?
The answer: Try gently cleaning the surface of the fingerprint reader. You can also try holding your finger on the reader for a longer period of time. If that doesn't work, you can remove your fingerprint data and then re-add it.
Secure your Windows PC with your fingerprint
We hope this article helps you fix and remove the "Windows Hello Fingerprint option is unavailable" error on your computer. Securing your Windows computer is crucial to keeping all your data safe and away from malicious software. If nothing else works, you can still unlock your Windows computer using your selected passcode!
