Accidentally Uninstalled Biometric using Device Manager and its not coming back

Anonymous
2019-01-10T04:37:08+00:00

Hello,

I seem to have permanently deleted the "biometric devices" category in the Device Manger. Windows Hello using a biometric device no longer works. 

I have a home built desktop with a Mouse Cm-01a Window Hello camera. It was working very well for about a year. Some combination of the 1809 update and new AMD Graphics Card Drivers stopped it from working consistently.

I began trying to roll back graphics card drivers and do other troubleshooting. I even performed a recovery and it did not solve the issue. I read that I could uninstall the camera and have Windows reinstall the drivers. When this didn't work, I attempted to uninstall biometric devices and have it reinstall the divers. Unfortunately this category has never returned.

Now my Window Hello setting in Sign-in options says "Face and fingerprint recognition are not available on this device".

I have tried a lot of the steps you would see from other troubleshooting sites (edit group policy settings, restart the Windows Biometric Service), but no luck. 

I'm at my wits end here. I would rather not have to do another restore (that state wasn't working perfectly well as it was). Perhaps I have to do a Repair Install. Let me know if I have any other options (or if I just need to bite the bullet). Thanks!

Here are some system stats:

Processor: Intel i5-4690

RAM 16 GB

OS: Windows 10 Pro

Version: 1809

Build: 17763.253 (I am in the release preview track)

GPU: Radeon RX 580 Series (XFX brand)

Radeon Software Version: 18.40.21.06

Edit: Some of the responses have asked that I contact the manufacturer. Unfortunately, that would be me since this is a home-built desktop. I will see if I can find anything through Intel or ASRock (motherboard manufacturer).

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows Hello, lock screen and sign-in

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-03-20T08:40:10+00:00

    Hello everyone,

    I did a lot of things for fix this problem. It's all about Windows Biometrics Plugin.

    C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver. Go to this folder and right click the HelloFace.inf file and click install. WHen you do this, Wİndows opening the plugin and install the Windows Hello Biometrics device.

    I hope this fix your issue!

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-01-10T04:39:29+00:00

    In Device Manager go to the top and Scan for hardware changes and see if it returns.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-11-09T23:57:44+00:00

    Someone above mentioned to go under C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver and reinstall the driver by right-clicking on HelloFace.inf and click install. That did not work for me....

    What worked for me was 

    1. launch powershell as admin
    2. cd into the C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver directory
    3. use PNPUtil to first remove the HelloFace driver. Command: pnputil.exe /delete-driver .\HelloFace.inf
    4. now use PNPUtil to install the driver. Command: pnputil.exe /add-driver .\HelloFace.inf /install
    5. the biometric driver should now show up in device manager

    Let me know if this helps!

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-04-05T12:14:08+00:00

    I also deleted the Windows Hello device in device manager by following a "fix" I found on the web after my Windows Hello login failed to start the camera on the login screen.  According to the fix the device would reinstall when I clicked Scan for Device Changes in the control panel menu - it didn't.  I tried a cold boot and it still didn't return.

    As suggested I found the HelloFace.inf file (it was in both places mentioned above) and right-clicked on it and clicked Install.  I got a window asking for permission, then a message saying "The operation completed sucessfully."  However ,the biometric device still doesn't show up in Device Manager, and no, it isn't hidden.  I tried this with the HelloFace.inf file in both places I found it.

    Any other suggestions?  I'm not going to contact the manufacturer (Dell) because their usual answer is to reinstall windows, no matter what the problem, and it's not worth the trouble just to get Windows Hello back.

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  5. Anonymous
    2021-07-17T18:45:07+00:00

    Launch PowerShell as an administrator:

    Before executing the command to reinstall the HelloFace driver, you have to change the current working directory in PowerShell.
    For this, execute the command cd followed by the targeted directory.
    For your convenience, we have written the complete command below. You just have to copy it and paste it into the PowerShell:

    cd C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver

    Now, type the following command and press Enter. This will remove the HelloFace driver:

    pnputil.exe /delete-driver .\HelloFace.inf

    Now, you have to reinstall the HelloFace driver. For this type the following command in the PowerShell and hit Enter:

    pnputil.exe /add-driver .\HelloFace.inf /install

    Wait till the installation process gets completed.

    Open the Device Manager. It should show the Biometric device driver now.

    100% WORKING!!

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