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
    2021-09-26T23:51:52+00:00

    THANK YOU SO MUCH! this is the only comment that fixed the biometric driver that i accidentally uninstalled! however, windows hello face still crashes when I try to set it up. Still, thank you for bringing back the lost driver!

    HI

    if you figure out how to stop crash windows hello setup,then tell us to know

    thanks

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-06-20T14:28:47+00:00

    The 'Fix' I think you are trying, what i have named that 'Reinstall driver's Fix didn't work for me so I am not a good person to ask. I can recap this for you:

    • There are 3 Main 'Fixes" as follows:
    1. Fix 1 is:

    The Reinstall driver's ;Fix' which is what you are attempting. Here you search in the Start Menu search box for:

    " C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver" find the > HelloFace.inf < file on your system and you right click--> Install --> reboot.

     That did NOT work for me.

    1. Fix 2 is: Where you use the 'Group Policy Editor' fix.  This did not work for me either. If you want to try this FIX , search on the MS fixes for this problem and you will see it in one of these 'Answers' responses

    ****

    1.  Fix 3 **** worked for me!,  This is where you call MS Tech Support at +1 (800) 865-9408, (800) 360-7561 or (800) 642-7676, or go through the online process at support.microsoft.com/contactus -or- support.microsoft.com/help, and explain the problem and that you heard on the MS Forum C0ommunity that they had an 'update' fix. They will assist you in installing the update and BOOM, the 'Biometric Node' and 'Hello Face drives are back in Device manager! x

     or . Call

    I call MS tech and they installed some sort of an update and that fixed my problem. So first try the right client

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-12-31T16:25:15+00:00

    If the prior items do not work (as they did not work for me), do this which worked.

    I worked on this for 3 days before I found a solution that worked for me. I tried all of the above first. 

    Go to Settings>Update and Security>View update history>Uninstall Updates>then uninstall every update that is not a security patch.

    restart

    Then go and download the newest windows 10 update from the below:

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

    Install! 

    You will thank me later. 

    I have an

    HP Spectre x360 - 13t-aw000

    just in case anyone is googling that as well.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-12-02T12:22:12+00:00

    what if the issue is that you don't have the FaceDriver how do you go about that

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-09-13T09:28:20+00:00

    I have the same problem.

    OS: W10 Pro V.2004 Build: 19041.508

    Windows hello face recognition "we couldn't find a camera compatible with windows hello" but it's not true because some months ago worked fine.

    Tried to install .inf files but nothing happened.

    Can you help me please?

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