Fingerprint reader not working on Windows 11: "This option is currently unavailable"

Reported
Anonymous
2021-11-28T21:29:19+00:00

I recently got a Dell Inspiron with Windows 11 preloaded. The fingerprint reader was working fine at first, but now it appears to not be working with windows hello. The option to add a finger or remove the fingerprint are greyed out and not clickable.

I've seen posts about this issue in Windows 10, but the fixes aren't working for me.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Accounts, profiles, and login

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-05-27T07:28:35+00:00

    Hello Carlo

    I have just looked at your post and was wondering if you be able to help me as I am having the same issue. My surface laptop go and manfanucaturer Microsoft cooperation.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-07-15T14:58:30+00:00

    Along multiple Windows updates, the "Hello Sign-in Option" is disabled. It no longer allows the user to update/change sign in options. See picture below and do not keep suggesting the enable/disable driver will fix the problem. This is an issue that affects every Windows 10/11 machines that I owned. I am sure I am not the singular case.

    DOES NOT WORK

    Many post about "enable/disable" driver, but it is not addressing the issue that in Windows 10/11 Hello option, the ability to update/add fingerprint is not functioning.

    KNOWN WORKING SOLUTION (Not my findings, but gathered from other users' discovery)

    1. reset PC tends to bring computer back to original condition and thus works!!

    We should not have to reset the PC/re-install windows. This is clearly a Windows 10/11 bug.

    1. reinstall windows 11
    2. Adding a new user had Windows Hello fully functional for fingerprint. Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Other users > "Add account"

    Folks, this is a Windows 10/11 known issues. Please take it up to Microsoft. They should fix it ASAP as it affects countless Windows users.

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-07-09T17:58:46+00:00

    This is also an issue if you boot windows 11 to diagnostic mode in msconfig and have not configured a pin. The fingerprint reader doesnt work and you cant log in at all.

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-05-13T06:04:11+00:00

    Hello everyone!

    To anyone who's still having this issue, after having tried the following:

    1. Disable/Update/Uninstall/Reinstall Driver
    2. Checking Device Manager > USB for a "warning" sign (didn't have one)
    3. Adding a Registration Key and Enabling Group Policy Settings

    I was just about ready to reinstall windows 11 but I decided to try and create a new user on my laptop, to my surprise the new user had Windows Hello fully functional for fingerprint. So I decided to back up my files on my main account, create a new user account with my secondary email:

    Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Other users > "Add account"

    After creating my secondary user account, I went to my primary user account and changed the second user account type to Administrator:

    Control Panel > User accounts > Change Account Type > Select your new user > Change account type > Select "Administrator"

    Once both accounts were administrators, I was able to return to my second user account and delete my primary user account (through the control panel) and that was it, problem solved, until the next windows update I guess lol.

    If you want to use your primary email address for your user account you're going to have to do this process again.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-02-21T12:57:07+00:00

    Yes I did the same thing and it finally worked. Eveytime that Windows makes updates I have the same problem. :(

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