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
    2022-01-17T00:00:17+00:00

    Windows Hello, I hate to have to say it, but it is not user friendly when a security device doesn't work (even if it did or should). If you had an enterprise or whatever capable Windows, there could be a little more ability, but it is still highly unfriendly.

    It might not be fixable. The only fix might be to wait for some Windows update to someday to fix it. The way its made is kind of to not allow users to tamper or work with it since its security and the way into Windows.

    However, if the security key works say in a browser with a 2fa website login then Windows Hello is the issue.

    If it doesn't work from a browser, then you have an issue with it working and would need to solve that. That would not be a Windows Hello issue directly. You might need to have Dell fix that or buy something else Windows hello allows. As I would expect that to be a physical issue. A security key should just work. If it would randomly fail so easily, its unreliable for security, and shouldn't be used.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-01-18T01:17:51+00:00

    Used this fix with my Lenovo Yoga as well. Thanx!

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-01-18T01:43:44+00:00

    I'm happy to have shared this solution with the community

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-01-26T02:33:17+00:00

    Hi

    I had the same problem, tried all the different ways of repairing it so I ended up reverting back to Windows 10 as my computer was new, and I wanted to use the feature.

    In the end what worked for me was removing my fingerprint from Windows 10 before installing Windows 11.

    Louise

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-01-26T11:54:35+00:00

    Hai, my name is Liya. In July, i've bought Lenovo that has a fingerprint mode to access the laptop in and i'm a windows 11 users. It's working good until two days ago, so I think there's something problem in display settings. After i checked, it turned out that the fingerprint settings could not work. Please, to windows to be repaired immediately so that my laptop fingerprint can be used again. If there is no system for it, the fingerprint becomes useless. Thankyou.

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