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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-08-24T17:01:08+00:00

    This sounds not a login-fix, I must use my user 👤 and reset is not an option for me. We need a proper fix not a working around, and how do we know the problem will not appear again?

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-08-24T16:49:36+00:00

    Sounds like Windows 11 finally posted a login-option fix after many months of "This option not available" message, started in Windows 10. There are a few known workarounds, and I'll just repost them here, and you can search this thread for more details fixes posted several months ago:

    • Add another user, and possibly switching over this new user on the laptop will fix the issue
    • Reset your PC (least desirable)

    Best luck to all those struggled with the fingerprint option disappearing issue.

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-08-24T12:46:51+00:00

    I have had this on a new laptop running windows 11 I tried everything I new and got nowhere so logged off after asking for help on here I read all the post on this issue and nothing worked for me I have had a couple of updates since and when I logged on this time I tried again and low and behold this time it worked so I have no idea what has made it work but hey it’s working now so all is well thank for all your posts they have been helpful knowing that I was not on my own

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-08-21T09:32:54+00:00

    Hi, it is a Windows 11 problem, I have the same issue (similar). I tried already to solve it, but I found no way. In my case the TPM needs an update (and there is no), you can check from "Security Processor troubleshooting". Anyway "Biometric" stop working and you can sign in just with PIN. For me "Reset" my laptop is not an option, but at least it can work.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-08-18T15:11:32+00:00

    I didn't start having problems until I upgraded from windows 10 to 11. I had other issues that I managed to fix myself. I had issues using TurboTax and other software. I hope Microsoft is fixing all of these glitches

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