HLK Test Failure: Device.Biometric.FingerprintReader with WINBIO_E_DATA_PROTECTION_ERROR(0x80098004)

Problem Description:

Test Name: Device.Biometric.FingerprintReader :: WinBioSequenceTests.dll

Error Code: 0x80098004 (WINBIO_E_DATA_PROTECTION_ERROR)

Symptom: During the HLK test, all Windows Biometric Framework API calls (WinBioEnrollCapture, WinBioIdentify, WinBioVerify) fail, consistently returning the data protection error.

Environment: This issue is reproducible on multiple, different, clean hardware platforms.

Troubleshooting Already Performed:

• Confirmed the test is being run under a Local Administrator account with a password set.
• Completely reset the biometric database by stopping the service and deleting the contents of C:\Windows\System32\WinBioDatabase.
• Confirmed via gpresult that no Group Policies are being applied to the test machine.
• The issue occurs on a clean Windows installation with no third-party antivirus or security software. All standard environmental causes for this error have been eliminated.

Conclusion: The failure appears to be a bug in the HLK test itself or in the Windows Biometric Service on this version of Windows, as it occurs even in a perfect, clean test environment.

Error messages received during manual HLK test:

C:\FingerprintReaderTest>te.exe WinBioSequenceTests.dll Test Authoring and Execution Framework v10.43k for x64

StartGroup: WinBioSequenceTests::TestEnrollment

Test enrollment

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioOpenSession successful

Swipe finger to select sensor...

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioLocateSensor successful

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify obtained user identity

Removing existing template data for current user

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioDeleteTemplate successful

Begin enrollment...

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioEnrollBegin successful

Swipe finger to capture sample (pass 1)

Error: Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): WinBioEnrollCapture failed - Value (0x80098004) [File: ds\security\biometrics\test\hlk\sequencetests\sequence.cpp, Function: WinBioSequenceTests::TestEnrollment, Line: 64]

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioCloseSession successful

EndGroup: WinBioSequenceTests::TestEnrollment [Failed]

StartGroup: WinBioSequenceTests::TestIdentify

Test identify

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioOpenSession successful

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify obtained user identity

Swipe enrolled finger on sensor

Error: Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioIdentify succeeded - Value (0x80098004) [File: ds\security\biometrics\test\hlk\sequencetests\sequence.cpp, Function: WinBioSequenceTests::TestIdentify, Line: 116]

Error: Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioCloseSession successful - Value (0x80098004) [File: ds\security\biometrics\test\hlk\sequencetests\sequence.cpp, Function: WinBioSequenceTests::TestIdentify, Line: 141]

EndGroup: WinBioSequenceTests::TestIdentify [Failed]

StartGroup: WinBioSequenceTests::TestVerify

Test verify

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify obtained user identity

Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioOpenSession successful

Swipe enrolled finger on sensor

Error: Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioVerify succeeded - Value (0x80098004) [File: ds\security\biometrics\test\hlk\sequencetests\sequence.cpp, Function: WinBioSequenceTests::TestVerify, Line: 175]

Error: Verify: Win32Succeeded(hr): Verify WinBioCloseSession successful - Value (0x80098004) [File: ds\security\biometrics\test\hlk\sequencetests\sequence.cpp, Function: WinBioSequenceTests::TestVerify, Line: 184]

EndGroup: WinBioSequenceTests::TestVerify [Failed]

Summary of Non-passing Tests:

WinBioSequenceTests::TestEnrollment [Failed]

WinBioSequenceTests::TestIdentify [Failed]

WinBioSequenceTests::TestVerify [Failed]

Summary: Total=3, Passed=0, Failed=3, Blocked=0, Not Run=0, Skipped=0