fingerprint scanner stopped working after Windows 11 update

[Grayson13]

5 year old HP ENVY-17t-bw000 laptop came with Windows 10 and built-in fingerprint scanner. Shortly after purchase, I upgraded to Windows 11. Everything including scanner has worked fine for over 4 years. On 12/03/24 I downloaded and installed Windows 11 update. When I restarted laptop it would not start. Got error message (Interactive Sign-in failed to initiate) I spent half day on chat with Microsoft Tech. Tried to restore, nothing, tried to reset, still nothing but blue screen. Microsoft recommended copying data direct from hard drive and then a clean install of Windows !!. Local compute shop said all data had been erased from hard drive. I replaced hard drive and did clean install of Windows 11. Now fingerprint scanner doesn't work at all. tried to reset it. Windows sign-in options says Hello fingerprint is not available at this time. 

Any Suggestions? 

[zoey7886]

@Grayson13, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding fingerprint scanner not working after an update! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

It looks like your fingerprint scanner issue is due to missing or incompatible drivers after the clean install of Windows 11. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

1. Check Device Manager

• Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
• Expand Biometric Devices or Unknown Devices (if the scanner is not detected properly).
• If your fingerprint scanner appears with a yellow warning sign, right-click and select Update Driver → Search automatically for drivers.
• If no drivers are found, move to the next step.

2. Manually Install HP Fingerprint Scanner Drivers

Since HP doesn’t always include all drivers in Windows updates, you should try installing them manually:

• Go to the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page.
• Enter your laptop model (HP ENVY - 17t-bw000 CTO) and look for Fingerprint Sensor Drivers under the Drivers - Keyboard, Mouse, and Input Devices section.
• Download and install the latest available driver.
• Restart your laptop and check if the fingerprint scanner works.

3. Enable Biometric Device in Windows Settings & Services

• Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Find Windows Biometric Service, right-click it, and select Restart.
• If it is disabled, right-click → Properties → set Startup type to Automatic.

4. Enable Biometrics in Group Policy Editor (If Applicable)

• Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
• Navigate to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Biometrics.
• Ensure Allow the use of Biometrics is Enabled.

 

[zoey7886]

5. Check for BIOS Updates

Sometimes, a BIOS update can fix hardware compatibility issues.

• Visit HP’s support page, check for a BIOS update for your model, and follow the installation instructions.

6. Try Rolling Back Windows Update

Since the issue started after a Windows update, try rolling back:

• Go to Settings → Windows Update → Update History.
• Click Uninstall updates and remove the latest update that might have caused the issue.

7. Reset Windows Hello Fingerprint Data

• Go to Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options.
• Remove the existing fingerprint data and set up fingerprint recognition again.

Let me know if it helps!

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[Grayson13]

Hi Zoey 7886,

I have updated BIOS and several drivers. the fingerprint scanner is still not working. Sign in options won't let me use fingerprint scanner. I cannot clear or reset it. It appears the scanner is not compatible with the new windows 11. Also the HP software and driver update will not let me in. The original laptop ran windows 10 and that is the only option at HP support.com. It seems like there may be an issue with fingerprint scanner hardware being out of date. It is over 5 years old.

Thanks anyway,

Grayson 13

[zoey7886]

@Grayson13, Thank you for reaching out. I understand how frustrating this issue must be. 

Based on your description, it seems that the fingerprint scanner on your HP ENVY-17t-bw000 was originally designed for Windows 10, and compatibility with Windows 11 may be limited.

Since HP Support only provides drivers for Windows 10 for your model, rolling back to Windows 10 might be the best option to regain full functionality of your fingerprint scanner. If you still prefer to use Windows 11, you can try checking for compatible drivers from the HP Support page:

🔗 HP Software & Driver Downloads

If the scanner remains non-functional on Windows 11, reverting to Windows 10 might be necessary for full compatibility.

Let me know if you need further help!

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards,

[Blackcountrykid]

Tried all the above but Windows 11 2H24 is not recognising it after a clean install from windows media tool ???

[Grayson13 · Accepted solution]

Good morning Zoey7886,

this laptop is 5 years old. I upgraded from windows 10 to windows 11 shortly after I purchased it. Fingerprint scanner has always worked until Microsoft came up with the "new" windows 11. After a windows 11 update in December 2024 the laptop failed to restart(BLUE SCREEN). I tried to restore and it would not backup. I tried reset and still nothing. Microsoft's answer was a clean install of new windows 11. New windows 11 does not recognize the camera or the fingerprint scanner. Only sign in option is my pin number. I can live with that as opposed to buying a new laptop. Fingerprint scanner doesn't seen to be an option on current models.

Thanks for trying to resolve this issue,

Grayson13