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- DigitalPersona Local Host DpHostW.exe Process Memory Leak

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12-01-2017 06:30 PM
I will start by saying all drivers are loaded and current as per HP SoftPaq Download Manager.
- Windows 10 64bit Enterprise Version 10.0.16299 Build 16299. All Updates
- Synaptics VFS7552 WBF Touch Fingerprint Sensor Driver VERSION: 5.2.5005.26 REV: A PASS: 2
- HP Client Security Manager VERSION: 9.3.4.2441 REV: A PASS: 1
I have also uninstalled the above drivers, deleted all directories, then did a fresh install of them, twice.
The issue is that when I leave the laptop alone and it plugged in to AC power and the screen locks in 5 mins. Then the DigitalPersona Local Host Process DpHostW.exe starts a memory leak and consuming all the RAM.
When I come back to the machine, and try to unlock using fingerprint, nothing happens. I unlock it using the password and then it sits are logging in for many minutes before I am actually logged back in and screen in unlocked. Immediely going into Task Manager reveals that SpHostW.exe has consumed memory that is relative to screen lock time. In 30 mins it can consume up to 8GB and in 1hr it consumes all the ~12GB free in the system. The longer the system is left locked and powered on the more memory is consumed. Classic Memory leak.
It does not happen as long as I am logged into Windows and working on it. Normally DPHostw.exe sits at 19MB memory consumed.
When laptop has AC power I have sleep and hibernate disabled and screen is off after 10 mins. If the memory runs out completely. WIndows reboots itself. This only happens once logged in and then sleep. Attached is a picture showing the effect.
This is really annoying. I have no recourse but to delete and disable DigitalPersona and not use fingerprint login, which is a pity beacuse it is one of the key features I bought the machine for.
DpHostW.exe Memory Leak
12-22-2017 03:58 AM - edited 12-22-2017 03:58 AM
I've found this workaround (beware: it will remove HP Client Securit features, only fingerprint login will be kept...):
- uninstall both "HP Device security" (skip reboot) and "HP Client Security" (reboot now) from installed apps
Fingerprint sensor drivers won't be removed, so you can now enable bundled Windows 10 biometric login option - open Start menu, type "Access options" to open the access options configuration page
- if the Fingerprint option is disabled (on my domain-joined machine it was) you need to change your Local (or Group) policies to enable it; follow the steps here.
(if the link above dies, here's the policy registry key to change)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System] "AllowDomainPINLogon"=dword:00000001
- reopen the access options configuration page, now the Fingerprint login option should be enabled, register your fingerprints then choose a PIN (Windows Hello requires it, don't know why but that's it)
- lock your computer with WIN+L and the fingerprint login should work immediately
No more DpHostW.exe process, problem solved!
12-22-2017 06:50 AM
Thank you Nicorac. The only problem with the Windows login (hello) is that without pre-boot authentication the SED encryption doens't make much sense.
Alternative software encryption (bitlocker) eats up a lot of system resources too - basically means trading one problem with another. Thus, let's not give up that fast.