Notebook Hardware and Upgrade Questions

I have always logged onto my computer with the fingerprint scanner. However, following a Windows update last month it has suddenly stopped working.  I tried removing the fingerprint and setting it up again, but after removing the fingerprint already stored the option to set up was greyed out. 

My computer is a home PC and not on any sort of network.  However there is a message on the top of the page telling me that some settings are hidden or managed by my (non-existent) organisation.  

Here is what I have tried so far to get my fingerprint scanner back online. 

I have removed and set up again both the pin and password from the sign in options page. They were set up anyway, but were redone in the hope the option to set up the fingerprint would be made available. It wasn't. 

I have changed my account which I log in with to administrator but the option is still not available. 

I have tried logging in with a local account instead of my regular account.

I have uninstalled the biometrics device from the device manager and reinstalled it.  

I have not updated the driver as it tells me that it is the most recent one already. There is no option to rollback the driver.

I have done all Windows updates that are currently available.  

I have (reluctantly) altered the setting in the privacy - diagnostics and feedback - to full rather than basic. 

I have tried to find the biometrics in the BIOS to enable it that way but cannot find it there. 

I have downloaded and installed the group policy editor (since it wasn't on my machine) but have had difficulties in following the various instructions relating to that.  

Firstly, there is no "biometrics" folder anywhere in the list of folders and certainly not where I am told it should be.  (Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Biometrics).   

Since getting access to all the settings on the page seems to be a problem it was suggested that by getting full access it might allow the setup to become available. Unfortunately I have had no joy in getting full access either. 

It was suggested that it would help to alter a telemetry setting in the Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds folder - again this last folder is not there. 

I downloaded all the templates for the Data Collection and Previews Built and went through the instructions to install them, but they are still not showing on the group policy editor.  Even after following some very complicated instructions about the ADML and ADMX files, the folder still does not appear.

Typing REG QUERY "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection" into the command prompt to check the telemetry settings does absolutely nothing.  Going into the regedit folder list shows a default file with the data column showing "value not set".

I don't particularly want to roll back Windows updates which will no doubt cause a more problems and may not solve the issue anyway. 

I just want my fingerprint scanner to work the same as it has been doing for the last few years since I bought this laptop.  Instead I am going round in circles and nothing suggested has worked to fix this. 

Does anyone have any idea how I can get this working again, preferably with easy to follow instructions since I am not the most computer savvy person.