Windows Hello offers a more personalized login experience, ditching passwords for PINs, fingerprints, or facial recognition. This streamlined approach extends beyond your device, letting you access web accounts and applications simultaneously with any chosen option. However, some Windows 11 users, particularly those who upgraded from Windows 10, report missing the Windows Hello options. Let’s explore ways to troubleshoot this issue.
Reasons Behind Missing Windows Hello Sign-In Option
- Corrupt User Profile: If the user profile associated with the Windows account gets corrupted, the Windows Hello Sign-in option may not come up.
- Group Policy or Registry Settings: Incorrect Group Policies or Registry settings can restrict specific sign-in options.
- Virus or security software conflicts: Possible virus infections of the system can also mess up the Windows settings, impacting the login options or the process.
- System File Corruption: Corrupt system files can also lead to problems related to Windows Sign-in, as they can cause various system components to malfunction.
- Hardware Issues: Malfunctioning hardware or physical components like fingerprint readers or infrared cameras needed for logging in using fingerprint or facial recognition can also lead to the disappearance of the Windows Hello Sign-In options.
How to Resolve Windows Hello Sign-In Options Disappeared for Windows 11
Lets check out the solutions that you can use to solve the issue.
1] Reinstall the Fingerprint Driver
Reinstalling the Fingerprint driver can help resolve issues related to corrupt drivers, potential conflicts, and compatibility issues between the OS and the driver. Reinstalling the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website can help ensure that the Human Interface Device (HID) is not causing the error.
2] System Restore
By allowing users to revert the OS settings to a previously stable one, System Restore can effectively resolve the error mentioned above. Restoring the system files and settings can help avoid any conflicts or changes that may have resulted in the disappearance of the Windows Hello Sign-in options.
3] Enable and set up Windows Hello Sign-In
The Windows Hello Sign-In option may not appear if the same is not enabled from the Settings. To enable and set up the Windows Hello Sign-In option,
- Goto Settings >Accounts > Sign-In Options
- Select the Windows Hello method to be used
- Click on Manage to set up the said feature
4] Edit Registry Settings
If the above methods fail to resolve the issue, enabling the Windows Domain PIN Log-On from the Windows Registry can help. However, this resolution would only work in Domain environments that don’t use Windows Hello for business. Also, it has to be done by an IT admin. To enable the option from the Registry:
- Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run dialogue box and pressing Enter.
- Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System
- Right-click the space on the right and click New>DWORD (32-bit value).
- Name the new value as AllowDomainPINLogon.
- Double-click on the New DWORD and set the Value Data to 1
- Then click OK to save the changes.
- Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
5] Windows Hello Group Policy
Since a probable cause for the disappearance of the Windows Hello might be because it is disabled from the Group Policy, enabling the same by following the below-mentioned steps can help in resolving the error:
- Open the Group Policy Management Console by typing gpmc.msc in the Run dialogue box
- Navigate to User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Component > Windows Hello for Business
- Double-click on Windows Hello for Business, select Enable, and click on OK to save the changes.
Note: Group Policy editing options are unavailable on Windows 11 Home Edition. The said option can be enabled in a domain environment or a standalone Windows 11 Pro.
What if nothing works? Switch to Local Accounts or use another Microsoft account.
Using Microsoft Accounts may sometimes cause issues with the fingerprint options, leading to the error. Hence, switching to local accounts to check whether the Hello Sign-In options are appearing can also help resolve the error.
If the Sign-In options come up after switching to a local account but do not appear while using the Microsoft Account, an alternate or different Microsoft Account can be used to log in instead.
Conclusion
Resolving the error would involve a systematic approach to identifying and troubleshooting the issue, whether for a standalone system or one connected to a domain. However, in both cases, care and caution should be exercised while making the suggested changes to avoid any unintended changes to the system to ensure its stability.
