With Windows Hello, Windows users can use biometrics such as a fingerprint, face, and security key to sign in to their computer. However, some users have complained about biometric devices being missing or being removed from Device Manager on Windows error.
Because Windows lacks the required drivers, the user cannot use biometric devices to log in. But don’t worry, you can find a solution to this problem in Windows 11/10.
Why are biometric devices disappearing?
The problem mostly occurs immediately after upgrading to Windows. As a result, older biometric drivers may not be compatible with the latest version of Windows. Or Windows uninstalled the drivers and didn’t install new ones.
Another reason could be that the biometric device driver got corrupted due to various reasons. As a result, Windows cannot recognize the device and help you sign in with it.
What to do if biometric devices do not appear in Windows Device Manager?
If biometric devices are not showing up in Windows, then there is nothing to worry about. Because you can still log into your computer with a PIN. However, to fix this problem, you can try the following methods:
- Reinstall the HelloFace.inf file
- Download the software and driver from the OEM website
- Contact OEM Support
You will need an administrator account to resolve this issue.
1] Reinstall the HelloFace.inf file
One of the quickest ways to fix this problem is to reinstall the HelloFace.inf file. This is handy when you have accidentally removed a biometric device from Device Manager. Or you can’t find the biometric device at all.
To reinstall a file, do the following:
- Open File Explorer.
- Copy and paste the following path into the File Explorer location path.
C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver
- Here, locate the HelloFace.inf file and right-click it.
- Finally, select “Install”and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
- Finally, restart your computer and see if it works for you.
Also, on some computers, you may not find this following path C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver. In this case, you need to go to this path: C:\Windows\WinSxS
Here, find the amd64_microsoft-windows-hello-face folder. Once you open the folder, you will find the HelloFace.inf file, then right-click it and choose Continue.
2] Download the software and driver from the OEM website
There is a good chance that the biometric device driver is outdated or corrupted. Or, if you have reinstalled Windows, Windows may not have loaded the necessary drivers for biometrics to work.
You can manually download and install the biometric device from the OEM website. For example, let’s say your laptop has a fingerprint scanner. In this case, you can go to your laptop manufacturer’s website and download the fingerprint-related drivers and then install them, which should fix the problem.
3] Contact OEM Support (if manually removed)
If you have manually removed the biometric device from your PC and installing the driver does not solve the problem. Then contacting the OEM of your device will be your last resort. Instead, contact your biometric device support and see what they say.
Conclusion
Biometric devices that are missing or removed from Device Manager in Windows must be fixed after installing the HelloFace.inf file. However, if the above methods do not solve the problem, make sure your biometric device is working and recognized by some other PC. If so, you may want to consider restarting your computer.
Do I need to download the “helloface.inf”file from anywhere?
No, you don’t need to download the HelloFace.inf file from anywhere. Since it is a Windows system file, it comes with the Windows OS. However, some computers may not find the HelloFace.inf file. This happens because the PC is not compatible with Hello Face and Windows has not installed the files required for Windows Hello.
Why is my camera not compatible with face recognition?
There are two reasons why your camera is not compatible with face recognition. First, your camera is not compatible with Windows Hello. Because Windows requires you to use an Intel RealSense Camera or 3D Camera to support Face Unlock features. Therefore, if your camera does not have these features, you will not be able to use it.
If your camera meets the Windows Welcome requirements, you may not have installed the HelloFace.inf and HelloFaceMigration.inf files. However, you can install these files using the following Windows path: C:\Windows\System32\WinBioPlugIns\FaceDriver.