Fingerprint reader stops working after every restart, and the Sign-in options page freezes when opened in Settings

Himanshu 🥤 0 Reputation points
2026-10-12T18:24:18.6366667+00:00

My fingerprint reader stops responding after every laptop restart. When this happens, the Windows Biometric Service still shows as Running, but the fingerprint sensor does not respond at all. Sometimes, the Windows Settings page under Accounts → Sign-in options also freezes on the Windows logo.

To temporarily fix the issue, I press Win + R, type "services.msc", and press Enter. I locate Windows Biometric Service, right-click it, and select Restart. After restarting the service, the fingerprint reader starts working again, and the Sign-in options page opens normally. However, the problem returns every time I restart the laptop.

I have already deleted and re-registered my fingerprint, checked that the biometric service is set to Automatic and running, and verified the fingerprint driver in Device Manager. Device Manager reports that the fingerprint reader is working properly, but the issue persists. I have also updated Windows, the BIOS, and the drivers.

Please help me identify the root cause and provide a permanent solution.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Emma1-N 13,695 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-10-13T00:26:42.94+00:00

    Welcome Himanshu,

    Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand the fingerprint reader stops responding after every restart, while restarting the Windows Biometric Service temporarily restores both fingerprint recognition and the Sign-in options page.

    Before continuing, I would like to clarify a few things:

    • Does the problem occur immediately at the Windows sign-in screen after restarting, or only after you sign in?
    • Does the same issue occur when you sign in to another Windows user account on the laptop?

    Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following.

    1, Test another Windows account

    • If another account already exists on the PC, sign in to it after restarting
    • Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and check whether the page responds normally
    • This helps determine whether the behavior follows one Windows profile

    2, Test Windows in Safe Mode

    • Hold Shift while selecting Power > Restart
    • Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart
    • Press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking
    • Sign in using your password, as PIN and biometric sign-in are unavailable in Safe Mode
    • Check whether Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options opens without freezing

    3, Check Recommended Troubleshooter History

    • Open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Recommended Troubleshooter History
    • Check whether Windows has recently applied any hardware, biometric, or system-file remediation
    • If an entry appears around the time the issue started, please provide its name and status

    4, Check whether the failure is limited to restarting

    • Select Start > Power > Shut down
    • After the laptop completely turns off, power it back on and test the fingerprint reader
    • Compare this with the behavior after selecting Restart

    Looking forward to your update.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

  2. AI answer

    2026-10-12T18:26:49.98+00:00

    The next decisive step is to determine whether Windows fails to enumerate the fingerprint sensor during startup, because restarting the biometric service can re-enumerate it without identifying the underlying driver, security-component, or startup-software failure.

    1. Capture the failure before restarting the service

    Immediately after a reboot when the reader and Sign-in options are unresponsive:

    1. Right-click Start → Event Viewer.
    2. Open Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → Biometrics → Operational.
    3. Look for errors at boot and for event 1108, which indicates that Windows successfully loaded a biometric sensor.
    4. Note whether event 1108 identifies the fingerprint sensor as isolated in:
      • Virtual Secure Mode when Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) is active, or
      • System when ESS is not active.
    5. Restart Windows Biometric Service, then refresh the log and compare the new events.

    Microsoft documents event 1108 as the sensor-enumeration event and provides the device-instance-path correlation under Device Manager → Biometric devices → fingerprint reader → Properties → Details. ^1^

    Interpret the result:

    • Event 1108 appears only after restarting the service: the sensor or its driver stack is failing to initialize during boot.
    • Event 1108 exists before the restart, followed by errors: record the error codes and the sensor name; the device is enumerated, but a later Windows Hello component is failing.
    • No new biometric events until the service restart: investigate startup software or the device’s power/driver initialization.

    2. Reinstall—not merely update—the biometric driver

    Since updating and checking Device Manager did not help, remove the existing driver instance so Windows rebuilds the device stack:

    1. Download the fingerprint driver for the exact laptop model from its manufacturer, but do not install it yet.
    2. Open Device Manager → Biometric devices.
    3. Right-click the fingerprint reader → Uninstall device.
    4. If offered, select Attempt to remove the driver for this device only when the downloaded OEM package is ready.
    5. Restart the laptop.
    6. Install the OEM package, restart again, and check whether event 1108 now appears during startup.

    Microsoft’s Windows Hello troubleshooting specifically directs users to uninstall the biometric device and restart so Windows attempts to reinstall its driver. ^1^

    3. Check ESS only if the setting is enabled

    Open Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options after temporarily restarting the service. If Enhanced sign-in security says On:

    1. Run msinfo32.
    2. Under System Summary, verify Virtualization-based security is Running.
    3. Open Software Environment → Running Tasks.
    4. Check for bioiso.exe and ngciso.exe.

    Missing secure components indicate an ESS initialization problem rather than a fingerprint-enrollment problem. ESS requires compatible sensor hardware, firmware, and drivers; non-ESS-capable sensors are not enumerated while ESS is enabled. ^1^

    Do not disable security features as a first repair. Supply the event details and ESS status to the laptop manufacturer so it can provide a compatible biometric driver or firmware package.

    4. Test for a non-Microsoft startup conflict

    If the clean driver installation does not fix it, perform one clean-boot test:

    1. Search for msconfig and open System Configuration.
    2. On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services, then Disable all.
    3. On Startup, select Open Task Manager and disable enabled startup applications.
    4. Restart and test the fingerprint reader before manually restarting its service.

    If the reader works, re-enable half the disabled items at a time and reboot until the conflicting service or application is isolated. Return to normal startup afterward. Microsoft documents this binary-isolation procedure for identifying background software conflicts. ^2^

    Conditional checks

    • USB-connected fingerprint reader: In Device Manager, select View → Devices by connection. If the reader is below a USB hub, open each parent hub’s Properties → Power Management and clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. This workaround applies specifically when a USB reader or its upstream hub is being suspended. ^3^
    • Affected ELAN driver: If Device Manager reports ELAN version 3.10.11001.10606, 3.10.11001.10502, or 3.10.11001.10801, run sfc /scannow; Microsoft identifies those versions and onnxruntime.dll as a specific affected configuration. ^4^
    • Settings continues freezing: Repair Windows components from Terminal (Admin), then restart:
    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow

    DISM should run before SFC. ^5^

    If the failure remains after driver reinstallation and also occurs in a clean boot, submit a Feedback Hub report containing the failed-boot biometric events, event 1108 status, device instance path, driver version, and ESS/VBS status. Microsoft’s Windows Hello guidance directs unresolved biometric failures to Feedback Hub. ^1^

    References

    1. Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security
    2. [Windows 11](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/startup-boot/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows)
    3. The Dissapearance of Fingerprint (sign-in option) from My Windows 11 Laptop - Microsoft Q&A
    4. About the ELAN fingerprint driver troubleshooter for devices upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 | Microsoft Support
    5. Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files | Microsoft Support
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.