Windows Hello Face stops working after KB5127648 – IR stream never starts (ROG Strix G18 G815LR)

Question

Windows Hello Face stops working after KB5127648 – IR stream never starts (ROG Strix G18 G815LR)

Lautaro 0

After the cumulative update KB5127648 (build 26300.9711), Windows Hello Face stopped working. The IR emitter doesn't light up, and face sign-in never finds a face. It worked fine right before the update was installed.

Device

ASUS ROG Strix G18 (G815LR), Windows 11 Home
IR camera: USB\VID_2B7E&PID_C711&MI_02 (Realtek), using Microsoft's generic usbvideo.inf driver, with no OEM camera driver installed

What the logs show

Microsoft-Windows-MF-FrameServer/Camera_FrameServer: Windows Hello opens the sensor group Rts-DMFT-Group and sets the output media type successfully (hr=0x0). However, the IR stream (MI_02) never reaches the "Start" state. Before the update, a stream start event for MI_02 was logged on every sign-in attempt.
No new driver or other changes besides the update.

Workaround

Uninstall KB5127648 (wusa /uninstall /kb:5127648) and reboot. This brings the build back to 26300.9550, and the IR stream works again.
After the rollback, the PIN broke with "Something went wrong and your PIN isn't available". The HelloForBusiness event 7002 showed "failed to load existing container" with error 0x80090010. Fix: Settings → Sign-in options → PIN → "I forgot my PIN", then remove the face enrollment and set it up again.
Pause Windows Update so the update doesn't come back.

Has anyone else seen this with KB5127648 on a Realtek IR camera?

0 comments

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

The rollback result strongly isolates KB5127648, so remain temporarily on build 26300.9550, submit the before/after IR-stream evidence through Feedback Hub, and do not reinstall KB5127648 merely to repeat tests unless Microsoft or ASUS requests a diagnostic reproduction.

Current status

KB5127648 is the October 13, 2026 cumulative update that installs OS build 26300.9711 on Windows 11 26H2. Its published known-issues section currently lists Remote Desktop and USB audio issues—not this Windows Hello/Realtek IR failure. Therefore, this is a reproducible update regression on your configuration, but it should not yet be described as a Microsoft-confirmed known issue ^1^.

The trace is technically significant: Windows Hello IR-camera validation requires selecting the face-authentication stream and successfully starting it. Microsoft’s camera requirements also expect stream startup in under 500 milliseconds ^2^. Your successful sensor-group and media-type negotiation followed by no MI_02 start narrows the failure to that stream-start path.

No supplied public source establishes independent reports for this exact VID_2B7E&PID_C711 configuration.

Report the regression with correlated evidence

Open Feedback Hub → Report a problem and file it under Windows Hello/biometrics or Devices and Drivers → Camera. Include:

ASUS ROG Strix G18 G815LR
Windows 11 26H2 Home
Failing build: 26300.9711, KB5127648
Working build after removal: 26300.9550
Hardware ID: USB\VID_2B7E&PID_C711&MI_02
Driver: Microsoft usbvideo.inf
Sensor group: Rts-DMFT-Group
Exact reproduction time on each build
The Frame Server events showing successful media-type selection but no IR Start event
The corresponding working-build event showing MI_02 starting
The Feedback Hub submission link in this Q&A thread, so matching reports can be grouped

Microsoft directs Windows update problems to Feedback Hub; Home users can also escalate through the Get Help app or Microsoft Support ^3^.

Before reporting, export the relevant logs from an elevated Command Prompt:

mkdir "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\HelloEvidence"
wevtutil epl Microsoft-Windows-MF-FrameServer/Camera_FrameServer ^
 "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\HelloEvidence\Camera_FrameServer.evtx"
wevtutil epl Microsoft-Windows-HelloForBusiness/Operational ^
 "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\HelloEvidence\HelloForBusiness.evtx"
pnputil /enum-devices /instanceid "USB\VID_2B7E&PID_C711&MI_02" /drivers ^
 > "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\HelloEvidence\IR-device.txt"
winver

If the second channel name is unavailable, export it directly from Event Viewer → Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → HelloForBusiness → Operational. Remove account names or other personal information before sharing files publicly.

Avoid unrelated repair paths

Since the same hardware, generic driver, and enrollment work again immediately on 26300.9550, the available evidence does not point to a missing IR camera, camera privacy permission, disabled biometric service, or generally corrupt enrollment. Reinstalling usbvideo.inf or repeatedly re-enrolling the face is unlikely to address a stream that fails only on 26300.9711.

Your PIN-container repair and face reenrollment have already restored authentication after rollback, so those steps do not need repeating.

Until a corrected update is available

Keep a PIN or password available as the fallback sign-in method.
Keep the update pause temporary: KB5127648 contains security improvements, so remaining rolled back has a security trade-off ^1^.
Monitor the Windows 11 26H2 release-health page for acknowledgment or a resolved-update version ^4^.
If ASUS publishes camera firmware, a camera extension, or a model-specific driver explicitly addressing Windows Hello on this model, test that before removing the pause. Do not substitute an unrelated Realtek camera package from another laptop model.
Once Microsoft or ASUS identifies a corrected build, create a restore point, install it, and verify that MI_02 reaches Start before removing the rollback workaround permanently.

References

Answer 2

Clary-N 17,335 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Lautaro,

Thanks for documenting this so clearly. The logs and rollback result make a strong case that KB5127648 is the key variable here: the MI_02 IR stream stops starting on build 26300.9711 and works again after returning to build 26300.9550, with no driver or other system changes in between.

Does the regular colour camera continue to work in the Camera app while the affected update is installed? Also, does Device Manager show any warning or error for either camera interface?

Keeping the update paused is a reasonable short-term workaround. I’d also check MyASUS or the ASUS support page for any BIOS, firmware, chipset or camera-related updates for the G815LR, particularly since the camera is using the generic usbvideo.inf driver.

Because the rollback also affected the PIN, I’d keep the account password available before making any further update changes. Please let me know what you find with the regular camera and the camera entries in Device Manager.

Lautaro 0 Reputation points

2026-10-15T17:58:15.71+00:00
Thanks for the follow-up.

Color camera: yes, while KB5127648 was installed, the regular color camera worked in the Camera app. It was the first thing I checked when face sign-in stopped working. Only the IR side failed.

Device Manager: no warnings or errors on either camera interface, and no Kernel-PnP errors for VID_2B7E in that time window. Today all three interfaces (FHD webcam, IR camera and Camera DFU Device) show status OK.

ASUS updates: MyASUS and Armoury Crate show no BIOS, firmware, chipset or camera updates available for the G815LR.

So the failure looks specific to the IR stream (MI_02) failing to start on build 26300.9711, with the same hardware and the same generic usbvideo.inf driver that work on 26300.9550. I'm keeping updates paused for now and will test the next cumulative update when it's released.
Lautaro 0 Reputation points

2026-10-15T17:58:44.43+00:00

Duplicate post, please see the reply above.
Clary-N 17,335 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-16T08:00:21.9433333+00:00

Hi Lautaro,

Thanks for checking all of that and for the detailed follow-up.

Since the normal camera keeps working, Device Manager stays clean, and ASUS doesn’t have any newer firmware or camera-related updates available, I wouldn’t make further driver changes for now. The rollback is a pretty strong comparison, especially since the IR camera comes back on 26300.9550 without any other hardware or driver changes.

Keeping updates paused for now and testing again with the next cumulative update sounds reasonable. If the issue returns with a later update, I’d also recommend submitting the behavior through Feedback Hub so Windows team has the build and hardware details for investigation.

Thanks again for taking the time to document the results so clearly.