Credential Provider DLL Not Loading on Windows 11

Question

I’m developing a custom Credential Provider using the official SampleV2CredentialProvider code. It works perfectly on Windows 10 the tile loads and functions correctly at the logon screen.(overall all I want is to put button to reset password that i can link to a server) However, when deploying the same DLL on Windows 11, the Credential Provider does not appear at all on the logon screen, It seems like the DLL isn't being loaded at all on the Windows 11 logon screen.

I’m not sure if this is due to changes in how Windows 11 handles Credential Providers, or if something is blocking the DLL from loading. I’d really appreciate it if you could share any hints or possible solutions to help identify the cause or get around the issue!

Answer 1

Hi! If your custom DLL based on SampleV2CredentialProvider the it will work in Windows 10 but not Windows 11. (stricter security and architectural changes)

Things to check for Windows11

• Ensure correct registry configuration
  • It should be registered under
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\Credential Providers\
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\Credential Provider Filters\
    • Each with the correct CLSID pointing to your DLL.
• Target the correct platform
  • Ensure you're building the provider for x64 (not Any CPU). Windows 11 is usually x64 and won’t load mismatched architecture DLLs at logon.
• Confirm location of DLL
  • it should be in System32
• Enable Secure boot compatibility
• Use a valid Authenticode certificate to sign your DLL.
• Use ETW logs to trace credential provider loading issues