Windows hello stopped working

Question

Windows Hello has stopped recognzing my face and can't be reset.

Answer 1

Make sure you've IR based webcam installed correctly and working fine.

Try setting Group Policy "Allow users to log on using biometrics" at Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Biometrics to Enabled.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Hello,

For Windows Hello facial recognition to work properly, the IR sensor and its related driver must be working correctly. A standard webcam alone is not enough for facial recognition. If you previously used Windows Hello facial recognition and it has stopped working, here are a few things you can try:

1

Remove your Windows Hello PIN and set it up again.

Go to Start.

Select Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

Expand the Windows Hello PIN section, click "Remove",

Once done, set up Windows Hello PIN again and see if it enables the 'Windows Hello Facial recognition' feature.

2

Reinstall the Camera and IR sensor drivers in Device Manager.

• Open Device Manager.
• Expand the arrow next to Cameras or Biometrics.
• Right-click your integrated camera driver first, select Uninstall device, check the 'Attempt to delete the driver software for this device' box, then click Uninstall.
• Follow the same process for IR Sensor drivers.
• Once uninstalled, restart your computer and check if the Windows Hello Facial feature is working.

(Example screenshot showing the integrated webcam driver and IR Camera drivers). If the IR camera drivers are missing, the Windows Hello Facial recognition won't work.

Answer 3

1. Sign in with a PIN or password first, then repair Windows Hello from Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. For face recognition failures, try these checks first:
   • Clean and unobstruct the camera.
   • Improve lighting and avoid strong light from one side.
   • Remove hats or accessories that cast shadows.
   • If appearance changed, re-scan after changes such as glasses or facial hair.
3. In Sign-in options, under Facial recognition (Windows Hello), select Improve recognition and complete the re-scan. This adds another face template and can work better than removing and setting it up again.
4. If that does not help, under Facial recognition (Windows Hello) select Remove, then Set up to scan the face again.
5. If the option is unavailable or face sign-in still does not work:
   • Check that Windows is fully updated.
   • In Device Manager, verify the camera or biometric device is present.
   • If the Windows Hello face or related biometric device is not working correctly, uninstall that device, restart the PC, and let Windows reinstall the driver.
6. If biometric authentication still is not working, check System Information > System Summary and confirm Virtualization Based Security shows Running. Then check System Information > Software Environment > Running Tasks and confirm bioiso.exe and ngciso.exe are listed.
7. If those checks fail, restart the biometric service:
   • Remove the PIN in Sign-in options first.
   • Open Command Prompt as administrator.
   • Run: net stop wbiosrvc && net start wbiosrvc
   Warning: removing the PIN temporarily disables PIN sign-in until it is added again.
8. If Windows Hello still cannot recognize the face reliably after these steps, the camera hardware may have a problem.

---

References:

• Windows Hello common issues and troubleshooting tips
• Troubleshoot problems with Windows Hello on Surface
• Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security
• Why didn't Windows Hello facial recognition recognize me?