Why is biometrics not showing in Device Manager?

by Kazim Ali Alvi

Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows. And at times, unscrewing the device to take... read more

Published on February 26, 2022

• Several users, after upgrading to Windows 11, have reported that biometric devices are not showing in Device Manager, an issue generally encountered due to incompatible drivers.
• To fix the problem, check Windows Update for drivers, run the DISM tool and SFC scan, amongst other methods listed below.
• Also, find out how to install Windows Hello Face in Windows 11.

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Biometric devices are a quick and secure way of logging in to your PC, without undergoing the minor hassle to input the password each time. But what would you do if biometric devices are not showing in Device Manager in Windows 11?

That’s a question that has puzzled users for a long time, but they are unable to find any reliable information on the web. Most of the methods listed in these forums either don’t work or are specifically for a particular manufacturer.

Therefore, we have dedicated this article to getting things up and running if Biometric Devices are not showing in Device Manager in Windows 11.

How do I install Hello Face biometrics on Windows 11?

Windows offers users three quick ways to login into their computers, namely, Face Recognition, Fingerprint, and PIN. But, keep in mind that to get the first two to work, you will have to set up the third on your device.

And to get face recognition working, you will have to install Windows Hello Face from the optional features. But once it’s done, you should be able to configure facial recognition in Windows 11 without much trouble.

Let’s now walk you through the most effective fixes for biometric devices not showing in Device Manager in Windows 11 error.

What do I do if biometric devices are not showing in Windows 11’s Device Manager?

1. View hidden devices in Device Manager

1. Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Device Manager in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result.
2. Click on View menu, and then select Show hidden devices from the list of options.
3. Now, check if the Biometric devices entry appears, and you are able to see the fingerprint scanner and the facial recognition device there.

If you are able to view the biometric devices after making the changes, it indicates that these are either disconnected, not working, or disabled from the BIOS. So, make sure to check the connections, and that the biometric device isn’t disabled in BIOS.

When you connect a device to your computer, Windows will, most likely, automatically install a driver for it. However, when you disconnect it, the driver is kept so that you can easily use this device the next time.

But, these devices are hidden so as to keep the Device Manager uncluttered. In case the biometric devices are not showing in Device Manager in Windows 11 even under the hidden ones, try the other methods listed below.

2. Check Windows Update for drivers

1. Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, and select Windows Update from the tabs listed in the navigation pane on the left.
2. Click on Advanced options on the right.
3. Next, click on Optional updates under Additional options.
4. Select Driver updates here.
5. If there’s a driver for the biometric devices listed here, tick the checkbox for it, and click on Download & install.

If you noticed that biometric devices are not showing in Device Manager after upgrading to Windows 11, it could be that the relevant drivers are missing.

Oftentimes, Windows may, by mistake, put certain critical drivers under optional updates and not automatically install them. Therefore, it’s imperative that you check the section, and download the relevant drivers for the biometric devices.

3. Download driver from the manufacturer’s website

1. Open any effective web browser, go to the system manufacturer’s official website, head to their Drivers section, and search for the Biometrics drivers.
2. Now, click on the Download button to get the setup for it.
3. Double-click on the downloaded file to launch the installer.
4. Click Yes on the UAC (User Account Control) prompt that pops up.
5. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the download process.

Though manually updating the drivers is not recommended (except for the graphics driver), sometimes, you may need to do that in case of errors, and this situation aptly falls under the latter.

Also, manual updates take up time and carry certain risks, if not downloaded from a reliable and secure source. This is where third-party apps come to your rescue.

We recommend using DriverFix, a dedicated tool to automatically scan and install the driver updates, thus ensuring that the installed ones are always up-to-date.

After updating the driver, restart the computer. Now, check if the biometric devices are showing in Device Manager in Windows 11.

4. Run DISM tool & SFC scan

1. Press Windows + S to launch the Search menu, enter Windows Terminal in the text field at the top, right-click on the relevant search result, and select Run as administrator from the context menu.
2. Click Yes on the UAC (User Account Control) prompt that pops up.
3. Now, click on the downward-facing arrow the top, and select Command Prompt from the list of options. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + 2 to launch Command Prompt in a new tab.
4. Now, execute the following commands one at a time. To execute, simply paste the command, and hit Enter after each:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
5. After running the DISM tool, execute the following command to run the SFC scan:sfc /scannow

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The DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is a tool that looks for corruption in the OS. It can also modify the Windows image or the Windows installation files, in order to eliminate issues with the system

The SFC (System File Checker) scan looks for corrupt system files and replaces them with their cached copy stored on the computer. So if it’s corrupt system files behind biometric devices not showing in Device Manager in Windows 11, these scans can help.

But, remember to first run the DISM tool and then the SFC scan. This is because the former makes things easier for the latter, and makes it work more effectively.

5. Uninstall the last Windows update

1. Press Windows + I to launch Settings, and select the Windows Update tab from the navigation pane on the left.
2. Click on Update history on the right.
3. Scroll down to the bottom, and click on Uninstall updates under Related settings.
4. Select the last installed update, and click on the Uninstall option.
5. Finally, click Yes in the confirmation prompt that pops up.

If you started encountering the issue after installing an update in Windows 11, it could very well be in that particular version. If that’s the case, uninstalling the update and reverting to the previously installed version would work.

Also, in this case, Microsoft would soon release a patch for the bug. So, make sure to keep checking for it and install the update as soon as it’s released.

6. Roll back to Windows 10

If none of the methods listed above work, it could be that the installed drivers and the ones available on the manufacturer’s website are not compatible with Windows 11.

In which case, you have no option but to roll back to Windows 10. This should get biometric devices up and running and start showing in the Device Manager.

However, this option is not available for long, and you may have to do a clean install of Windows 10. But, you can always extend the trial period using the trick mentioned in the linked guide.

If Windows Fingerprint[Windows Hello] isn’t working, try these Windows 10 fixes, which should solve the problem in the majority of situations.

How do I add a biometric device to the Device Manager?

The biometric devices will automatically show up in the Device Manager if they are connected to the system. And if they don’t even though you have them, the methods listed in the last section should eliminate the problem.

Basically, Device Manager lists all the devices that have ever been connected to the system, no matter whether you manually installed the driver for these or Windows did.

So, there is a biometric device connected (both internally and externally), you don’t need to manually add them, rather they will automatically be added to the Device Manager.

That’s all there’s to the biometric devices not showing in Device Manager in Windows 11 issue. Also, we have covered several related topics to help you get an idea.

Besides, find out what to do if the sign-in options are not working in Windows 11.

Do not hesitate to tell us which fix worked in the comments section below.

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