Question Can't turn off Windows Hello in Windows 11 and can't reset/remove pin ?

[gernstsmit]

Hi there,

On my colleague's Dell laptop(with Windows 11), all of a sudden it wouldn't allow him to sign in using his fingerprint. He couldn't remember his pin either. After some struggling he got in with his password.

We proceeded to settings -> accounts -> sign in options and I advised him to delete his current fingerprint credentials and add it again from scratch. When we click on add a fingerprint it asks for the pin code, which we do not have.

If you then go to pin code settings, there is no option to remove the pin code. The only option is "I forgot my pin". If you do this it lets you sign in with an authenticator app (which works) or using your password (which also works), but either way, then the window just closes and there is no option to create a new pin or to remove the existing pin.

So now we are stuck in a loop. We cannot setup fingerprint scanning without the pin and we can't change the pin.

I've read up and it seems the issue has to do with "Windows Hello". I've found instructions online to turn of "Windows Hello", but they do not help. In our case there is no option to turn off "Windows Hello" under sign-in options -> related settings. The option is simply not there.

I need advise how I can disable or remove "Windows Hello" through an alternative method than to switch it off in windows settings, because I don't have that option.

Screenshots:

1) No option to remove pin

Clipboard01.jpg

drive.google.com

2) No option to turn off "Windows Hello"

Clipboard02.jpg

drive.google.com

3) Windows 11 build

Clipboard03.jpg

drive.google.com

 

[gernstsmit]

Just for the record, I tried the steps below were you stop the Biometrc Service and delete the database files. This did not work. (Actually the Biometric service was not running in the first place).

Windows 10: Zurücksetzen der Windows Hello Biometrie | Dell Deutschland

 

[Ralston18]

By colleague do you mean co-worker?

ln any case is the Dell in question a company/employer owned laptop?

The "loop" suggests that there is something else involved. Windows "Hello" uses biometric authentication for security purposes.

Those purposes would be moot if all that was necessary was to make some configuration change without the proper credentials: i.e., fingerprint and/or PIN. And passwords being involved as well.

There may be no viable way to turn off "Windows Hello" especially if being part of some security measures. And assisting with security work-arounds would be a violation of Forum rules.

If the laptop is owned by an employer then the employer's IT staff should contacted to address the problem.

Otherwise, I expect that the laptop will need to be wiped and a clean Wndows 11 reinstall initiated.

Closing thread to further posts.