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Dell Fingerprint Sensor Not Working: 3 Ways to Fix it

This error will no longer affect you at the end of this article

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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The fingerprint is probably one of the most convenient and secure sign-in options. Most laptops released in the last few years come with a scanner. But for some Dell users, the fingerprint reader is not working.

In this article, we will present how you can fix things when the Dell XPS fingerprint sensor is not working. Keep on reading!

Why my fingerprint sensor is not working Dell laptop?

Why my fingerprint sensor is not working Dell laptop?

Problems with thefingerprint readergenerally arise due to issues with the driver, particularly after an update. Also, it could be a misconfigured BIOS or the current data set may have gone corrupt.

Moreover, our users reported other related issues, which can also be fixed by following the methods below. Some of the most common ones are the following:

Fear not, as all of these cases are solvable, and the solutions are straightforward to apply.

You’ll find the fingerprint reader on the button that controls the power. You can place your finger on it to detect your fingerprint.However, if it doesn’t work, you can follow the steps below to fix this issue. At the end of the article, we will provide even more potential solutions in case the error is still not solved. Follow along!

What do I do if Dell fingerprint sensor is not working?

What do I do if Dell fingerprint sensor is not working?

1. Reinstall the driver

A corrupt driver is a major issue and can cause the device to malfunction or stop working at all. Reinstalling the corrupt fingerprint reader driver did the trick for most users. To identify one, look for a warning sign near the corner of the device icon.

2. Roll back driver update

If you started encountering the problem after updating the driver, either manually or via Windows Update, reverting to the previous version should fix the fingerprint reader not working problem in Dell XPS.

Also, you can use a reliable third-party app to reduce the chances of encountering such errors by installing only the right drivers. We recommendOutbyte Driver Updater, a dedicated tool that will automatically update all the drivers and only install the best available version.

Outbyte Driver Updater

3. Remove the current fingerprint and add a new one

If there are issues with the currently set fingerprint, it would appear as if the fingerprint reader in Dell XPS 13 is not working. So, remove the current one and add a new fingerprint instead.

These are all the ways you can fix the Dell XPS fingerprint reader not working issue and use it to log in to Windows from now on.

Why did my laptop fingerprint scanner stop working?

Your fingerprint reader will malfunction if the associated drivers are corrupted, out of date, or incompatible. Moreover, it may be that somesystem files are corrupted, which will prevent you from using the fingerprint reader.

Make sure your fingerprint reader has no potential hardware problems, such as scratches, dust, or grease on any of its components.

If these methods don’t work, which is highly unlikely, try some general troubleshooting tofix issues with the fingerprint sensor in Windows 11.

Also, you mayperform a system restoresince this can eliminate many issues and take your system back to a relatively healthy state.

If you have any other queries or know of a fix not listed here, drop a comment in the section below.

Kazim Ali Alvi

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He’s specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.

Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He’s also one of our experts in Networking & Security.

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Kazim Ali Alvi

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim is specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.