Security when logging into our Windows computer is very important. For this reason, Microsoft introduced with the launch of Windows 10, the function of Windows Hello. With it we have different ways to log in, such as PIN, password, fingerprint or facial recognition. To use this last option it will be necessary to have an infrared webcam on our PC.
Windows Hello has a setting called Automatically dismiss the lock screen if Windows recognizes your face. This function will allow us to automatically unlock the device as soon as the system authenticates our face. However, even though we have this configuration enabled, we may sometimes see a very annoying error that prevents easy authentication from being carried out correctly.
What is Windows Hello Face Unlock
Windows Hello is one of the best features that we find in Windows 10, through which the user can access the computer safely using different biometric methods. This functionality was released with the initial release of Windows 10 and is constantly improving with each update. One of the best ways of unlocking is through easy recognition that we can carry out if we have a camera with an infrared sensor. In this way, once configured, the system will log in as fast as it detects our face.
It is possibly the simplest recognition method since it will not be necessary to remember a PIN or a password, because once we start Windows and the Login menu appears, it will automatically unlock when it detects our face. However, sometimes this functionality may fail without knowing for sure why. The problem may be related to a Windows update that has been installed incorrectly, the files on which the function depends are damaged or problems related to the Registry Editor. Be that as it may, we are going to try to find a solution.
How to fix the error
Next, we are going to see different actions that we can take to solve the problem that we find when Windows Hello does not recognize our face.
Use SFC to check system files
One of the reasons why Windows Hello has stopped recognizing our face is because some of the files that depend on this function are corrupt. To verify this, Windows 10 has the SFC utility, which will allow us to search for and restore corrupted files found within the operating system.
This system file checker is integrated with Windows Resource Protection, which is responsible for protecting registry keys and folders, as well as critical system files.
To use this utility, we must open the Command Prompt, typing cmd in the search box of the Start menu and running it as administrator. Once it appears, we must write the following command and press Enter:
sfc / scannow
If it detects any changes to a protected file on the system, it will restore it from a cached copy located in the Windows folder itself.
Use the Windows Registry Editor
To try to solve the problem we can also use the Windows Registry Editor. The Editor is a very powerful functionality, so any modification that is carried out must be carried out very carefully, since any misuse can cause damage to the stability of the system. Therefore, the responsibility for its use is each user.
To get started, the first thing to do is to open the Command Prompt application, type cmd in the Windows search box and run it with administrator rights. Next, we write the following code and press Enter
wmic useraccount list brief
Next, we write down the SID of our user account.
Later we will access the Registry Editor. For this we will use the keyboard shortcut Windows + R to launch the Run function. Here we will write regedit and press Enter or the OK button. Once inside we will navigate to the following route:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Authentication / LogonUI / FaceLogon
Once in the directory, we look for a key named after the SID that we noted in the Command Prompt. Upon entering we will find on the right side a DWORD called AutoDismissON and we double click on it. If we set its value to 1, it will allow us to use the “Automatically dismiss the lock screen if Windows recognizes your face” function. In case we put 0 we would deactivate this function.
Once established, we close the Editor and restart the computer so that the changes are applied correctly.
Go back to a previous version of Windows
Restoring the system to a previous version can help us to solve the problems when using the function “Automatically dismiss the lock screen if Windows recognizes your face” in Windows Hello. And it is that a system update may have been the culprit of the error, so going back to a previous version of the system where it did work correctly can serve as a solution.
To be able to go back to a previous version of Windows we are going to press the keyboard shortcut “Windows + R” to launch the “Run” command. Later we write “rstrui” and press Enter or the OK button. This will open the system recovery utility. In it we choose the option “Choose another restore point” and click on “Next”. Finally, we choose a date to restore Windows 10, taking into account that it is a date before the appearance of the Windows Hello error. Now all you have to do is click “Next” and “Finish” to confirm that the system restore point is carried out.
Other alternatives to facial unlocking
Windows Hello offers us different ways to unlock the login, beyond facial recognition. We can also choose to unlock by PIN, a password, a security key, an image password or by fingerprint, in case our computer has an integrated finger scan.
To choose another unlocking method, just press the keyboard shortcut “Windows + I” to access the “Settings” section. In the search engine we write “Login options” and select it. This will bring up a new screen where we can choose and configure an alternative blocking method to facial recognition.
