Fingerprint not being accepted on UAC prompt

Hi Guys,

I have Windows 11 Pro 23H2 with all the latest updates. I use a Dell XPS laptop which has a fingerprint sensor. I am the only user of this laptop and I use my own user account which is a Microsoft account and I have set it as an admin account. The finger print sensor is working decently enough. However, following a recent hacking of my computer, I adjusted the UAC settings after following the tutorial on the following link:


I set it to: 'Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop'. So now, if I want to run any unknown exe file, or even make any changes to the Windows settings etc., I have to enter my PIN or Microsoft account password, or scan my fingerprint.

But the issue I am facing is, though it gives me an option to scan my fingerprint, after doing so it says 'username or password is incorrect'. Everytime I have to enter the PIN. I wish I could share the screenshot, but it does not allow me to do that for the UAC prompt. On the UAC prompt, when I click on the fingerprint option, the 'Yes/No' buttons at the bottom change to only 'No'.

Why is this happening? Please help me. Thanks.

I believe that using fingerprint to sign in is not reliable and also not as secure as people think.

You only have to search the internet using phrases like "fingerprint sign-in is unreliable" to get lots of hits.
Your finger may be greasy, have a small scratch or the sensor itself at fault.

See link regarding the security (or lack of) aspect: - Windows may have a serious security problem on its hands | Digital Trends

It is not something I use but I hope you get the help you need.

whip said:

Hi Guys,

I have Windows 11 Pro 23H2 with all the latest updates. I use a Dell XPS laptop which has a fingerprint sensor. I am the only user of this laptop and I use my own user account which is a Microsoft account and I have set it as an admin account. The finger print sensor is working decently enough. However, following a recent hacking of my computer, I adjusted the UAC settings after following the tutorial on the following link:

Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators in Windows

How to Change User Account Control (UAC) prompt Behavior for Administrators in Windows

www.tenforums.com

I set it to: 'Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop'. So now, if I want to run any unknown exe file, or even make any changes to the Windows settings etc., I have to enter my PIN or Microsoft account password, or scan my fingerprint.

But the issue I am facing is, though it gives me an option to scan my fingerprint, after doing so it says 'username or password is incorrect'. Everytime I have to enter the PIN. I wish I could share the screenshot, but it does not allow me to do that for the UAC prompt. On the UAC prompt, when I click on the fingerprint option, the 'Yes/No' buttons at the bottom change to only 'No'.

Why is this happening? Please help me. Thanks.

Click to expand...

on my lenovo this works flawlessly. So thats quite odd. When you have this problem, try doing Windows key + L to lock your machine and see if you can unlock the pc with the fingerprint. If it doesnt work, seems like the the reader is not working or the finger isnt placed just right.

You could try uninstalling the fingerprint sensor and getting the latest driver from dell to see if that makes a difference.

Also, how was your computer hacked?

I am using computers and wifi routers since decades, but I am not, by any means, an advanced user. I still have to google and ask for help. I have Autoplay disabled and I don't use outside USB drives. Whenever I plug in my external drives, I always scan them first with antivirus. I don't download anything from unknown sources on the Internet. Since the last few years I was using Microsoft Defender, but after this malware attack I purchased Bitdefender Total Security.

It all started when I noticed, a few months ago, the mouse pointer moving and clicking a button in a program on its own. After that I reinstalled Windows several times, and that is why you see so many 'Recovery' partitions. Then once I left the PC locked and switched on overnight, only to wake up to my iTunes playlists messed up and destroyed. Again I reinstalled Windows, but I still suspect that the virus has not been eradicated. I ran several scans with Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender, including the one with Microsoft Defender in which it restarts the PC, but no malware was detected.

I have Windows 11 Pro with all the latest drivers installed for this OS from the Dell support website. I have set the UAC to maximum, with a manual setting in which it has to ask me for my password or Windows Hello whenever I want to install a program or even change any Windows settings. I am now paranoid and even though Bitdefender says it's completely clean, I suspect some malware is lurking in the Bios/firmware or one of the other recovery partitions. I posted my problem on the Microsoft support forum, but the person who was helping me became angry when I told him that virus scan returned negative, and attributed my problem to Windows bugs or my imagination.

The fingerprint works while logging in and unlocking Windows, and with 1Password and all other things, except for this UAC dialog. When it shows up if I want to change Windows settings, the UAC dialog gives me the option to enter Microsoft account password, or account PIN, or fingerprint scan. But when I choose fingerprint scan, the Yes/No at the buttom removes the 'Yes' part. When I scan my fingerprint, it says in red, that the username or password is incorrect.

whip said:

It all started when I noticed, a few months ago, the mouse pointer moving and clicking a button in a program on its own.

Click to expand...

What program? Did it happen frequently?

whip said:

then once I left the PC locked and switched on overnight, only to wake up to my iTunes playlists messed up and destroyed.

Click to expand...

Malware wouldnt usually do things like what you are describing. The whole point of malware is to hide the infection, not show it. I suspect something else is going on.

Bitdefender is not going to be any substantially better than windows defender, so I would definitely return it. Although if you like using it and like its features, it's fine to keep using it of course.

Since this is a laptop, was it a wireless mouse you were using or the touchpad? Its possible if it was a wireless mouse, it was simply interference. Its also possible the touchpad was dirty and moving on its own.

Also, if you clean installed windows properly, you wouldn't have duplicate recovery partitions. Make sure when your installing windows you delete all partitions, then create a new partition and click apply and windows will auto create everything it needs, which you then click next to install windows.

Before you do an actual clean install though, take a look under settings > Accounts > other users. Is there anything listed there?

You can also check by right clicking start menu > run. Then paste this in "netplwiz" without the quotes. What accounts are listed there?

Thanks for your help. The time I saw the mouse pointer moving was in iTunes, when it moved and clicked the 'Play' button on its own. I saw it with my own eyes. Fast forward after formatting twice, again upon leaving the laptop locked overnight, the iTunes playlists were completely messed up. I had them arranged within playlist folders, and there were duplicates and newer-named playlists, many with no songs in them. e.g. I had a playlist named '0', and in the morning I saw among many others, a new additional playlist named '1'. The folder structure of the playlists was destroyed, with many playlists appearing outside any playlist folders or in other folders. To be fair, I don't know if it was my PC that was hacked or my Apple account. But I suspect the former, because iTunes was open when I went to sleep. The underlying actual files and folders (as in Windows File Explorer) were untouched, other than the modified 'iTunes' folder, because of the modified playlists.

I was using Logitech MX Master 3 mouse which is a wireless mouse. I usually switch it off when I'm not using my laptop, to save its battery power.

It appears that every time I format Windows, a recovery partition of about 100MB is created. I asked Copilot if I could delete these while doing the clean install, and it forbade me with dire warnings.

I have a Guest account named 'Guest0' which is a non-Microsoft, local, standard account without any privileges. No one knows the password other than me, and I never use it. Also it is not set to use the fingerprint sensor.

Also, a few days ago, my wi-fi was getting disconnected repeatedly, even after I was entering the correct password again and again. When I went to wi-fi settings to see the list of known wi-fi networks, I saw many new ones which I had never entered. e.g. I use 'syracuse5' and 'syracuse2' as names for my 5GHz and 2.4GHz networks respectively. What I saw were many new ones like 'syracuse5_node', 'syracuse2_node', etc. Very odd.

whip said:

The time I saw the mouse pointer moving was in iTunes, when it moved and clicked the 'Play' button on its own. I saw it with my own eyes. Fast forward after formatting twice, again upon leaving the laptop locked overnight, the iTunes playlists were completely messed up.

Click to expand...

Nothing makes sense for "malware" to click play on your music. It honestly sounds like someone is messing with you with a remote client, or someone has a mouse dongle in your machine. Do you have roomates?

whip said:

It appears that every time I format Windows, a recovery partition of about 100MB is created. I asked Copilot if I could delete these while doing the clean install, and it forbade me with dire warnings.

Click to expand...

If you clean install windows properly, you should only have a max of 3 partitions. For example:

whip said:

I have a Guest account named 'Guest0' which is a non-Microsoft, local, standard account without any privileges. No one knows the password other than me, and I never use it. Also it is not set to use the fingerprint sensor.

Click to expand...

I was interested to see if there was any accounts that were unexpected so that's good to know.

whip said:

Also, a few days ago, my wi-fi was getting disconnected repeatedly, even after I was entering the correct password again and again. When I went to wi-fi settings to see the list of known wi-fi networks, I saw many new ones which I had never entered. e.g. I use 'syracuse5' and 'syracuse2' as names for my 5GHz and 2.4GHz networks respectively. What I saw were many new ones like 'syracuse5_node', 'syracuse2_node', etc. Very odd.

Click to expand...

Does your phone also show those same strange wifi networks? Do you know how to reset your router to factory settings and set a new ssid?