Vista + Fingerprint Reader: login error after lock

[Guest]

I'm using Vista build 6000 and the latest Fingerprint Reader update
(2.0.1.1843).

The scenario is that Vista is locked, either via screen saver or Window Key
+ L.

When I try to unlock it, on the screen there is a large icon of a
fingerprint (obviously indicating that I should touch the fingerprint reader)
and a button marked "Other Credentials". When I touch the fingerprint reader
I get an error message, "Logon failure: Unknown user name or bad password"
and an OK button.

So I click the OK button and it now shows me two smaller icons, one with my
user icon and my name, and the other icon is a small fingerprint icon with no
label. Under the two icons is one button, "Switch User".

At that point if I click the fingerprint icon with the mouse it brings me
back to the first screen described above, and touching the fingerprint reader
gives the same logon error.

However, if i click the "Switch User" button, the screen goes black for a
few seconds, and then it takes me to the screen with the large fingerprint
icon, but this time it has a button labeled "Switch User" under it (instead
of "Other Credentials"). When I touch the fingerprint reader it successfully
logs in.

In summary, to unlock using the fingerprint reader, the sequence of steps I
take is to click the "Other Credentials" button, click the "Switch User"
button, and then finally touch the fingerprint reader.

While it is interesting to discover the "secret handshake" of the login
process, the extra steps are getting quite annoying.

By the way, when I first login to Vista after powering up, the fingerprint
reader works just fine to initially login. I only have these problems when I
later lock the screen.

I have tried messing around in the security policies, but I could not find
any combination of settings to help. Does anyone know of something that
could help me?

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

I'm still looking for help on this issue. I know I'm not the only one with
the problem.

 

[MikioK]

This is what I experienced in my case using Vista build RTM, Fingerprint
Reader driver 2.0.1.1843.
My scenario:
Sharing one PC with my wife, and each fingerprint is previously registered.

When she logged in and then locked screen by Windows key + L, she can unlock
it by just touching fingerprint reader.
If I touched instead, the exactly same scenario will happen as you described
here.
This is true when she and I exchanged the roles.

So my understanding is:
By fingerprint reader you can unlock the screen as long as it was previously
locked by you.
If someone else touch the fingerprint reader instead, it will be recognized
as switching user.
I agree in the latter case it requires a little patience before you are
authorized.

 

[Guest]

Thanks MikioK! The problem I have is that I'm the only user on my PC --
there are no other user accounts. So I lock the screen using WK-L, and then
the fingerprint scan fails unless I do the steps in my first post.

It worked fine in XP. This only started happening when I moved to Vista.
(A clean install, not an upgrade.)

I wish there was a way to disable Fast User Switching in Vista!

 

[Michael]

An observation.
I also have fingerprint reader latest driver, seems to be working fine.
Locking screen with WK-L gets me the sign in page 'locked' there is an
'other credentials' button, there is NO button/icon for the fingerprint
reader large or small. However when I touch the reader, screen unlocks
without problem.
Single user Vista home premium.

Michael