One of the forum users experienced a strange issue where even though Windows Hello was enabled, Sign-in using facial recognition did not work. Along with the screen displayed— Your credentials could not be verified error. The user was forced to sign in using the account password. So neither the PIN worked nor the Face recognition worked.
Your credentials could not be verified – Windows Hello
There are two known solutions for this to resolve. If nothing else works, you can always remove the Windows Hello integration and add it again.
- Repair Windows Hello Passwords (Face/PIN)
- Reset ACLs On Ngc Folder
Make sure you are using an administrator account to resolve this.
1] Repair Windows Hello Passwords (Face/PIN)
- Login with an admin account.
- Open File Explorer (Win + E) and navigate to the following location:
C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\NGC
- Use Ctrl + A, and delete everything within that folder. If you don’t see the folder, then enable the show hidden files, folders, and drives option in File Explorer.
- If promoted with a Continue, then click Yes.
If you get the message— You don’t currently have permissions for this folder, then you need to change the folder’s permission.
- Righ-click the NGC folder and go to properties and click the Security tab.
- Click Advanced.
- Click Change beside Owner and type in Administrators and click OK.
- Restart PC.
I was able to get access to the NGC folder. You may need to reboot the PC after adding the account.
Now try emptying the NGC folder again. Done that, close all the open folders, and then go ahead and reset the PIN.
- Go to Windows Settings
- Navigate to Accounts > Sign-in Options
- Click Add a PIN again and set your PIN
Do the same for Face recognition, and check if the issue is resolved.
2] Reset ACLs On Ngc Folder
If the permission on the NGC folder is incorrect, it also causes the issue. The way is to reset the Access Control Lists (ACLs) on the Ngc folder. Once done, Windows Hello or PIN or Face recognition should start working again.
- Use Win + X to open the Power menu, and select Windows Terminal(Admin)
- Execute the following command, assuming Windows is installed on the C Drive.
icacls C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Ngc /T /Q /C /RESET
Once done, check if Windows Hello is working as expected or still says Your credentials could not be verified.
What should you do If nothing else works?
If nothing works, you can remove Windows Hello Integration in the Clean Boot state. Once disabled, you can enable it again and check if it works this time. Something else may be causing the issue, which should be resolved without third-party intervention.
Why is Windows Hello fingerprint not working?
Either you are using the wrong finger, or the fingerprint reader has an issue. Another underlying issue could be the driver. The easy to fix the problem is login to the PC the usual way, reset the fingerprint, and try again. If it doesn’t work, you can update the driver or reinstall it.
Read: How to Disable or Enable Biometrics Sign In on Windows joined to a Domain.
Can I get rid of Windows Hello?
You can disable it from the Account Settings, the Sign-in option. If you want to make it vanish from the Settings, you will need to use Group Policy Editor or make some Registry changes.
