Can't Transfer One Set Of Fingerprints To Multiple Windows Profiles

[caryhorner]

I own the W520 running Windows 7. When I got it, I setup one profile for myself, setup the biometrics to use my fingers to authenticate to Windows, the computer turns on with my fingers and logs straight into Windows, life was good.

Now, I have found the need to create a second profile for myself and I want to use the same fingerprint scans that I used on the previous profile for the new profile. I want both profiles to require fingerprint authentication based on the one set of fingerprint scans stored in the memory.

Is this possible? I have tried exporting the fingerprints from the one profile and importing them into the other profile but this doesn't work. Nothing actually loads. I also tried exporting the profile and importing that to no avail.

Cary

[alex1906 Support Specialist - Retired]

Hello caryhorner,

The fingerprints you entered for your initial login is biometrically encrypted.  There is no way of making it the password for both accounts. 

You could always scan a new set of fingerprints for the second account.  I have tried to find a way to use one set of fingerprints for two accounts but I failed as you did.  I do believe this is due to the fingerprint software encryption and safety measures. 

This goes to show that its nearly impossible for someone to steal it.  So, no I do not believe this is possible to do.

Hope this helps,

Alex

[caryhorner]

I completely forgot I posted this and when I did a search for the very same issue today, my post came up first. Brilliant!

Well, I feel like I'm forced to accept your answer to this but here's my thing. Why, if the fingerprints can't be migrated to multiple profiles, is there an import/export option? What good does that do if it serves no purpose? The fingerprints are obviously specific to the profile they are created under so having the ability to migrate them to a file is useless. You'd have to create new scans if you ever reinstalled Windows because the profile information is unique to each instance of Windows, right? And the biometric encryption knows that, correct?

[caryhorner]

As well... because I registered all my fingerprints with one profile, thinking I could just migrate them over to other profiles, I now cannot enroll any new fingerprints because the system tells me that they're already enrolled. Really?! Then I should be able to port them over, shouldn't I?

[Chatbox]

The logic is this:  Let's assume for a moment that you can enroll the same set of fingerprints to both user profiles.  Now, on the login/welcome screen, you scan your fingerprint...how is the system going to determine which profile you're actually wishing to login to?

Instead, you can do this:

Right index finger as profile 1 primary authentication.

Left index finger as profile 1 secondary authentication (if, for what ever reason, your right index finger isn't scanning properly).

Right middle finger as profile 2 primary authentication.

Left index finger as profile 2 secondary authentication.

In short, the import/export is not intended for your usage scenario.

[caryhorner]

Yeah, that makes sense, and I was wondering if that was the reason behind not being able to migrate your prints. However, they could have instituted a dialog box to prompt you for what profile you wanted. Still, that's a bit less secure. Then any finger could get you into the system, instead of having indvidualized prints for different profiles.

Still, I can't reason the need to export the prints if that doesn't really do anything if you can't import them into a diferent profile... unless you can import them into another system. Now that would make sense.