ROBOTILL HELP

Fingerprint Reader Troubleshooting

ROBOTILL supports the DigitalPersona U.are.U 4500 fingerprint reader for fingerprint login in the Retail POS application. Other fingerprint reader models are not supported.

If your reader is not working, follow the numbered steps below. These steps also apply if you receive this error when registering a user's fingerprint in Back Office:

"No fingerprint reader is available, or capture could not be started."

At the login screen, you may instead see "The fingerprint reader is not available. Please use your PIN." You can use your PIN to log in while you investigate the reader problem.

If you are setting up fingerprint login for the first time, follow the fingerprint reader setup instructions first. Fingerprint support must be enabled and the user's fingerprint must be registered.

Step 1: Wait a few seconds and try again

Occasionally, Windows may have difficulty communicating with the reader, even when it is connected correctly. A temporary communication problem does not necessarily mean the reader is faulty.

  1. Wait two or three seconds.
  2. At the Retail login screen, click the fingerprint button and scan your finger again. If you are registering a fingerprint in Back Office, select the finger again to start capture.
  3. If the error persists, continue to the next step.

Step 2: Disconnect and reconnect the fingerprint reader

  1. Close ROBOTILL Retail. If you are registering fingerprints, also close ROBOTILL Back Office.
  2. Unplug the reader from the USB port.
  3. Wait approximately five seconds.
  4. Plug the reader back in.
  5. Allow Windows a few seconds to detect the device.
  6. Open ROBOTILL Retail and try again, or reopen Back Office to retry fingerprint registration.

This can help when Windows detects the reader but the fingerprint scanning software cannot communicate with it.

Step 3: Try another USB port

If reconnecting the reader does not resolve the problem:

  1. Close the ROBOTILL application you are using and disconnect the reader.
  2. Connect it to a different USB port on the computer.
  3. Preferably use a port directly on the computer rather than a USB hub or extension cable.
  4. If your computer has both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, try both.
  5. Allow Windows to detect the device, reopen ROBOTILL and test the reader again.

Step 4: Check the fingerprint reader in Windows Device Manager

Windows must correctly detect the reader before ROBOTILL can use it.

  1. Right-click the Windows Start button.
  2. Select Device Manager.
  3. Look for the reader under Biometric devices or Universal Serial Bus controllers.
  4. The device should be identified as U.are.U 4500 Fingerprint Reader or a corresponding DigitalPersona device name.
  5. Check that there is no yellow warning icon next to the device.

If the device is not listed:

  • Unplug and reconnect it.
  • Try another USB port.
  • Check whether the device appears in Device Manager after reconnecting.

If Windows displays an unknown device or a driver warning, the reader driver may need to be installed or repaired.

Important: A device appearing correctly in Device Manager does not necessarily mean it is functioning correctly. Windows may recognise the device even when fingerprint capture is not working.

Step 5: Restart the computer

If the reader is detected correctly but still does not work:

  1. Leave the reader connected.
  2. Close ROBOTILL.
  3. Restart Windows using Restart, rather than Shut down.
  4. Open ROBOTILL Retail and test again, or retry fingerprint registration in Back Office.

Restarting Windows can resolve temporary USB driver or device communication problems.

Step 6: Check for conflicting fingerprint software

Other biometric software installed on the computer may interfere with access to the reader. If you use the reader with Windows Hello or another fingerprint application, close that application and try ROBOTILL again.

If the reader is managed by other biometric software, ask your IT technician to help determine whether it is preventing ROBOTILL from accessing the device.

Do not uninstall security software or disable Windows security features unnecessarily.

Step 7: Check the driver

If Windows does not detect the reader correctly, or the previous steps have not resolved the problem, the driver installation may need attention.

  1. Open Device Manager.
  2. Right-click the reader and select Properties.
  3. Check Device status on the General tab and the information on the Driver tab.

If Windows reports a driver problem, install the appropriate driver for the DigitalPersona U.are.U 4500 from a trusted source. See the fingerprint reader installation instructions for the DigitalPersona software download and setup guidance. Avoid unofficial driver-download websites.

If Windows reports that the device is working properly, this does not rule out a hardware or fingerprint capture problem.

Step 8: Test another fingerprint reader

If the reader is correctly identified in Windows but never works in ROBOTILL, the reader itself may be faulty. The best way to check is to:

  • Connect another known-working DigitalPersona U.are.U 4500 reader to the same computer.
  • Alternatively, test the suspected reader on another computer where fingerprint scanning is already working correctly.

If another reader works on the same computer, the original reader may be faulty. If neither reader works, the problem is more likely related to the computer's driver, software environment or fingerprint capture configuration.

Still not working?

If you have followed all the steps above and the reader still does not work, contact ROBOTILL Support at support@robotill.com. Please include:

  • The exact error message displayed in ROBOTILL.
  • Whether the reader has ever worked successfully on this computer.
  • Whether the reader works occasionally or never works.
  • Whether you have tested another USB port or computer.
  • A screenshot of the reader's Properties window in Windows Device Manager, including the Device status or Driver information.

This information will help our support team identify the possible cause more quickly.