Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Hello for Business Description
Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) isolates Windows Hello biometric (face and fingerprint) template data and matching operations to trusted hardware or specified memory regions, meaning the rest of the operating system cannot access or tamper with them. Because the channel of communication between the sensors and the algorithm is also secured, it is impossible for malware to inject or replay data in order to simulate a user signing in or to lock a user out of their machine. If you enable this policy then it can have following possible values: 0 - Enhanced Sign-in Security disabled with peripheral sensors ESS will be disabled on systems with capable software and hardware. Authentication operations of peripheral Windows Hello capable devices will be allowed, subject to current feature limitations. 1 - Enhanced Sign-in Security enabled without peripheral sensors (default and recommended) ESS will be enabled on systems with capable software and hardware, following the existing default behavior in Windows. Authentication operations of any peripheral biometric device will be blocked and not available for Windows Hello. If you disable or not configure this policy then non-ESS sensors will be blocked on the ESS device.
Registry
Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics]
"EnableESSwithSupportedPeripherals"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableESSwithSupportedPeripherals' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics' -Name 'EnableESSwithSupportedPeripherals' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableESSwithSupportedPeripherals' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics' -Name 'EnableESSwithSupportedPeripherals' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable ESS with Supported Peripherals
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 11 Version 22H2
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Policies\PassportForWork\Biometrics'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'EnableESSwithSupportedPeripherals' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.