If you need native Windows Hello support, buy a modern reader (e.g., EgisTec or Elan). If you are maintaining an existing enterprise system or love the hardware’s durability, the U.are.u 5300 can be revived in 15 minutes with the steps above. Do you still have a U.are.u 5300 running in production? Share your Windows 10 experience in the comments below.
The U.are.u 5300, manufactured by DigitalPersona (now part of HID Global), has long been a gold standard for fingerprint authentication in enterprise environments, healthcare, and banking. However, if you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 10 or built a new PC, you’ve likely discovered a frustrating reality: Microsoft has moved away from the legacy Windows Biometric Framework (WBF) that older drivers relied on.
The driver you need is officially labeled for the , but it works perfectly for the 5300.
After extensive testing across dozens of Windows 10 builds (1809 to 22H2), the community has found a reliable workaround. The U.are.u 5300 shares hardware architecture with the Crossmatch U.are.U 4500 and DigitalPersona 4500 readers.
Disclaimer: This method uses driver files from older software suites. Ensure you have administrative privileges.