Windows 10: Windows prompting to connect a Smart Card reader

Recently we deployed some MS updates to our users KB4601056, KB4601315, KB4601395 and anyone using a smart card reader is now being prompted regularly to connect a smart card device. I have done a lot of searching and most of the fixes involve disabling the Smart Card reader in the GPO or other extreme measures, but I need the readers to work. There are a couple users who have received replacement computers and in the reimaged machines there has not been any issues with the readers. I will also point out that not all my users experiencing this use smart card readers, but are being prompted nevertheless. Some use ActivClient for online credentialing which doesn't require a reader or smart card. Windows Hello is not deployed to our users, smart cards are being used to access government websites


The current test I'm conducting is turning off the Smart Card service in services to see if that at least stops the popup messages. Credentials for the affected users I'm working with have been web cleared, and browser caches cleared as well. Disabling in the GPO doesn't work at all and the message keeps coming up.


The affected users are able to work overall, but it's becoming a nuisance to have to hide the popup as canceling out doesn't make it go away. I have rolled back the regular update on one user KB4601056 but the issue remained after a reboot. I have updated drivers and uninstalled/reinstalled through device manager, reinstalled ActivClient drivers, run sfc scan, nothing seems to make this go away while maintaining functionality. And while reimage/replacement seems to work, I have 70 potential users affected by this and I don't know why. Any help would be appreciated

:)

 

Office smart card reader not prompting for PIN

Hi,

I use a smart card reader along with a smart card provided by my employer. It had been working fine but all of a sudden it stopped working a few days back. Now when I try to login, I do not receive a prompt to input the PIN. Thus the page with the VM launcher
does not open up. I have reinstalled all the drivers. Still the system does not prompt for PIN. The card reader and card is working on other systems. Kindly suggest some solution.

 

Windows Security is no longer recognizing my CAC reader (Smart Card reader)

Windows Security seems to have randomly stopped recognizing my CAC reader, this happened early September.

Typically whenever I access a website that needs my CAC (email, DTS, etc), it prompts me to select my name from a list of credentials, which I do. Then a box pops up from Windows Security asking me to select a smart card device, I click the only option
and proceed and that's about it.

Now, though, when windows security prompts me to select a smart card device, there is no option. Instead, it simply says "connect a smart card."

I have tried with three different smart cards, all of which operate on other computers, none on mine. Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media as well as the Device Manager both recognize the CAC reader when plugged in. I've uninstalled the device from device
manager, reinstalled it and also updated the driver from the product's website.

To me, it seems that the computer is still recognizing the reader and the software is there - but Windows Security is somehow blocking the system from accessing/recognizing/allowing the reader.

Any suggestions?

I'm running Windows 10 and the CAC reader is ActivIdentity's USB Reader v3.0, P/N: ZFG-9820GAC

 

Smart Card Reader / Gettign a Card

Hi,

Smart card reader can be used for identification, authentication, and data storage. We suggest contacting the device manufacturer for further assistance on how to use the smart card reader.

Let us know if you need anything else. We're here to help.