Does the fingerprint reader in Vostro 1320 work in Windows 7?

Question

I don't want to hear Dell's official stand on this.

Anybody got it to work in Windows 7 in the real world? Dell told me it's unsupported, but unsupported in tech support speak really means : "if you want it to work you're on your own buddy."

Fine, I'm a power user, I can deal with that. But Dell refuses even to sell me the Vostro 1320 with the biometric hardware when Windows 7 is bundled. They'll only sell me if I can prove to them it works.

So, anybody that has got their 1320's biometric stuff workng in Win7, I'll appreciate it if you can help me out and post a screenshot or something.

Answer 1

If the fingerprint reader in Vostro 1320 has a Vista driver, then that same driver has a really excellent chance to work in Windows 7.

If Dell requires a proof, you might point them at :

Blog of Grant George, VP of Test for the Windows Experience

Our main Application Compatibility goal for Windows 7 is to make sure that most all applications which work on Windows Vista will continue to work seamlessly on Windows 7.

Windows 7 Drivers Must Be Vista-Certified

Microsoft announced on June 1 that all hardware manufacturers seeking certification for Windows Vista must also test their drivers on Windows 7. According to documentation on Microsoft’s Web site, “…all Windows Vista client and Windows Server 2008 submissions must include a complete test log for the new beta OS.”

Windows 7 will support all Vista-certified drivers

Compatibility with devices designed for Vista ensures that users will have a seamless upgrade/migration experience. Grant George, the VP of Test for the Windows Experience, revealed that Microsoft had full compatibility with Vista-certified drivers for Windows 7 as a primary goal.

The Windows 7 Ballet with Drivers and Compatibility

While building Windows 7, Microsoft is attempting to resolve scenarios that managed to successfully handicap Windows Vista in terms of compatibility. In this context, in order not to break devices that currently work with its precursor, Windows 7 will come to the table, from the get-go, with support for all Vista-certified drivers. Compatibility with devices designed for Vista ensures that users will have a seamless upgrade/migration experience. Grant George, the VP of Test for the Windows Experience, revealed that Microsoft had full compatibility with Vista-certified drivers for Windows 7 as a primary goal.

Answer 2

I only have a Latitude XT2 here and didn't bother to install the finger print reader's drivers but they exist. I just don't need it and didn't want a 60 MiB download back then.

So iff the hardware in question is the same, then it should work with Win 7 (assuming existing drivers are in fact a guarantee of "working"). The hardware IDs are

USB\VID_0A5C&PID_5801&REV_0102
USB\VID_0A5C&PID_5801