The Family Options area is one of the seven areas of the Windows Defender Security Center that protect your device. It provides easy access to manage your children’s online experience on the device. It helps in protecting your kids online and keeping their devices clean. However, the Family Options area can be hidden from the users. This is pretty useful if as an admin you don’t want other users to view or have access to this specific area. In this article, we will show you methods through which you can easily hide the Family Options section in the Windows Defender Security Center.

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Family Options in Windows Security Fix

The Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Education, and Windows 10 Enterprise versions. If you are using the Windows Home version, then try using the Registry Editor method, because Group Policy Editor isn’t available in that version.

Method 1: Using the Local Group Policy Editor

The Group Policy is a Windows feature through which users can configure many different types of settings for their operating system. The Group Policy has a setting for hiding each section of the Windows Defender Security Center. The user just needs to modify the specific setting to hide the specific settings in the Settings app. Follow the below steps to hide the Family Options area on your system:

This setting is supported on at least Windows 10 version 1709 and Windows Server 2016.

Note : If you are using Windows Home edition, then skip this method.

  1. Hold the Windows key and press R to open a Run dialog. Type “ gpedit.msc ” in the box and press the Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor . Opening the Local Group Policy Editor
  2. Now navigate to the following location in the Local Group Policy Editor. Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Security\Family options\ Navigating to the setting
  3. Double-click on the setting named “ Hide the Family option area ” and that will open in another window. Now you need to change the toggle option from Not Configured to Enabled . Enabling the setting
  4. Click on the Apply and Ok buttons to save the changes. Basically, the group policy will automatically update the new configurations.
  5. However, if it does not update automatically, then you need to force update it. Search for CMD in the Windows search feature and run it as an administrator .
  6. Type the following command in Command Prompt (Admin) window and press Enter . gpupdate /force Force update the group policy
  7. You can always enable the Family Options area again by changing the toggle option to Not Configured or Disabled in step 3.

Method 2: Using the Registry Editor

Another method for hiding the Family Options area is by using the Registry Editor. This does a similar job as the Group Policy method does. However, if you already used the Local Group Policy Editor method, then it will automatically update the keys and value for this specific setting. For Windows Home users, this is also the only available method for hiding the Family Options area. Try following the below steps carefully for configuring the setting:

  1. Press the Windows + R key together to open a Run dialog box. Now type “ regedit ” and press the Enter key to open the Registry Editor . If prompted by the UAC (User Account Control) dialog, then click on the Yes button. Opening the Registry Editor
  2. You can also create a Registry backup before making any new changes. Click on the File menu and then choose the Export option. Now name the file and select the location for it. Click on the Save button to save it. Creating a Registry backup Note : You can recover a backup by clicking on the File > Import option and then selecting the file that you previously created.
  3. You need to navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor window: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Family options Note : If some keys are missing, you can create them by right-clicking on the available key and choosing the New > Key option.
  4. Right-click on the right pane of the Family options key and then choose the New > DWORD (32-bit) Value option. Now name the key as “ UILockdown “. Creating a new value
  5. Double-click on the UILockdown value to open it. Now change the value data to 1 . Changing the value data
  6. Finally, after making all the changes, make sure you reboot your computer to apply these changes.
  7. You can always enable the Family Options area by changing the value data to 0 . You can also simply remove the UILockdown value from the Registry Editor to enable it back.

How to Fix “Printer is in an error state” Issue?

The “ Cannot change fingerprint or PIN ” problem in Windows 11 happens when the options to change these settings are greyed out in Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options. Even if you are the administrator, you can’t update your Windows Hello credentials. You might also see a message like “ This option is temporarily unavailable. ”

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

This usually happens because Windows Hello’s stored data (in the Ngc folder) is damaged or not in sync. Other reasons include security rules set by your workplace or school, connected work accounts, or restrictions set in the registry or group policy.

Now that you’re aware of the potential causes, let’s go through some steps that have helped other users fix or work around this problem:

1. Change the PIN or Fingerprint the Conventional Way

If your goal is to remove the fingerprint or PIN without setting up another sign-in method, please note that this is not possible on Windows 11.

Windows 11 requires you to have at least one Sign-in option enabled. The Remove button will remain grayed out if you only have one active sign-in method.

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

For example, the Remove button for your PIN will stay unavailable until you add a different sign-in option (like Facial Recognition, Fingerprint, or a Security Key).

If you want to stop using your PIN or Fingerprint, you’ll need to set up an additional way to sign in.

Below are step-by-step instructions to set up a new sign-in option and then remove your current one:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. Inside the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the vertical menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If the left menu is hidden by default, click the menu button (top-left corner) to reveal it.
  3. Once in the Accounts menu, move to the right-hand section of the screen and select Sign-in options. Accessing the Sign In Options menu
  4. Now, choose which sign-in method you’d like to set as a fallback. Sign-in Options Note: Your available options depend on your device. If your PC doesn’t support facial recognition or you don’t have a security key, you can switch between PIN and fingerprint.
  5. After you pick your new sign-in method, follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
  6. Once your second sign-in option is set, you’ll be able to click the Remove button to get rid of your previous sign-in method. You can also choose Change PIN or Change Fingerprint to update, rather than remove, your sign-in credentials. Modify the current PIN or remove one of the configured sign-in options

2. Remove PIN or Fingerprint Requirement by Using a Local Account

If you want to completely remove all sign-in options like PIN or Fingerprint, you will have to switch to a local account .

We generally don’t recommend this unless you really need to, as it can limit the functionality of some built-in Windows features (like Windows Update and the Microsoft Store).

If you still want to remove your PIN or Fingerprint sign-in, you’ll need to set up a local account with a password instead. Keep in mind, this means you’ll need to stop using your Microsoft account on your PC.

Important: This method isn’t available if you’re enrolled in the Windows Insider program.

To change from a Microsoft account with PIN or fingerprint to a local password, follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. In the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If you don’t see the left menu, click the menu icon (top-left corner).
  3. Inside Accounts , click on Family & other users on the right-hand side. Accessing the Family and other users tab
  4. In the Family & other users tab, check for any accounts listed under Other users. If you find any, remove them before moving on.
  5. Next, return to the main Accounts menu and click on Your info on the right. Accessing the Your Info tab
  6. Scroll down to Account Settings and click on Sign in with a local account instead . Sign in with a local account instead
  7. On the next screen, click Next .
  8. When prompted, enter your current PIN or use your fingerprint as requested. Inserting the PIN
  9. Then, you’ll be asked to create a username and password for your new local account, along with a password hint in case you forget. Configure the local account
  10. Finally, click Sign out and finish to complete the switch.