2019 MacBook Pro user here running Ventura 13.3.1. My fingerprint suddenly stopped being recognised by the touchpad, nor will it even see my print when I try to reset. Discovered that one cause could be a failure of firmware, which can be reinstalled using the 'revive' process with Apple Configurator (which I've never used and know nothing about) by connecting the damaged Mac with another using a thunderbolt cable. Found instructions here https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/apple-configurator-mac/apdebea5be51/mac .
Step 1: Connect the Mac computers.
DONE (second computer was a 2018 MacBook Air also running Ventura).
Step 2. Prepare the Mac you want to revive.
(a) Press the sleep/wake button for about 5 seconds to shut down the Mac portable computer.
DONE.
(b) Plug the USB-C cable into the front Thunderbolt port on the left side of the Apple Portable computer.
DONE.
(c) While holding down the power button, at the same time press all three of the following keys for about 3 seconds: the right Shift key, the left Option key, the left Control key. Note: you won't see any initial screen activity from the Macbook Pro you are trying to revive. After the restore (? - their word, I thought this was a revive) begins, you'll see an Apple logo and progress bar if a monitor is connected.
DONE - but the first three attempts simply restarted the computer. On the fourth try the screen stayed black. I hoped this was what they meant.
Step 3. Revive the firmware
(a) In the Apple Configurator on the first Mac, select the DFU icon of the Mac whose chip firmware you want to revive.
NOT DONE - because the Configurator window was empty. I set a scan going to no avail.
What am I missing please? The doc is not well written - the instructions are often a tad ambiguous and you're not told until late in the process that you'll need an external display (all requirements should surely be listed at the top, surely?). What I really want to know is:
How do I get my fingerprint touchpad to work again?
Step 1: Connect the Mac computers.
DONE (second computer was a 2018 MacBook Air also running Ventura).
Step 2. Prepare the Mac you want to revive.
(a) Press the sleep/wake button for about 5 seconds to shut down the Mac portable computer.
DONE.
(b) Plug the USB-C cable into the front Thunderbolt port on the left side of the Apple Portable computer.
DONE.
(c) While holding down the power button, at the same time press all three of the following keys for about 3 seconds: the right Shift key, the left Option key, the left Control key. Note: you won't see any initial screen activity from the Macbook Pro you are trying to revive. After the restore (? - their word, I thought this was a revive) begins, you'll see an Apple logo and progress bar if a monitor is connected.
DONE - but the first three attempts simply restarted the computer. On the fourth try the screen stayed black. I hoped this was what they meant.
Step 3. Revive the firmware
(a) In the Apple Configurator on the first Mac, select the DFU icon of the Mac whose chip firmware you want to revive.
NOT DONE - because the Configurator window was empty. I set a scan going to no avail.
What am I missing please? The doc is not well written - the instructions are often a tad ambiguous and you're not told until late in the process that you'll need an external display (all requirements should surely be listed at the top, surely?). What I really want to know is:
How do I get my fingerprint touchpad to work again?
