When the motherboard of a laptop is replaced, any data stored in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is lost. The TPM is a hardware module that securely stores data such as encryption keys, certificates, and, in this case, fingerprint data. If the fingerprint data was stored in the TPM, it would be lost with a motherboard replacement. Clearing the TPM ensures it's ready for new data. Once the TPM is cleared, the user would likely need to re-enroll their fingerprint for the reader to recognize it again.