In most cases, when the camera on your laptop stops functioning, it’s because your computer is unable to recognize or access the device. How to Fix Laptop Camera Not Working
Your computer’s settings or an application could be blocking its access, or it could have been blocked altogether. Another possible reason is a problem with the hardware or the driver.
If your laptop’s camera isn’t working, try enabling it and giving it the right permissions. If another app is utilizing the camera, you should also exit that one. After that, try reinstalling or reverting the driver to see if it helps.
If there’s damage or a broken connection, you might have to fix or replace the physical device.
How to Fix Laptop HD Camera Not Working
There are usually a few options to turn off the integrated camera on most computers. This can be accomplished through the specialized shortcut, the BIOS, or even the Device Manager.
Verify that your camera is turned on by trying all of these techniques. Maybe you should do this:
You can turn on or off the camera on some laptops using special buttons or a switch on the top or side of the device. Make use of these to check if the camera is turned on.
The shutter button is included inside the camera on some laptops. The camera lens can be exposed by sliding it.
You might be able to activate or deactivate the camera on some computers using keyboard shortcuts, particularly on function keys. Take my Dell Inspiron laptop as an example; toggling the camera, I may press either Fn + F8 or F8.
Additionally, I have found that on my Lenovo laptop, the camera still doesn’t work even when I enable the switch. The app also has to be restarted. Check your laptop to determine if the same holds true.
Verify that the camera is turned on in your laptop’s BIOS. The location of this option can be found in your laptop’s user manual or BIOS instructions. It was located in System Configuration > Miscellaneous Devices on my Dell laptop.
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Another option would be to launch the Device Manager (devmgmt. msc from the Run menu), navigate to the Cameras section, and check if the camera is disabled (marked with a black downward arrow). When this happens, you can enable the device by right-clicking on it.
The camera device might be located under Imaging Devices or Sound, video, and game controllers on your laptop.
Allow Camera Access
There is a privacy setting in Windows that you can use to prevent unauthorized access to your camera, microphone, and other exposed media.
Verify that your system and app can access the camera in the appropriate settings. In light of that,
To open Settings, press Windows + I.
Find the Camera under Privacy & Security.
To grant apps access to your camera, toggle the camera access switch to on.
Check the list of apps and make sure you have all the required ones enabled.
Additionally, for privacy reasons, certain third-party antivirus software may have their own camera permission settings. Verify that the camera is not being blocked by checking your antivirus settings.
Close All Apps Using the Camera
You won’t be able to use the camera in other apps when one is actively using it.
If this happens, trying to launch the Camera app will result in an error message stating something along the lines of “Close other apps, It looks like another app is using the camera already.”
You can use the Task Manager to search for and close all potential applications if you are unsure of which one it is. How can I accomplish this?
It might not function correctly if there are problems with the camera driver. In such a case, removing and reinstalling the camera driver is your best bet.
Here are the methods to accomplish it from the Device Manager:
To launch Run, hit the Windows key plus R.
Before pressing Enter, type devmgmt.msc.
Find your camera by expanding the Cameras, Imaging Devices, or Sound, video, and Gaming Controllers section.
Uninstall device is the option you’ll see when you right-click on it.
Following that, choose Scan for hardware changes from the Action menu. It will restore the driver without your intervention.
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If the problem persists after reinstalling the driver, you may want to consider reverting to an earlier version. It fixes every problem with the current driver version. In light of that,
In the Device Manager, find the camera device and right-click on it. Then, choose Properties.
To roll back the driver, go to the Driver tab and click on it. Verify your selection.
There might not be a driver for your camera on your computer if you can’t locate it. To install or update the camera driver, you need to manually run Windows Update.
If the camera device is still not shown in the Device Manager, it could be a sign of a broken connection or faulty hardware.
To switch the port that the external camera is connected to, you must do so. You should test it on different devices to be sure. If it doesn’t, it’s broken and needs to be replaced.
The only way to check for and fix problems with the built-in camera is to open the laptop and remove the screen bezel.
Visit your neighborhood hardware store or service center for assistance if you are unsure of how to proceed or lack the necessary expertise.
By hitting Ctrl + Shift + Esc, you can open the Task Manager.
Find any applications that have access to the camera in the Processes tab.
If any are found, you can end the task by right-clicking on it.
