Camera Not Working on Windows? Try These Fixes

If your camera app is not working after doing certain changes on your computer then in this post you will find the solution to a common camera issue that will help you to fix the issue quickly. Sometimes it happens due to the different peripherals attached to our computers. However, it also occurs if you have recently updated the camera driver or performed a system update.

Whatever the reason, it prevents you from accessing the built-in Camera app installed on your computer. In this article, we will present some quick solutions that relate to Device Manager, Settings, and the other quality update.

Solve the Common Camera issue on Windows

If you’re facing some webcam-related issue on your PC then use the following workaround to solve the camera issue on Windows quickly.

1] Allow apps access to a camera

If you’re not able to access the camera app using different Microsoft Store apps, use the below steps to allow them:

Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings.
Go to Privacy > Camera.

Move to the right pane and click the Change button (under Allow access to the camera on this device section)
Turn on the toggle switch for “Camera access for this device“.
Then scroll down and go to the Choose which Microsoft Store apps can access your camera section. Here turn on the toggle button for the program you want to allow camera access. For example – Cameras, Microsoft Teams, and others.

After following the steps, your camera should be accessible from the apps you selected. On the same Camera page, if you scroll down to the bottom, you will find the Allow desktop apps to access your camera option. You can turn on this option if the problem is with a classic desktop application.

2] Update the Camera driver

If the problem is occurred just after updating to a newer version of Windows, it might possible that it occurred due to the compatibility issue in the camera driver. In such a case, you may need to update the associated driver and your camera should start working then. Here are the steps to update the camera driver –

Click on Start and select the gear icon (Settings).
Select Update & Security > Windows Update.
Now in the right pane, click on the View optional updates option.

On the next page, you will find a new driver update under the Driver updates.
Tick the box next to the newer driver update and then click on the Download and install button.
After downloading the update, it will get installed automatically.

Note: If you don’t see any optional update or newer driver update, you may need to navigate to the manufacturer support website and then download and install the newer driver.

3] Rollback the Camera driver

Sometimes compatibility issues arrive with the driver updates that used to be released by the hardware manufacturer. If your camera has stopped working after updating any driver, rolling back the previous version can fix the Camera issue on Windows. The procedure to rollback the camera driver is as follows:

Press the Win + X keys and select the Device Manager option from the menu list.
In the Device Manager window, expand the Cameras section.
Now right-click on the camera driver and select Properties.
Go to the Driver tab.
Then click on the Roll Back Driver button.
From the list, select the reason for rolling back the driver.
Click Yes.
Again click Yes to confirm.
Restart your computer to save the changes.

Once you complete the above steps, the current driver installed on your device will be rolled back to the older one. After rolling back the driver, you will now be able to use the camera.

Note: If the Roll Back Driver option is not available on the Driver tab, then you cannot roll back to the previous version of the driver.

4] Remove quality update of Windows

If your camera was working well before installing a system update, it might be required to remove the quality update. Follow the below steps to remove the update:

Open the Windows Settings.
Click on Update & Security > Windows Update.
Go to the right panel and click on View update history.
Click on the Uninstall updates link.

On the Installed Updates page, click the Installed On column header. It will show the updates in chronological order.
Now look for the most recent update and once you find it, right-click on the update and hit the Uninstall button.
If your system asks you for confirmation, click on the Yes button.

5] Reinstall the Camera driver

When the camera stops working on Windows because of a damaged driver or a problem with the configuration, you can use Device Manager to reinstall the peripherals to resolve the issue. Follow the below steps to reinstall the camera driver on Windows PC:

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type devmgmt.msc in the text box and hit Enter.
Double-click on Cameras.
Right-click on its driver and select the Uninstall device option.

Click on the Uninstall button to confirm it. If you want to force the system to download the driver, mark Delete the driver software for this device option.
Now click on the Actions menu and select the Scan for hardware changes option.
This will reinstall the driver, and your camera should start working again.

I hope the camera not working issue resolves on your Windows PC. Let’s know in the comment section which solution works in your case.