How To Fix Webcam Problems
With broadband internet widely available, many PC users are actively using their webcams for video chatting and online meetings. Not only does the increased bandwidth facilitate the use of video over the internet, but improved webcams and better video compression also help a lot. But if your hardware is not working as it should be, a webcam is not much fun. So dealing with webcam problems can be a necessary evil. Webcam problems often simply mean there is no image to be seen, but in other cases, you might actually get an error message or will not be able to select the webcam as the video source in your programs.
In Windows Live Messenger, for example, you might get webcam error 0x8a70013, indicating a problem with the webcam device.
Steps to solve the webcam problems
Check the webcam connection
One of the very first steps is of course to check your webcam connection. Most webcams use the USB port to connect to the PC, so check if your USB cable is properly plugged in. For built-in webcams, these steps of course do not apply. Many new laptops have a built-in webcam. Also, try connecting your webcam directly to your PC instead of through a USB hub (if you are using one).
Enable the webcam
But don’t forget to check if you need to manually activate your webcam. In most cases, the webcam will be automatically activated by software that can use the webcam, but for some computer brands, it is necessary to press a certain key combination to activate the webcam (it will be a Function key, either with Alt or Ctrl or the Fn key, but check the laptop manual for details).
Some known key combinations:
<Fn> + <F9> (Alienware laptop webcams)
<Fn> + <F6> (Packard Bell laptops, MSI laptops, Lenovo laptops)
<Fn> + <F10> (Neo laptops, some Asus laptops)
Check the webcam in the Device Manager
The next thing to do is to check your Windows Device Manager and see if all hardware is recognized and installed properly. Use the Scan for hardware changes in the Action menu to make sure Windows lists all available hardware devices.
It might be that the hardware is recognized as a camera, but the right drivers are not installed. The yellow exclamation mark will indicate a problem.
If the device is not recognized in Windows, it will be listed under Other Devices.
In either case, you can try to update the drivers. Right-click the device, and in the popup menu select Update Driver Software (in Windows 11 – Update driver). Then follow the instructions on screen, but make sure you allow Windows to search the web for updated drivers.
In case no driver for the webcam can be found, you can try a third-party driver-finding program that scans your PC for installed hardware and allows you to install missing drivers.
Reinstall the webcam software
If this fails, the next step would be to uninstall the software that came with your webcam. Use the Add or Remove Programs feature in the Control Panel. If that does not work you can use a third party uninstaller.
After uninstalling the software, restart your PC and then reinstall the webcam software. In most cases, this will solve the problems. Depending on the software, you might need to unplug your webcam during the software installation. For many HP systems, you need to install the CyberLink YouCam software, which can be downloaded from the HP site (for Windows 7 and Windows 8). This program allows you to check the webcam feed to see if it is working.
Check the software settings
If the drivers and webcam software are correctly installed, and you still cannot see any video, there can be a problem with the program settings. Most chat and meeting software have a configuration option to select the video source for the webcam feature. If you have multiple devices that qualify for video, you might need to select your webcam device as the source for the webcam feature in that program.
Some webcams and programs require additional software, although that should be installed with the webcam if things are right. But is does not harm to check if your Java, Flash (discontinued in 2019) and Quicktime software (version 7.6) are installed and up to date. But certainly check your DirectX software, since all video applications, including webcams, use DirectX for video processing. Try downloading the latest DirectX version and install it (Windows XP: DirectX 9.0c – Windows Vista: DirectX 10 (version 11 for Vista with SP2) – Windows 7: DirectX 11 – Windows 8, 8.1: DirectX 11.2 is only available through the Windows Update function – Windows 10: DirectX 11.3 and 12 are included with Windows and updates are only available through Windows update).
Manual focus correction
Lastly, if your webcam’s image is not sharp, check to see if it has a focus ring. A blurry image can sometimes simply mean the webcam is not in focus. Adjusting the focus through the ring can solve that problem.
Adjust video capture quality
Other picture quality problems with webcams can be addressed by changing the video capture properties for the webcam. Most programs that can use a webcam will have the option to access the properties of the video source, which will bring up the video capture properties window.
Do keep in mind that not all settings will be enabled depending on the webcam and the webcam driver installed on your computer. In the example, you can see that some settings are disabled. The example shows the video capture properties for an Acer Crystal Eye webcam.
In Windows 11 the Camera properties look different. Access them by opening Settings from the Start menu, then select Bluetooth & devices in the left-hand pane, click Cameras in the right-hand pane, and then click your camera.
Camera Privacy Settings Causing Webcam Problems
Starting with Windows 8.1 (and Windows 10) there is a privacy setting in Windows that allows (or blocks) access to the camera. If access to the camera is blocked to Apps, your webcam will not work in certain applications.
Here are the steps to ensure that the camera is not blocked in Windows 10:
- From the Start menu, select Settings.
- In the Settings window, click on Privacy.
- Make sure that the setting for Let my apps use my camera is turned On.
Fix Flipped Camera Issues
Having the image from the camera shown as mirrored or upside down has been a long-time problem on some Windows-compatible webcams. In most cases, the right device driver for the camera will fix the issue.
If the camera image is not showing correctly, or changes to an incorrect image when using it to capture video, try the options below to fix it.
Registry tweak to flip camera
Although this solution is not applicable to all webcams, it is good to check if it is applicable in your case.
- Open the Registry Editor using the Windows + R keys and then type
regeditin the Run box. Press Enter or click the OK button. - In the Registry Editor, select the top-level entry (Computer), and then use the File menu Export option to make a backup of the registry.
- Next, locate the following registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\
{6BDD1FC6-810F-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F}\0000\VIDEOPROCAMP - With the key selected, change entry in the right-hand panel called
HFLIPfrom 0 to 1 (or from 1 to zero, depending on the current value). If the entry does not exist, you can create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value with that name.
Note: Use theVFLIPentry for a vertical flip.
If you cannot find the key, this option probably will not work for your webcam.
Use software settings to flip the camera
If you cannot get the webcam image corrected in Windows itself, using the driver, settings, or registry tweak, you can often use program settings to correct the webcam image.
Do keep in mind that many video chat programs show you the mirrored image of the webcam while people on the other end see the correct image of you. So consider if it is really something that needs to be addressed!
In Zoom you can toggle video mirroring to change the image.
- Click the up arrow in the Video button on the Zoom meeting window.
- Select the Video Settings option in the popup menu.
- In the Video settings pane, unmark the option Mirror my video.
- Close the Video settings pane.
- Close and restart Zoom (close it completely from the Taskbar icon).
If you prefer working with web-based interfaces for online meeting and chat programs like Zoom, Google Meet, and others, installing a browser plugin or extension is the better way to go. For Chrome, there is VideoMirror, which is free and supports camera mirroring. There are others, but make sure to check that the mirror function is available in the free version before you install it.
If you are using your webcam for instant messaging / video chatting with one of the popular chat programs, have a look at ManyCam, which allows you to record your webcam but also allows screen recording, which allows you to record any video stream! Third-party programs like ManyCam act as a virtual webcam and even work to mirror the camera image in Discord, which is not otherwise possible.
Windows 10 Camera Problems
In one of the initial Windows 10 updates, a camera problem was introduced that needed a specific fix. The update causes the camera to stop working in most apps trying to use it. The update pertained to the Windows Frame Server Mode for processing webcam images. Microsoft disabled support for webcams using MJPEG and H264 compression. The way to address this is to disable the Frame Server Mode to allow it to work.
- Open the Registry Editor in Windows.
- Make a backup of the registry using the File -> Export option.
- Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform - Right-click in the left-hand pane and select New in the popup menu.
- Select DWORD (32-bit) Value and enter the
EnableFrameServerModeas the name. - The value should be zero (0) by default, if not, change it to zero (0) by double-clicking the new key.
- If you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you need to repeat these steps for the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform - Close the Registry Editor and check if the camera issue is fixed.
A restart of Windows should not be required, but if the fix does not work, restart Windows to make sure the changes take effect.
Realtek Webcam Problems
If your Windows system is using a webcam that is using Realtek components, a specific problem can occur. The Windows service host will report errors that report the camera frame service terminated unexpectedly. The error is caused by a Realtek driver file (RsProvider.dll). The file resides in the path: C:\Program Files\Realtek\RsProviders\RsProvider.dll (unless your system drive is not the C-drive).
You can either delete or rename the RsProviders folder or try a registry option to disable it. Lenovo provides a patch for its affected systems to disable it. The patch removes the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Analog\Providers\RsProvider
Before you change the registry, make a backup! If you decide to delete the RsProvider folder, also make a backup first (the better option is to try and rename it first).
Windows 11 Camera Troubleshooter
Microsoft has included a troubleshooter feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that can help fix common problems. So, if you experience a camera-related problem in one of these Windows versions, run the Camera Troubleshooter first.
- Open the Settings from the Start menu.
- Select Bluetooth & devices in the left-hand pane.
- Click Cameras in the right-hand pane.
- Select your Camera (USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam in the example).
- Click the Troubleshoot button.
Errors that can be solved this way include the 0xA00F4244 error showing NoCamerasAreAttached. The Camera window will show the message “We can’t find your camera“.
A second frequent error in Windows 10 and Windows 11 relating to the webcam is error 0xA00F429F WindowsShowFailed. The message, in this case, is “Can’t start your camera“.
In most cases, this is an App access issue (permissions), but just run the troubleshooter to see if it can be fixed by Windows automatically.
@kat – Try reinstalling the Dell webcam driver, as well as the Skype software. Uninstalling the other webcam software might have removed a required file.
@ask – If it worked fine the day before, you should really check what changed and undo it. Did it work with MSN the day before as well? Maybe a Windows update installed a new version of MSN Live.
@nel – According to the MSI website, the camera in the CX420 does not require extra webcam drivers, but uses the standard Windows drivers. But there is a simple camera application. Did you try downloading and installing that?
@gorgansta – Did the webcam work before? If so, try a system restore or rolling back the webcam driver. But there are many possible causes for the black picture, including DirectX. Does this happen in all programs you try to use the webcam in?
@Daniel – In most applications that support a webcam, you can also access the webcam properties, which give you control over the settings. That, together with the webcam driver and the light conditions will determine the picture quality.
@Lucy Nolla – Some laptops require a key combination to turn on the webcam, but I do not think Dell uses that. The webcam should come on automatically when you try to use it in a program. Have you tried different programs?
i have a windows vista (dell) with a built in webcam. my problem is that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. basically, my computer says that it’s not connected and i don’t know how to connect my webcam. i looked at every single program on my computer that would possibly help, but i didn’t find anything on turning on the webcam. where should i look? what should i do? any ideas?
When i first bought the webcam, the pictures came out fine but now when i try, theres too much contrast.
How can i make it back to normal?
hi,my cam isnt really broken but when i turn it on its black can anyone help??
i have an msi cx420 and my laptop’s built-in webcam doesn’t work anymore. i tried to download drivers but it didn’t change anything.
bought a new laptop cant find youcam in the cyberlink softwear which was pre installed or how to activate my webcam
hi, i have an msi cx420 laptop with a built in webcam problem. just recently after i opened my laptop, webcam doesn’t work anymore. i tried to uninstall the software (camera recorder) then install it again but it didn’t worked. what should i do?
my built in webcam wrked fyn yesterdy but today in msn the webcam screen is gray n when i opn the “shortcut to video webcam” the window just closes on its own! help plz its my aunts!
after my daughter installed two programs youcam and magicam which i uninstalled from my computer, my built in camera on my Dell continues to work but the other party does not receive the image on my skype nor my msn messaging. what can i do to fix it?
mine when i open the video game thing it doesnt even show camera
i can not see my frined cam, (black image). How to solve it thank you
My gateway web cam works but it gives the same pic all the time and I cannot clear it out
@Paul – Did you try reinstalling the webcam driver for your samsung r159 laptop?
@chloe – Could be the webcam works fine, but maybe a program was removed that you used for your webcam. Just try reinstalling that, or install another program to use it.
@Ajay Saini – I am not too familiar with the night vision cameras, but low picture quality is generally caused by light problems. Considering the night-vision option, could it be a setting that pertains to that?
@preeti – Since it is a USB device, I would suggest you first try installing SP2 or even SP3 and try again.
@robiu – Some webcam programs enable/disable features depending on the device in use. Did these functions in Youcam ever work before with the same webcam?
@Jamie – My general advise in this case is to try a different chat program and see if it works there. Try MSN Live, YM, Skype or GoogleTalk. If it does not work in all of them, reinstall the webcam driver, and maybe try downloading and isntalling the DirectX runtime library for your Windows version.
@Kristina Torres – It is probably again a webcam program that was uninstalled by accident. Reinstalling the program should fix it. Do you recall what it was called?
Hi Kyle. I have a eeep mini laptop and it has a built in webcam to it. When I first got it, it was working perfectly fine then I dont know what happened. It stopped working and it doesn’t show up in “My Computer” anymore. It’s almost like it’s gone. How do I get it back? Can I re-install something?
my webcam doesnt show myself in a video call, i can hear me friend, and he can hear me, but my webcam doesnt appear to work, even when the blue light is flashing to show its on. what should i do?
Heyy, I’ve got Youcam 3.0…When I go on my light settings I can’t seem to acess the exposure bar and move it? I tried removing auto lighting but still won’t let me move the exposure bar. Why is this?
windows live does not recognize web cam
i’ve bought tech-com webcam SSD-652 & MY laptop runs on windows xp home edition 2002 sp1.
it’s drivers are not getting installed from cd it came with. i even tried download the same from net. every time installation is complete it is not recognized by system. please provide some help.
Hi Experts,
I have installed intex IT-105WC Night Vision Camera 400k
on my XP system.
I am getting low quality of picture.
Please help me to resolve this issue.
Thanks
i have a built in camera on my laptop and it used to work fine however since its been in the shop i cant seem to find it anywhere on my laptop.. but it still works on msn:S
helppp!?
I have a samsung r159 laptop & i can’t get the webcam to work, its not showing up in the device manager.
Help!?
Please
@Kristie – One thing you could try is to force the wireless connection to connect at a lower speed (b or g instead of n). Go to the wireless device settings in the Device Manager and check the properties. There will be a setting to allows you to control the speed.
@lucas – I am not familiar with the concept of moving your cursor over a certain area in Vista to activate the webcam. What is the laptop model and which software is that?
@Jesse – Those GE webcams use the Sonix webcam component, hence the snpstd3 folder reference. Have you tried uninstalling the driver software and reinstalling it? And What is your Windows version?
@Kim – In most cases such a problem is related to a video filter, like the FFDShow filter, or it is related to the Windows Image Acquisition drivers. First thing I’d suggest is to uninstall the device in the Device Manager and then unplug it, reboot and plug the webcam again.
That will force it to get reinstalled and reconfigured.
I’m having a problem with my Kryerion web cam. It’s a driverless webcam, when i go to my computer and try to use it I get this message: Creation of the video preview failed. Please check the device connection and make sure that the device is not being used by another application. I don’t inow of any other devices that would be using he webcam on my computer. Any advice?
Hi.
i bought a mini cam pro a while back, Model number, 98081
Now im trying to set it up on my laptop, and an error message keeps popping up saying
Component- Must component
File Group- Custom Misc
File- C:\Program Files\Common Files\snpstd3\
error- Access denied.
What do i do??????????????
I have a windows vista laptop, so the camera is activated by mousing over a certain area of the computer screen. But the window won’t show up.