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.
Aloha Kyle,
My sony vaio built in camera is not working. It was a couple of days ago. The message keeps reading “Please check if another camera is using the system.” I’ve tried everything. all programs are closed. Ive downloaded the latest driver. I’ve reloaded skype. I check the video settings on skype. I checked the hardware under the device manager and their is no question mark. The camera is currently enabled. I dont know what to do. Please help me so i may utilize skype.
thank You (mahalo),
Steve
@Ed – You can easily reinstall the Crystal Eye webcam on Acer laptops with the driver installer. What is your exact computer model?
Hey Kyle. I have an Acer Crystal Eye Web Cam. When I open it it is a white screen until I hit record on the video icon then my image comes up and records, then goes white when I shut off record. My camera doesn’t work at all. I hit the icon and it nothing happens. Tried updating disable and enable and didn’t work. Want to try uninstall but it came with my lap top and afraid I won’t be able to reinstall without a disk or something. Is it safe to uninstall or is there another way to fix this?
Hey Kyle, I already tried to download drivers, and I think I used the right ones, since I have a Suyin webcam, but I did notice there are few versions of them on the net, so I’m gonna try again and hopefully it will work this time, thank you for your time, I appreciate it ;)
thanks kyle.
just now, when i set my video calling setting in yahoo messenger, my webcam suddenly worked for like 3 seconds!!! but then it went blank again. i tried with splitcam and arcsoft, it’s still blank. :(
any more clues?
@cck7650 – There is always hope, but I am not sure what to advise you next. It might be possible to get the webcam working again by restoring the original configuration, but I would still suggest you try connecting a USB webcam and see if that works. That way you can at least find out if there is any issue with the Windows configuration, including DirectX configuration.
@Martin – First thing to try in the case of the “device in use” type of errors with webcams, is to reinstall the drivers. Sometimes it is simply a configuration that got mixed up.
And also try a program like SplitCam to see if that has the same problem.
@Rod – Never heard of that type of webcam problem. Does it happen with all programs that access the webcam?
Is your computer security set up properly? Just to make sure it is not hijacked, try it with the Internet connection disabled and see if those weird effects still happen.
@Kristina – If the webcam works fine first and not later on, there is probably some kind of update that affects its operation. Did you try installing the acer crystal eye webcam drivers for your acer aspire 5732Z? Just make sure you pick the right download, since there are models that have the suyin webcam and others have the chicony. You can check the properties in the device manager to find out the brand (Details tab -> Manufacturer).
@jos – What program are you using? In skype I believe there is a setting to use B/W mode, but I am not aware of a webcam general setting that would affect all programs.
hey my dell inbuilt lap cam image is always black and white….suggest some means to revert it to colour…..i just cant find that option,it turned out black and white one fine day without any command
Hey Kyle,
I’m having some issues with my Acer Aspire 5732Z webcam, I can’t seem to use it at all, though it says that the device is working properly. It doesn’t work on Skype or Gmail, on MSN it says that webcam is paused but when I press resume it doesn’t help so recently I had Windows 7 re-installed for some other issues and the webcam worked for like 2 days now the same thing is happening again, I’d appreciate your help cause I’m clueless ;)
Hi.
I’m having a problem with my web cam. It seems to be cycling through the settings.. It goes from normal to black and white, then zooms in and out, then goes split screen, and a few other crazy things.. and you does it over and over again..
Not sure how to fix it?? Any one knwo what to do?
Thanx Rod
im having problem activating my webcam, every time i open the device a pop up message says “Creation of the video preview failed. please check the device connection and make sure that the device is not being used by another application or user” pretty weird because no other application is open, and it always happens to me.. somebody help please
hi kyle,
i downloaded splitcam and tried it. my webcam is still not capturing any images. only the light is on. :(
any hope?
thanks.
@jacqui – If the webcam disconnects at your place and not at your friends, and you are using the same laptop and a wireless connection in both cases, I think it will be the modem/router in your place that causes the issue.
Video chats with webcams use different TCP/UDP ports, so it could be that your router is not allowing them or not forwarding properly to your laptop.
Try a cabled connection and see if that make a difference, and if not, you can try assigning a static IP to your laptop. You might also need to set up port forwarding in the case of the static IP.
What is your Internet connection and which brand/model router is used?
i have a new sony vaio Sseries VPCSB16FG and it has a built in webcam.. i have windows essentials and my webcam worked fine up until a couple of weeks ago, where when i connect with someone on webcam it’ll last for about 30seconds to one minute before freezing, shutting off and then for some reason it effects the wireless connection on my internet and i have to reconnect. I had 2 thoughts that it was either windows live essentials or my interent connection, BUT when i go onto skype i have the same problem, so then i thought it must be my interenet, except when i was at a friends i connected to my webcam on windows live essentials and i had no problems. I need to get it fixed soon as i miss my boyfriend who is overseas and we would like to be able to use windows essentials or skype. please help! its frustrating me this is only a new computer!
@Penny johnson – I am not sure why you say “dial”, is that to connect to the Internet, or are you referring to the connection with your friend in Iraq?
It would be best to:
– make sure you have an active Internet connection
– use Skype to connect with your friend
– enable the webcam in Skype itself
The video quality with skype for video chatting over the Internet is one of the best, so assuming the webcam works properly, this will be a good setup.
@cck – The webcam can still be fine, they don’t often really break unless the laptop is dropped.
Have you tried different programs to use the webcam? Try SplitCam and see if that works, as it is compatible with most webcams, and does not suffer from software conflicts like some ofter progams.
@natasha taljaard – In most cases that means that the program cannot connect to a server for relaying the webcam video. Yahoo messenger suffers from from this sometimes, although Skype users recently also had a similar issue.
Most of the time this is caused by either a non-active Internet connection, or an issue with the firewall blocking the IP ports that the program is using for the video chat.
Best thing to do is to add the program that you are using for the video chat as an exception to your firewall.
I am trying to video chat but when I try it says error connection to server. What does that mean?
thanks kyle for the reply.
my laptop is a hp mini.
it doesn’t show any error notice. when i activate it, the point light near to the webcam can be on but just no image captured. it worked fine previously.
i have uninstalled and reinstalled the driver. the problem is still there.
is my webcam really spoilt?
i have abuild in webcam at the top of my laptop computer and i have tried to use my webcam and it wil dial the computer but all i get is static and then it hangs up at first i would get a picture for about five seconds and then it goes blank. I am just trying to see my friend over in Iraq and let him see me and i get a chance to see him. can you help get it started.
1. I don’t know how to work it.
2. the progaram i have on my computer is called YouCam 3.
3. that is what was on my computer when I brought it.
you can email me and tell me step by step on how to work it. Pleas
confused
Webcam user
thank for you help
@jon – The “can’t build the graph” error is indeed more common with some webcams, and from what I have seen, mainly in Windows 7.
Have you tried reinstalling the webcam driver for your packard bell tm86? There are 3 webcam drivers for that model, for the Chicony, the LiteOn and the Suyin, so you will need to check which one you have.
@Pedro Dias – The Kunft webcams mostly use the Etron webcam device drivers. Have you checked if the hardware is compatible with Vista? You can try running the webcam driver installer in XP SP2 compatibility mode.
But if the driver is not Vista compatible, it might not work at all.
Bought Kunft webcam, can’t install it on Vista! i’ve conected the device, it shows on device manager with the usual yellow warning. I’ve tried to run the install cd that came with it…allways the same error; “…could not start engine, contact your hardware vendor…” Please helpm thanks
“can’t build the graph” this says to me,how can i solve this pls help me
It’s a laptop nodel packard bell tm86 with a build in webcam.
“can’t build the graph” this says to me,how can i solve this pls help me
@cck – The “hp-webcam-50” does not tell me anything, what is the hp laptop model?
And are you getting any error when you activate the webcam in skype or yahoo messenger? It is possible to some other (new) program is using/locking the webcam, but normally you would get an error message in that case.
Alternately try reinstalling the original HP webcam drivers for the computer.
built-in webcam (hp webcam-50)
no images shown even though the light of the webcam is on. and the device manager indicates the webcam is working properly.
it was working fine until one day i found that i couldn’t get the images when i was using skype / yahoo messenger.
pls help.
@Shruti – Which program are you using to access the webcam? Have you tried different programs? If all fail, try SplitCam. If that also does not work, there is really a problem with the device.
Even if you say drivers are up to date, you might want to try reinstalling the original webcam drivers. Sometimes installing other software later can still cause problems with the webcam or driver configuration.
built in webcam not working. im using windows 7 home on a samsung laptop i bought. it was working properly till a month ago. it works for a day after i have my system restored. then it would stop working.the message says ‘cannot connect to this video device’ i cannot system restore anymore as those restore points are gone.device manager says it is working properly and drivers are up to date.how should i resolve this?