Are you annoyed with a webcam not detected prompt in windows 10 ? If Yes, then luckily you are at the right place. For some reason, this issue is mostly pronounced on Windows 10.
The good news: making your webcam functional is relatively simple. This laptop webcam repair guide will show you ten effective solutions!
Fix Laptop Webcam Not Working / Detected in Windows 10
1. Run the Troubleshooter
The first thing you should do is to run the Hardware troubleshooter. This built-in Windows tool will find and automatically fix most device issues.
To find the “Troubleshooter”, head to Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Select the “View all” option on the left pane, choose “Hardware and Devices“, then click “Next”.
Now, follow the on-screen instructions to run the Troubleshooter. This will scan for some commonly occurring webcam issues. Once the scan finishes, restart your PC and check if the webcam works.
2. Check Webcam Settings
Windows 10 has a few options that can deny your PC access to the webcam. These options can affect all apps, even those that aren’t from the Store.
Start by checking the camera privacy settings. Go to Settings > Privacy, then find the Camera option under “App Permissions“. Make sure that you “Allow access to the camera on this device“ toggle is on.
Next, confirm that the “Let apps use my camera toggle” is on as well. Under this option, you’ll see a list of all apps that have permission to access your webcam.
Each app will have its toggle, so turn it on if needed.
3. Enable the Device
Another way to fix a laptop webcam is to enable it in Device Manager. Even if it’s already active, disabling and re-enabling it may do the trick.
First, right-click the “Start” button and open “Device Manager“. In the tab that opens, you’ll see a list of all devices connected to your laptop. Click a section called “Cameras or Imaging Devices” to expand it.
This will open a context menu that should contain, among other things, your webcam. Right-click on it and select “Enable device” to make the webcam functional. If it’s already active, try disabling it before enabling it again.
4. Update Your Windows
When it comes to how to fix a laptop webcam, updating Windows may do the trick. This is a solution to many issues, including Edge-related ones.
Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows logo key + the I button. On the left pane, select Update & Security > Windows Update. Click on the “Check for updates” option and download any available updates.
5. Reinstall the Webcam Driver
Wonky drivers can mess up anything, including your webcam. If your laptop still can’t detect the camera, chances are that the issue is driver-related.
Go to Device Manager, then select Cameras or Imaging Devices. Once you find your webcam, right-click on it and select “Uninstall” device. If there’s a checkbox saying “Delete the driver software for this device”, mark it.
Now, restart your laptop. After that, Windows should find the missing driver and install it automatically. Otherwise, find your webcam in Device Manager, right-click on it and select Scan for hardware changes.
6. Update the Driver
Sometimes, Windows 10 will find the driver but won’t be able to install it. In this case, you can repair a laptop webcam by updating the driver manually.
To do this, go back to your webcam in Device Manager. Right-click on it, then select Update driver software. In the following prompt, click on “Search automatically for updated driver software”.
If you’ve already downloaded the latest driver, you’ll need to find it on your PC. Select Browse my computer for driver software, find the driver, and install it. Restart your laptop and see if that fixed the issue.
7. Install the Driver in Compatibility Mode
Compatibility mode can help you avoid certain installation issues. For this to work, you’ll need to download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s site.
Once you have the right driver, right-click on it and go to “Properties > Compatibility” tab. Check the “Run this program in Compatibility mode” option. Select Windows 10, then install the driver as explained above.
8. Roll Back the Driver
On rare occasions, the latest drivers you can install will be faulty. Fortunately, Windows 10 allows you to revert to the previous driver instead.
If you think you’re dealing with a faulty driver, find your webcam in Device Manager. Right-click on it to get a context menu, then select the “Driver” tab. Click on “Roll Back Driver“ and follow the on-screen instructions.
There’s also a chance that the Roll Back Driver option won’t be clickable. That means that the previous version of the driver isn’t available.
9. Create a New User Profile
If none of the above steps solve the issue, your user profile may be corrupt. You can confirm this by creating a new profile.
First, head to Start > Settings > Accounts. Select “Add someone else to this PC”, then fill in the form asking you for a user name and password. This will create a new user account on your laptop.
Now, click on “Change account type”. Expand the drop-down menu and choose Administrator to set the account to an admin level. Restart your laptop, log in to your new profile, and see if that solves the issue.
10. Reset Your Laptop
The last thing you can do to fix your webcam woes is to reset your laptop. This will reinstall your Windows as well, so only use it as a last resort.
To reset your laptop, head to Settings > Update & Security. Click on Recovery on the left pane, then select “Reset this PC”. You’ll get the option to back up all your files, but you may want to go with a manual backup as well.
Webcam Not Detected? Not Anymore!
As you can see, most “Webcam not detected” issues happen due to outdated software. If you keep your laptop and drivers up to date, there’s little to worry about. If not, follow this guide to solve the issue!
Of course, there’s also a chance that your webcam woes are part of a bigger problem. Is your laptop struggling to perform efficiently? If so, check out our list of resolving the most common computer problems!
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