If you’ve been using a laptop for any length of time, you may have noticed that the camera doesn’t seem to be working. Don’t worry, you’re not alone; this is a common issue that many people experience. In this blog post, we’ll explain why your laptop’s camera may not be working and provide some solutions to get it up and running again.
Computer software issues
Computer software issues can also cause problems with your webcam, so these are worth looking into before you try any hardware fixes. A number of different programs might stop supporting the built-in web cam on your computer, which will cause video calls or taking photos to become impossible. For example, older versions of Skype would often conflict with the web cam drivers installed on a system.
Luckily, most newer versions no longer cause any problems (although they may still not support every model). So if you’re having trouble getting your laptop’s camera to work while using an app like Skype, try upgrading to the latest version. Another program that has been known in the past to cause problems with web cam drivers is Flash. If you’re having trouble making video calls with your laptop’s webcam, it may be worth checking for updates on both these programs and installing them if there are any fixes available.
Computer hardware issues
If none of the above solutions work, then there may be an issue with the actual hardware inside your laptop. If this is the case, then unfortunately most laptops will not have repair manuals available online so they can only be serviced by professionals. Your best option would be to take your laptop into a repair shop so they can diagnose exactly what’s wrong and find out if any parts need replacing or just need to be cleaned.
Reinstall the laptop camera
1)Right-click Start button, and select Device Manager.
2)Go to Imaging devices and click the arrow to expand the list.
3)Right-click on your laptop camera or integrated webcam, and choose Uninstall.
4)Reboot your PC.
Let it install the driver automatically on PC start, then launch the laptop camera again to check if this resolves the issue.
Check your antivirus software
If your laptop camera doesn’t work or open, or you get an error saying that the laptop camera cannot be found or cannot start, it may be caused by antivirus software that is blocking it or an outdated webcam driver.In this case, check your antivirus software and look for settings related to blocking access or permission to use your webcam.
Camera privacy settings
- Click Start, and select Settings.
- Type webcam in the search field box.
- Select Camera privacy settings.
- Check if the Let apps use my camera toggle is On.
Drivers Issues
Another program that has been known in the past to cause problems with web cam drivers is Flash. If you’re having trouble making video calls with your laptop’s webcam, it may be worth checking for updates on both these programs and installing them if there are any available.
If you’re able to use an external webcam but not the one on your laptop, then there’s a good chance that you have a faulty camera connected to your computer.
There are also a few other things that could affect a laptop’s ability to start its internal webcam:
· A loose cord within the device or affected connection ports
· A software conflict preventing the full loading of required drivers
· An exposed wire from an exposed port might be touching another exposed wire from another port and causing a short circuit
