My camera suddenly stopped working. I think it is either getting blocked or used by another app.

Hello Nasir,

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

It sounds like you're encountering a common issue where the camera is either not being detected properly by the system, or it's being locked by a process that you can't easily identify or stop. Let's break down the problem and go through a few different troubleshooting steps to get your camera working again.

1. Check for Windows Updates

• Windows Updates might sometimes automatically install updates that cause compatibility issues with certain hardware.

  • Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

  • If any updates are pending, install them and restart your system.

  • Sometimes specific camera drivers are bundled in these updates, which may fix issues.

2. Check the Camera Privacy Settings

Windows 10/11 has privacy settings that can block apps from accessing your camera.

• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera.

• Ensure that Camera access is turned on for apps and that no apps are being blocked.

• Check that specific apps (like Zoom, Skype, or Teams) have permission to use the camera.

3. Try the Camera in the Camera App

To rule out third-party apps causing the issue, try testing your camera in the Camera app:

• Press Start, search for "Camera," and open the Camera app.

• If the camera doesn't work here either, it's likely a driver or hardware issue. If it does work, the issue might be with specific software or apps.

4. Reinstall or Update the Camera Driver

If uninstalling and reinstalling the camera driver from Device Manager didn’t help, let’s try a more thorough driver update.

• Open Device Manager (right-click Start > Device Manager).

• Under Imaging Devices, find your camera, right-click, and select Uninstall Device.

• After uninstalling, restart the computer. Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver automatically.

• If this doesn’t fix it, try right-clicking your camera in Device Manager and selecting Update driver.

  • Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

5. Check Camera Device in Device Manager

• If your camera is still not working after reinstalling the driver, go to Device Manager again and check for any hidden or unrecognized devices.

  • View > Show hidden devices in Device Manager.

  • Look for any devices that might be listed with a yellow triangle (indicating an error), such as Unknown Devices or Imaging Devices.

  • Right-click the device and see if there are options to update or fix the issue.

6. Check for Conflicting Software

It's possible that a third-party program is locking or conflicting with the camera, which is why Process Explorer shows the camera being used by a system process.

• Disable or uninstall any software that could be using the camera (e.g., Skype, Zoom, Teams, or even antivirus software with a webcam security feature).

• Some software that controls the camera (like Logitech Camera software, Camera utilities, etc.) may cause conflicts with Windows. Try disabling or uninstalling those programs to see if the issue resolves.

7. Check Task Manager for Processes Using the Camera

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

• Look for any processes related to the camera (it may be listed as "Camera," "Webcam," or "System").

• Try right-clicking the process and clicking End Task to free up the camera.

If the process is being held by a system process, it's more likely to be locked by Windows itself, and the solution may lie in the next steps.

8. Use Process Explorer (Advanced)

Since you mentioned trying Process Explorer, let's go a little deeper into its capabilities:

• Open Process Explorer as Administrator (right-click and select Run as Administrator).

• Use the Find > Find Handle or DLL option.

• Search for #vid (or something related to camera or video) in the search box.

• If Process Explorer says "parameter is not correct," it could mean that the process using the camera is a system-level process that cannot be easily terminated.

• You can try to identify which process is using the camera and suspend or kill it, but be careful with system processes. Killing a system process can result in a crash or other system instability.

9. Try a System Restore

If none of the steps above worked and the issue is relatively new, performing a System Restore might be your best option:

• Press Windows + R, type rstrui and press Enter to open System Restore.

• Select a restore point before the camera issue started occurring.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your system to an earlier state.

• After the restore is complete, check if the camera starts working again.

10. Check for Hardware Issues

If all else fails, there may be a hardware issue with your camera, especially if you’ve recently dropped your laptop or exposed it to physical stress.

• Test the camera with an external application (like Skype, Zoom, or any other third-party webcam app).

• If the camera is still not working, it might be time to contact HP Support or a technician for further diagnosis, as the camera might need to be replaced or repaired.

Summary of Steps:

1. Windows Updates – Check for pending updates.

2. Camera Privacy Settings – Ensure apps have access to the camera.

3. Test Camera in Camera App – Check basic functionality.

4. Reinstall/Update Driver – Uninstall in Device Manager and restart.

5. Device Manager – Check for hidden or unrecognized devices.

6. Conflicting Software – Disable third-party apps using the camera.

7. Task Manager – End conflicting processes if possible.

8. Use Process Explorer – Try to identify and stop processes using the camera.

9. System Restore – If the issue is recent, use System Restore.

10. Hardware Issue – Contact support if it's a hardware failure.

If none of these steps work, it's possible the camera is failing due to hardware failure, but you should have a good understanding of the issue by this point. Let me know how it goes!

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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