Win 11 cannot find the camera upon startup

I removed the camera option under Facial recognition (Windows Hello) and clicked on setup. After entering my pin the message read "Sorry, something went wrong. Couldn't turn on the camera. Make sure it's working properly". So I turned the camera on (start, camera) and it was working. I thought perhaps if it was already turned on then the setup function would find it and use it but it did not. Even with the camera already turned on the setup message read that it couldn't turn on the camera. I will try uninstalling the camera and reinstalling it.

I uninstalled the camera drivers, then restarted the computer. The drivers did not install automatically upon startup. I used device manager and reinstalled them. When I went to settings-accounts-sign-in options the facial recognition window says "This option is currently unavailable" and "We couldn't find a camera compatible with Windows Hello Face".

The cameras listed in device manager are HP 2.0 MP High Definition Webcam and HP IR Camera. The first driver is Realtek DMFT - RGB. I clicked on "search for updated drivers on Windows Update" and was told that it was uptodate. The second driver is Realtek DMFT - IR. It is also up to date.

So, are those realtek drivers incompatible with Win 11?

I did a quick search and found that realtek IR cameras are not compatible with Win11. It has been working fine with Win10. It is an internal camera. What are my options for resolving this issue?

Dear CraigSnydergx!

Welcome to the Microsoft Community!

It looks like you're experiencing issues with your camera not working after upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, which could be due to compatibility issues with the Realtek driver and Windows 11.

In this case, you have a few solutions to try:

1. Roll back to Windows 10:

- If your device is within 10 days of upgrading to Windows 11, you can choose to roll back to Windows 10 through Windows Settings. This could be a solution to get your camera working again.

- To roll back, go to Settings > System > Recovery, then select Roll back to Windows 10, and follow the prompts.

2. Check the manufacturer's website:

- Visit HP's official website to see if there are new drivers or patches for Windows 11 available for your device model.

- There may be patches or driver updates specifically for your device model.

3. Use a generic driver:

- Sometimes, Device Manager may allow the installation of a generic camera driver from Microsoft, which may resolve the compatibility issue.

- Manually update the driver in Device Manager, select "Browse my computer for drivers", and then select "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer".

4. Consult Technical Support:

- Ask HP or Microsoft Technical Support for help to ask if there is a temporary solution or upcoming driver updates.

5. External Camera:

- If fallback or other methods are not suitable, you can also consider using an external USB camera as a temporary solution.

Drivers need to be compatible with the operating system to work properly, which is one of the key factors to ensure that the hardware device can work properly. I hope these suggestions can help you solve the problem. If you have any other questions or need further help, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you for your understanding and support! 

Best regards,

Yang.Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

I did a quick search and found that realtek IR cameras are not compatible with Win11. It has been working fine with Win10. It is an internal camera. What are my options for resolving this issue?

@Craig - thank you for your comment about realtek IR cameras. I have been wondering what is wrong with my computer and my camera.

Camera working fully, just not with Hello face recognition

That is correct. I have ordered a new workstation which I anticipate will solve the problem.