Camera & Microphone not recognised on HP 355 G2 laptop (JOY62EA#ABU)

[Caravanj]

I bought this laptop on the 13th August 2015 but I managed to fix my Samsung laptop & kept the HP in it's box unused as a spare.

I've decided to upgrade to Windows 10 before the 29th July but before I did I checked the laptop to make sure everything worked & I now find that neither the internal webcam nor the internal microphone work.

In Device Manager there isn't an entry for audio inputs and outputs nor is there an entry for Imaging devices & YouCam5 also says that there's no webcam connected.

In sound video & game controllers it shows

AMD High definition Audio Device

Cyberlink WebCam Virtual Driver

Realteck High Definition Audio

All three are shown as working properly & the drivers are shown as being the most up to date.

After trying numerous fixes I've come to the conclusion that it's a hardware fault unless anyone knows differently.

If I upgrade to Windows 10 & then send it in for repair will HP accept it for repair as I can't see it being turned round before the 29th July.

P.S. The laptop is in it's out-of-the-box factory condition with non of the software being touched & non added.

Any suggestions will be welcome, thanks for reading my post.

[Dragon-Fur · Accepted solution]

@Caravanj

Create your Recovery Media for the existing installation.

If you can get the system to migrate to Windows 10, the "Digital License" for Windows 10 will be saved for you by Microsoft. 

You can, if you like, migrate to Windows 10 and then use the "Go back" feature to "undo" the migration.  Your Digital License is still "safe" when you migrate (again) at a later date.  If you "go back" the computer will be back on its original Operating Sytem - no worries about repair.

You can install Windows 10 again later with the following caveat:

If the mother board is replaced, there is likely to be trouble with the activation -- motherboard is part of the Microsoft Digital Key management.  This does not mean you can never go back to Windows 10; it does mean you may have to talk to Microsoft and explain your situation.  At the least, you may need to go through the "phone activation" - not painful, just tedious and a bunch of typing.

If you migrate and then the "go back" feature balks (fails), use your Recovery Media (that you made) to recover the original installation.

OR - contact HP:  Explain the situation.

HP Contact Information – Sales, Technical Support, other Contacts -  USA / Canada

Contact HP – USA - Assistance

HP Tech support/ Customer Service  – Some English Speaking Countries

Including UK and Europe

From a post by @Sunshyn2005, to contact HP Support :

Step 1. Open link: www.hp.com/contacthp/
Step 2. Enter your computer's Product Number OR select Auto Detect
Step 3. Scroll down, find: "Still need help?  Complete the form to select your contact options"
Step 4. Scroll down, Click HP contact options > Click Get phone number

Case number and phone number appear on screen.

HP Customer Support - Product Warranty Check

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[Caravanj]

I posted a reply but it seems to have vanished.

Anyway I wanted to thank you for your help.

I've done the upgrade & checked the activation box in settings & it shows Windows 10 on this device is activated with a digital entitlement so I can reinstall Windows 10 after the 29th July anytime I need to.

[Dragon-Fur]

@Caravanj

You are welcome.

Upgrade to Windows 10: FAQ

Good Luck with getting the system hardware fixed -- and welcome to Windows 10!

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[Caravanj]

I contacted HP tech support who got me to do a BIOS update which made no difference so it needs to be checked & repaired.

The problem I now have is trying to find out why HP say  my warranty expired on the 17th March 2016 when I didn't order it until the 13th August 2015.

No doubt it will be sorted but it's all totally unecessary hassle which has done little to inspire any degree of confidence.

[Caravanj]

My warranty details have been corrected & my laptop will be sorted out so I'll pop back to this post when it's repaired & let you know if it was in fact a hardware problem & not something else.

[Dragon-Fur]

@Caravanj

Thanks for posting back.

Commentary

Assuming you had performed all the diagnostics on the webcam, the "usual suspect" (after other variables have been ruled out):  Tiny wires connect the webcam camera to the system board.  If the wires are loose, disconnected, crushed, bent (a form of "crush"), or otherwise compromised, the connection fails.  More rarely, the camera itself may fail.

The issue can surface any time from the moment the notebook is passed out of the manufacturing loop until never.  I have experienced both extremes:  broken out of box, still working eight years later.

I don't have a story for the microphone -- never had one break.  Small dance.

Good Luck!

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[Caravanj]

Yes  the most likely suspect has to be the wiring as both the camera & mics are next to each other & neither work so I agree that it's most likely to be compromised wiring.

Had it been out of warranty I'd have cracked off the screen surround & had a look.

[Caravanj]

The laptop was collected by UPS on the 28th July & returned today.

The fault was the webcam / mic cable which has been replaced & they're both working now so well done HP for a quick service.

P.S. On tracking my laptop with UPS it seems it was repaired in Poland.

[Dragon-Fur]

@Caravanj

---

@Caravanj wrote:

The laptop was collected by UPS on the 28th July & returned today.

The fault was the webcam / mic cable which has been replaced & they're both working now so well done HP for a quick service.

P.S. On tracking my laptop with UPS it seems it was repaired in Poland.

---

I will pass along your kind words to HP.

I did not know HP has a repair depot in Poland -- makes sense to take advantage of a central location.

Happy Computing!

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