Camera shows gray screen

[Aerods]

I have an HP Spectre 2-in-1 laptop with an integrated HP True Vision 5MP camera. I've had this device for about two years, and the camera issue has persisted for over a year now.

The main issue is that the camera does not display any image—it only shows a plain gray screen. This happens consistently across all applications, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and the Camera app in Settings. There are no error messages, and the camera appears to turn on, but no video feed is shown.

Interestingly, the camera itself seems to be functioning to some extent. For example, facial recognition with Windows Hello works perfectly—I’m able to sign in using face unlock without any problems.

I've attempted several common troubleshooting steps found online, but none have resolved the issue. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

• Checked camera privacy settings

• Ran the Camera Troubleshooter in Settings

• Updated and reinstalled the camera drivers

• Ensured Windows is fully updated

• Restarted the Windows Camera service

Additionally, I performed a full factory reset of my device about three months ago, but the issue remains.

Any further help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Aerods,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

Thanks for the detailed info about your HP Spectre x360 (14-ef0000). I understand how frustrating it is, especially when the camera is crucial for meetings and daily use.
 

From what you’ve shared, the HP True Vision 5MP camera is recognized by Windows and even works with Windows Hello, but shows only a grey screen in apps like Zoom, Teams, and the Camera app, with no error messages. You’ve already done a solid round of troubleshooting, which helps narrow things down.
 

Since there’s no physical shutter on this model and Hello works, it’s likely not a complete hardware failure. The issue seems tied to the video feed—either a driver/software glitch or a partial hardware malfunction.

To isolate the problem further, we suggest starting with a camera hardware diagnostic test using HP's UEFI diagnostics tool:
 

How to Run Camera Diagnostics:

1. Turn off the laptop.
2. Press and hold ESC, then press the Power button to turn it on.
3. When the Startup Menu appears, press F2 to enter HP PC Hardware Diagnostics.
4. Look under Component Tests for Camera, and run the test if it's available.

If no camera test is available or the result shows a failure, this may indicate a hardware fault in the image sensor or processing module, even if Windows Hello works, as that uses IR components separately from the color video feed.

Please share the results of the test when you're ready, and we’ll take it from there.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, as it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

VikramTheGreat

HP Support