Laptop webcam DOESN'T WORK; driver hidden in Device Manager > Imaging Devices; Drivers up-to-date

[MoizHawalchi]

Hi, My laptop is HP Pavilion 15-n010tx Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR), Windows 8 inbuilt.

My webcam worked fine until morning yesterday when I had a video call on facebook. It was selected HP Truevision HD on fb messenger. In the evening, however, the selection showed another, SPCA 2082PC webcam. It didn't capture anything, although the webcam light was on.

I tried running in Cyberlink Youcam but there was the same problem. In Device Manager > Imaging Devices, the HP Truevision HD was hidden and asked for reconnecting to Enable (code 45) and SPCA 2082PC webcam was shown enabled instead. The drivers showed up to date. In Device Manager > Sound, Video the Cyberlink driver is shown. I disabled SPCA 2082PC webcam, restarted, but the problem persisted.

I tried restoring the system but there was no previous restore point found, hence failed. I troubleshooted hardware, auto-recovered laptop. Still no change. I upgraded Cyberlink, yet there was an only option for selection shown in its settings: SPCA 2082PC webcam which doesn't work (drivers up-to-date). There's nothing available in Device Manager to remove HP Truevision HD from hidden devices and activate it. Also, how do I reconnect it since it shows 'reconnect device to enable (Code 45)'. Kindly help me solve the problem.

On asked from HP support to re-install YouCam, I did that. When I started it, the camera worked fine! But within a minute, the display stopped with only webcam light on. I checked in Device Manager and (any guesses?) SPCA driver was selected again and HP Truevision was hidden just like I mentioned above. Same cycle.

[Dudefoxlive]

Sounds like it has been unplugged from the motherboard or the cable in the display.

[MoizHawalchi]

It can't be disconnected coz it worked when I re-installed Youcam, although only for a minute..

[Dudefoxlive]

What operating system are you running?  Have you tried clean booting your computer to see if another piece of software is using that camera?

[MoizHawalchi]

Operating System: Windows 8.

Yes. Booted, cleaned, automatic repair...

No other system running camera. It can't find drivers to use camera and somehow HP Truevision HD gets hidden in Device Manager and asks for re-connecting (code 45).

Another driver gets selected by default everytime: SPCA 2082 PC cam which turns on webcam light but doesn't capture anything at all....

[Dudefoxlive]

that means something is using the webcam.  im not sure what it could be but something is using it.