HP TrueVision webcam not working in most programs

[NikolayP]

Hi there,

my webcam has suddenly stopped working in most programs like Skype, VLC, or CyberLink YouCam 7 (the camera worked earlier properly). Still, the camera works in a simple program WebcamViewer V1.0 (it only translates the image to the screen). So apparently the hardware is not corrupted. I tried to reinstall the driver several times (it always remained the same, HP TrueVision HD from Microsoft, version 6.2.9200.16664 from 2006-06-21), I tried all the links from the HP site on how to troubleshoot your webcam, I tried HP hardware checks and HP support assistant checks, with no problems found in the system. When I start YouCam program it writes "YouCam cannot connect to your webcam..." although there is no other program interrupting (just after restart) and after that the WebcamViewer V1.0 can connect to the webcam.  Why one program can contact the camera and another cannot, and how to make it work normally again?

I would be very thankful for your help!

[Jeet_singh]

Hi @NikolayP,

Thank you for showing your interest in HP Support Forums. It is a great place to find the help you need, from other users, HP experts, and other support personnel. For you to have the best experience on the HP forum, you could also visit our HP Forums Guide for the First Time Here? Learn How to Post and More.

As I understand you are having issues with the Webcam not working on your HP notebook. Don't worry as I have a few steps to help you get through this concern,

To provide you with an accurate solution, I'll need a few more details:

Have you tried to uninstall and reinstalled the drivers?

Has the webcam worked before on any other application like Skype and other apps?

Have you tried to uninstall and reinstall the youcam software?

The drivers for the Imaging devices, which include the webcam, are not displayed in the Device Manager. To resolve this problem, use the following steps:

1. Shut down your computer, and disconnect the power cord.

2. Remove the battery from the battery compartment. If your computer has a sealed battery that cannot be removed, then perform a reset as shown in the HP support document: Performing a Hard Reset or Forced Reset.

3. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, and then reinsert the battery and reconnect the power cord.

4. Turn on the computer and wait for Windows to open.

5. Click Start, type Device Manager in the search field, and select Device Manager from the list provided.

6. If there is no Imaging devices category listed, select Action, then Scan for hardware changes.

   Figure : Scan for hardware changes

   

7. If Device Manager does not recognize the webcam after the scan, Use Microsoft System Restore to go back to a time when the Webcam was working properly. If problems persist, the webcam may have become unplugged internally and requires service.

For further assistance, please click here

If the issue persists, Please follow these steps here:

Option 1: Check Device Manager to make sure it is working properly.

1. Click your Start button, type “Device Manager,” and press Enter.
2. Once Device Manager loads click “View” and then “Show Hidden Devices.”
3. Locate the “Imaging Devices” section.
4. Note whether you see the webcam here.
5. If the webcam is listed, right click it and verify that it is not “Disabled.”
6. If the webcam is listed and not disabled, move onto Option 2.  If the webcam is not listed you will move onto Option 4. 

Option 2:   Allow Windows to Re-install the device.

1. While still in Device Manager right click on your webcam and select “Uninstall”
2. If prompted select “remove driver and driver package.”
3. Reboot your notebook and allow Windows to attempt to reinstall the webcam.
4. If Windows detects the webcam verify the functionality of the webcam.
5. If Windows does not detect the webcam and install it move onto Option 3.

Option 3:  Manually install the drivers for your webcam. 

1. Use this website to determine your product/model number. 
2. Visit the HP Support Page and use this product number to visit your product’s specific page.
3. Go to “Drivers and Software” and locate the driver for your webcam.  NOTE: the drivers for the webcam are sometimes bundled with the YouCam software.
4. Download and install this driver.
5. Reboot the PC.
6. Verify functionality. 

Option 4:  Manually re-detecting the hardware.

1. Disconnect all external devices.
2. Shut down the notebook.
3. Remove the battery and AC power.
4. Press and hold the power button for 10-15 seconds.
5. Reinstall the battery and AC power.  Then turn the notebook on.
6. Once Windows is loaded go back to Device Manager.
7. Selection “Action” and then “Scan for hardware changes.”
8. If Device Manager detects the hardware allow it to install.
9. If Device Manager does not detect the hardware see Option 5.

Option 5: System Restore and System Recovery. 

Link: Perform System Restore & Performing System Recovery. Note that any data that is not backed up prior to a recovery will be lost.

Options 6: Repair

If nothing works, I would suggest this could be a hardware failure. I would suggest you contact our HP phone support for further assistance. Please fill in the product details to get the tech support number.

For more details, please follow the steps suggested in the support document for - HP Notebook, Touch, and AiO PCs - Webcam Troubleshooting (Windows 7) - Click here

Testing a Webcam Using YouCam (Windows 10, 8, 7)

Please use the following link to create yourself a case number, then call and it may help speed up the call process:

Step 1. Open link: www.hp.com/contacthp/

Step 2. Enter Product number or select to auto detect

Step 3. Scroll down to "Still need help? Complete the form to select your contact options"

Step 4. Scroll down and click: HP contact options - click on Get phone numberCase number and phone number appear.

They will be happy to assist you immediately.

Keep me posted for any other assistance,

Regards,

[NikolayP]

Dear Jeet_Singh,

thank you for your efforts to solve my problem with the camera.
Let me answer your questions first:
--Have you tried to uninstall and reinstalled the drivers?
--Yes, I have tried to remove the driver, and I did not even need to install it again, since it was already there after the next startup.

--Has the webcam worked before on any other application like Skype and other apps?
--Yes, the webcam worked properly with all programs before.

--Have you tried to uninstall and reinstall the youcam software?
--When I met the problem, I did not have the youcam software on my computer. I only installed it during my efforts to make the webcam work again, I found this software as recommended on the HP website.

Concerning your next proposed steps:
The webcam does present in my Device Manager, no problem with that. So, "Option 1: Check Device Manager to make sure it is working properly.": done, it works properly.
"Option 2:   Allow Windows to Re-install the device.":
done, as I wrote above, Windows re-installed the driver by itself, and the webcam still not working.
"Option 3:  Manually install the drivers for your webcam.": apparently, not needed since the driver is installed. Same for "Option 4:  Manually re-detecting the hardware.".
"Options 6: Repair. If nothing works, I would suggest this could be a hardware failure.": ok, but the question is still the same, why the webcam properly works with only one program which I found occasionally, "WebcamViewer V1.0", and not working with any other program? Don't different programs use the same driver? It does not seem to be a hardware failure, anyway. Do I have to try System Restore?

"For more details, please follow the steps suggested in the support document for - HP Notebook, Touch, and AiO PCs - Webcam Troubleshooting (Windows 7)" -- done that already, nothing helped.

Maybe you have another ideas what could help?

Kind regards,
Nikolay

[NikolayP]

Dear Jeet_Singh,

thank you for your efforts to solve my problem with the camera.
Let me answer your questions first:
--Have you tried to uninstall and reinstalled the drivers?
--Yes, I have tried to remove the driver, and I did not even need to install it again, since it was already there after the next startup.

--Has the webcam worked before on any other application like Skype and other apps?
--Yes, the webcam worked properly with all programs before.

--Have you tried to uninstall and reinstall the youcam software?
--When I met the problem, I did not have the youcam software on my computer. I only installed it during my efforts to make the webcam work again, I found this software as recommended on the HP website.

Concerning your next proposed steps:
The webcam does present in my Device Manager, no problem with that. So, "Option 1: Check Device Manager to make sure it is working properly.": done, it works properly.
"Option 2:   Allow Windows to Re-install the device.":
done, as I wrote above, Windows re-installed the driver by itself, and the webcam still not working.
"Option 3:  Manually install the drivers for your webcam.": apparently, not needed since the driver is installed. Same for "Option 4:  Manually re-detecting the hardware.".
"Options 6: Repair. If nothing works, I would suggest this could be a hardware failure.": ok, but the question is still the same, why the webcam properly works in only one program which I found occasionally, "WebcamViewer V1.0", and not working in any other program? Don't different programs use the same driver? It does not seem to be a hardware failure, anyway. Do I have to try System Restore?

"For more details, please follow the steps suggested in the support document for - HP Notebook, Touch, and AiO PCs - Webcam Troubleshooting (Windows 7)" -- done that already, nothing helped.

Maybe you have another ideas whar could help?

Kind regards,
Nikolay

[Chimney_83]

Thanks for the reply and trying a lot of troubleshooting steps. Yes, you are right, Windows will automatically install a generic driver when you uninstall the driver and restart your computer.

Request you uninstall the webcam driver again from device manager, delete the driver when prompted during uninstall. 

Uninstall Youcam software as well from programs and features. 

Download and install the Youcam software from this link and check. 

If the issue persists, run HP Support Assistant to update all the drivers on your computer. Click here. 

If the issue persists, perform a Refresh on your computer. Click here for assistance. 

Keep me posted.

[NikolayP]

Dear Chimney_83,


thanks for your advice. Unfortunately, it didn't help. Here's what I tried and what were the results:


1. "Request you uninstall the webcam driver again from device manager, delete the driver when prompted during uninstall." — Done, although there was no prompt to delete the driver; when I press "uninstall" button, the device disappears from the device list, and that's all.

2. "Uninstall Youcam software as well from programs and features." — Done.

3. "Download and install the Youcam software from this link and check." — Downloaded and installed, this was slightly different version of Youcam that the previous one, but it worked similarly (i.e. not worked, showed the same note at startup, "no connection to the webcam")

4. "If the issue persists, run HP Support Assistant to update all the drivers on your computer." — So the issue persists, and I ran the Support Assistant, but you know, I could not find an option "to update all the drivers" there. There are only some solutions to screen, network, or printer issues, but there were no "update all the drivers". If you meant HP System Recovery, well, I tried that before, but it did not update this driver as well. Anyway,  the problem seems to be not in the driver, what do you think?

Also tried: a) to install another driver (Realtek, 2014-05-02, version 6.2.9200.10275), but everything works as before, i.e. only the "WebcamViewer V1.0.exe" program shows the camera view, and other programs do not see the camera.
 b) to plug in a separate USB-webcam, with the same result as for the main webcam: only one program can see the camera.
c) restarting in a safe mode does not make the camera work, but now it does not work even with WebcamViewer.exe. Restarting normally again restores the work of this program.

And 5. "If the issue persists, perform a Refresh on your computer." — This requires and installation disc or whatever, which I don't have. I'm now working on Windows 8 Pro, corporate license, with the same type of license for MS Office, too. And I'm now away from my company, and I don't have the access to this licensed version of Windows, as far as I understand. So if I make a total refreshment of my computer, I will lose my installed programs including licensed Office, and some ohters, but I need them constantly.
So if there is no better advice but to perform a refresh, I will wait until I'm back home to ask our IT guys for the help.

Cheers,

Nikolay

[Jeet_singh]

Hi @NikolayP,

Thanks for the update,

I appreciate your time and efforts,

As I understand you have already performed all possible steps and before we could confirm this to be a Hardware or software issue. I would suggest you could try to revert back to the original operating system and check if that helps.

Please take your time and get back to me with the results,
 
I'll be awaiting your response and would be glad to help.
 
Feel free to post your query for any other assistance as well,
It's been a pleasure interacting with you and I hope you have a good day ahead.
 
If you wish to show appreciation for my efforts, mark my post as Accepted Solution.
And click on the Purple Thumbs up icon at the bottom of my comment. 

Regards,

[NikolayP]

Dear Jeet_Singh,

yes, I think I'll try to revert back to the original Win8, but this will be in mid-September, as I'm back to my office (and to the IT guys who installed this Windows). I'll write then. Or maybe I'll decide to go over to a Win10, we'll see.

Cheers,

Nikolay

[Chimney_83]

Thanks for the reply, please do install Windows 8 in your spare time and let me know how it goes. 

Please do post your technical queries on our Forums for assistance.