Laptop couldn't turn on the camera

[FIRSTManagement]

When I turn my laptop on, using facial recognition (Windows Hello) I receive the message 'Couldn't turn on the camera'. It doesn't work for video conferencing software either.

This problem occurred between turning off one evening and restarting the following morning.

My camera button (F13) light is OFF

The device manager says that the camera is connected and working

Privacy settings indicate that access to all software etc is ON including videoconferencing

I turned off Norton 360

I hard reset the BIOS, following instructions from previous posts. rebooted.

I uninstalled and camera and deleted the driver. rebooted

Still get the message 

Hint:  At about the time I turned off in the evening after a video conference, the device manager recorded some events in the history - code numbers 400 and 411.

I would appreciate any help I can get, as I am going into a week of heavy videoconferencing!

thanks

FIRSTManagement

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @FIRSTManagement,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be happy to help you! 

We understand how difficult it could be when features do not work the way they are supposed to and we truly appreciate the time and effort that you have taken to work on this issue. This issue can occur if the camera driver is not updated or due to some hardware issues related to the camera. In order to isolate the cause of this error, please follow the methods mentioned below.

Method 1: Check if the camera is working.

1. Log in to the system.
2. Go to Start menu and select Camera app.
3. Check if the camera is working fine.
4. If not, please update camera driver (you can refer Update drivers in Windows 10 for the steps).

Method 2: Troubleshoot problems with Windows hello.

Since you are getting the error "Couldn't start camera. Please sign in with PIN", we would suggest you to refer Troubleshoot problems with Windows hello Surface under the section Windows Hello doesn't recognize my face or fingerprint or there is an error message and try performing the troubleshooting steps and check if it resolves the issue.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.

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

[FIRSTManagement]

Thanks for the advice Elohi_NR

Method 1 -  The camera is working.   I checked as you suggested. And I have also conducted Zoom and Teams meetings with the camera on.  Maybe I was wrong about the camera not working

Method 2 -  I have been through the Windows troubleshooting guide and spent a couple of hours online with their online chat - taking control of my laptop and having a good look.

The conclusion:   The problems that I mentioned concerning the errors were probably due to some problem with the camera driver -  but not the camera driver that is currently there - the one I need to fix is the driver for this camera and facial recognition.

The Microsoft person tried to determine my exact model number and find the driver on the HP website but was not successful.

So,

Does this seem like a plausible explanation?

Can you help me find the necessary driver for 

HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop 13-bf0xxx   product ID 00342-22045-07102-AAOEM

Product number : 6X0Q9PA#ABG

to run under Windows 11 Home version 23H2

thanks!!

[Elohi_NR]

Hi @FIRSTManagement,

Let us try updating the Bios and see. Usually, it should fix the issue. Click here

If not this needs one-on-one interaction over the phone via remote assistance. 

 If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

[FIRSTManagement]

I updated the BIOS as you instructed.

Still not working.

The camera is working when I look at the device manager and test it in devices >cameras

But from Accounts >sign-in >facial recognition I get the message:

This option is currently unavailable

We couldn't find a camera compatible with Windows Hello Face

The Microsoft Windows remote assistance seemed to be suggesting that I was missing a driver between camera and Hello Face. I know nothing about how to investigate this problem

I'm willing to try any other suggestion that you have

FIRSTManagement

[Elohi_NR · Accepted solution]

Hi @FIRSTManagement ,

We apologize for the inconvenience, but it seems that the issue persists even after attempting the troubleshooting steps mentioned above.

Unfortunately, there are no further actions we can take through this channel. I recommend reaching out to our phone support for further assistance.

This might require one-on-one interaction to fix the issue via remote assistance. 

I've sent you a private message with further instructions. In order to access your private messages, click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile Name or simply click on this link.

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution button, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!