camera stopped working on spectre laptop convertible and running windows 10

[carolshipp1961]

Device is Spectre laptop/tablet convertible. Camera doesn't work. thought it could be a driver issue but cannot even find the driver (not terribly IT savvy)

grateful for any help

[Raj_05 · Accepted solution]

Hi @carolshipp1961,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

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

I'm sorry to hear that your camera has stopped working on your HP Spectre laptop running Windows 10. There are several potential reasons why this issue could occur, and I'll provide you with some troubleshooting steps to try and resolve it.

Restart your laptop: Sometimes, a simple restart can fix minor software glitches. Restart your laptop and see if the camera starts working again.

Check camera privacy settings: Windows 10 has privacy settings that can disable access to the camera. To check these settings, follow these steps. 

a. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app. 

b. Click on "Privacy," then select "Camera" from the left sidebar. 

c. Ensure that the "Allow apps to access your camera" toggle switch is turned on. 

d. Also, make sure that the specific apps you want to use the camera with have permission to access it.

Update camera drivers: Outdated or incompatible drivers can cause camera issues. To update your camera drivers, you can follow these steps. 

a. Right-click on the Start button and select "Device Manager." 

b. Expand the "Cameras" or "Imaging devices" category. 

c. Right-click on your camera device and select "Update driver." 

d. Choose the option to search automatically for updated driver software. 

e. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process.

Rollback camera driver: If you recently updated your camera driver and the issue started afterward, you can try rolling back to the previous version. 

a. Open the Device Manager as explained in the previous step. 

b. Right-click on your camera device and select "Properties." 

c. Go to the "Driver" tab and click on the "Roll Back Driver" button. 

d. Follow the instructions provided to complete the rollback process.

Check for Windows updates: Windows updates often include bug fixes and driver updates. Make sure your laptop is up to date by following these steps. 

a. Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I. 

b. Click on "Update & Security," then select "Windows Update" from the left sidebar. 

c. Click on "Check for updates" and allow Windows to download and install any available updates. 

d. Restart your laptop if prompted to complete the update installation.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it's possible that there could be a hardware problem with your laptop's camera.

I hope this helps. 
 

Take care and have a good day.

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!

Alden4
HP Support