onboard Webcam shows black display

[Marinaswan]

Hi, folks! I  wonder  if anyone  could  solve the  mystery of the  black  screen  onboard webcam display  on  my HP Envy x360 laptop, please. 

MS specialists  have checked all   possible  software issues, updates, drives, privacy  settings, etc. - everything works well and  up to date. The webcam in Device  manager shows as normal. Its  light  is  ON  in the app but the display is dark grey. 

It  looks as if there is a physical obstacle in front of the  camera lens. But  there is  none!

There is  no shutters slider on the  edges of the  laptop . Instead, there is a key that activates and deactivates the  camera, and  it  works ok. The  light  is  ON  but there is  no  image displayed  in any  app. 

It  happened suddenly, without  any changes   made to the laptop or the system.  I very much  hope someone has  come across  this fault  and  has already found the solution. Many  thanks in advance for  your  time! 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Marinaswan 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand how puzzling and frustrating it must feel to see the webcam light on but only a dark screen, especially after you’ve already checked drivers, privacy settings, and updates. Since the software side looks fine, let’s go through a structured set of checks that can help isolate whether this is a configuration or hardware issue:

Step-by-step actions

Confirm camera selection in apps

• Open the Camera app in Windows.
• Click the settings icon → ensure “HP Wide Vision HD Camera” (or similar) is selected.
• Sometimes multiple imaging devices are listed, and the wrong one may be active.

Test with HP PC Hardware Diagnostics

• Press F2 at startup to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI.
• Run the “Component Tests” → “Camera Test.”
• This bypasses Windows and confirms whether the camera sensor itself is producing an image.

Check Windows permissions again

• Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera.
• Ensure “Camera access” and “Let apps access your camera” are both turned on.
• Scroll down and confirm apps like Camera, Teams, Zoom are allowed.

Reinstall the imaging driver

• Open Device Manager → Imaging devices → Right-click the camera → Uninstall device.
• Restart the laptop. Windows will reinstall the driver automatically.
• If not, download the driver from HP’s support page:
  https://support.hp.com/in-en/drivers

BIOS check

• Restart the laptop and press F10 to enter BIOS setup.
• Look under “Advanced” or “Security” for “Integrated Camera.”
• Ensure it is enabled. Save changes and restart.

Physical inspection

• Even though there’s no shutter slider, gently clean the lens with a microfiber cloth.
• Check for any protective film or dust that may have settled unnoticed.

You’ve already done a thorough job with software checks. If the HP Hardware Diagnostics test shows no image, that strongly suggests a hardware fault in the camera module. If it does show an image, then the issue is with Windows or app configuration. 

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye