Camera not located

Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

Please clarify the following:

Do you use the device's built-in camera or an external camera?

Perhaps your camera is hidden when the problem occurs. Next time this problem occurs, see if you can find it by enabling the "Show hidden devices" option in Device Manager.

1. Press "Windows + X" and select "Device Manager";
2. Click on the "View" menu and select "Show hidden devices";
3. Expand "Cameras";

(If this category is not displayed, let me know.)

4. If the camera is listed, right-click and select "Properties". Check if there is an error in "Device Status".

If you prefer, share a screenshot. Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

Also, share a screenshot of your system information.

• Press "Windows + R", type msinfo32 and press Enter.

Maximize the window and use the screenshot tool.

Looking forward to your reply.

Follow these steps to troubleshoot a camera that intermittently is “not found” and does not appear in Device Manager.

1. Check physical connection and hardware
   • If using an external USB camera, unplug it and plug it into a different USB port.
   • If possible, test the camera on another device to rule out a hardware fault.
2. Scan for hardware changes in Device Manager
   1. Select Start, type device manager, then select it.
   2. On the Action menu, select Scan for hardware changes.
   3. Wait for the scan to complete and see if the camera appears under Cameras, Imaging devices, or Sound, video and game controllers.
3. If the camera appears, repair the driver
   • Right-click the camera entry and try these in order:
     1. Roll back the camera driver (if the option is available):
        • Properties > Driver tab > Roll Back Driver > Yes.
        • Restart the PC and test the camera.
     2. If rollback is not available or does not help, Uninstall the camera driver:
        • Properties > Driver tab > Uninstall Device.
        • Select Delete the driver software for this device (or Attempt to remove the driver for this device), then OK.
        • In Device Manager, select Action > Scan for hardware changes.
        • After Windows reinstalls the driver, restart the PC and test the camera.
4. Switch external USB camera to the in-box UVC driver (if applicable) If using a USB webcam that appears but behaves unreliably, switching to the standard Windows UVC driver can help:
   1. In Device Manager, right-click the webcam under Cameras or Imaging devices and select Update driver.
   2. Select Browse my computer for drivers.
   3. Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
   4. Select USB Video Device, then Next.
   5. Close the dialog and confirm the webcam now appears under Cameras. Note: The in-box UVC driver may not support all camera features (for example, Windows Hello face recognition).
5. Check for an incompatible or very old camera
   • In Device Manager, open Properties for the camera, go to the Driver tab, and select Driver Details.
   • If a file name including stream.sys is listed, the camera was designed before Windows 7 and should be replaced with a newer model.
6. If the camera still does not appear at all
   • Confirm there is no physical camera switch, keyboard function key, or privacy shutter disabling the camera.
   • If the device’s built-in camera never shows in Device Manager even after Scan for hardware changes, and it fails on other systems (for external cameras), the camera hardware may be failing and require repair or replacement.
   • If it appears only intermittently, this usually indicates a loose connection or failing hardware inside the laptop; contact the device manufacturer for service.

References:

• Camera doesn't work in Windows
• my camera is not listed under device manager camera is not listed and it's not under imaging devices - Microsoft Q&A
• my camera does not function in windows - Microsoft Q&A