Windows Hello can't open camera

My Windows Hello stopped working as well. My webcam works. I can't seem to add Windows hello to the camera's privacy settings. This just started happening after the most recent Microsoft update. Also, I try to redo the windows hello set up my IR light for the camera comes on but no picture on the screen. No frame to see. This is really frustrating. Any solutions?

Hello, PdK-NYC

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

Thank you very much for your feedback. I have carefully read the information and problem description you provided. You mentioned that the camera for facial recognition on your computer is not working properly.

I understand the trouble this problem has caused you. Yes, it is indeed frustrating to encounter such a problem. I can understand how you feel at the moment. Please don't worry, I am here to help you. There may be several reasons why Windows Hello cannot open the camera. I can't give you an exact reason. Please try the following methods step by step to narrow down the scope of the problem, which may help you.

Method 1. First, make sure your Windows 11 system and related drivers are up to date:

Press Win + I to open Settings, select Update & Security, click Check for Updates, and install all available updates.

Open Device Manager (Press Win + X, select Device Manager), expand Camera.

Right-click your camera device, select Update Driver, and then select Search automatically for updated drivers.

Method 2. Try resetting Windows Hello settings:

Open Settings, select Accounts > Sign-in options.

Under Windows Hello Face, click Delete.

Restart the computer, then go back to the login options, click Settings under Windows Hello Face, and follow the prompts to reset facial recognition.

Method 3. If you accidentally touch the combination key, you can check whether there is a combination key switch similar to the camera on the keyboard. For example, the camera combination key switch of MSI notebooks is generally FN+V. It may be one of FN+F1-F12.

Method 4. Due to the physical switch problem, you can check whether the camera has a physical function slider, usually around the camera head or on the side of the host.

Method 5. Due to registry interference. You can refer to the following steps to add the registry:

1. Press win+R to open Run, enter regedit, and press Enter to enter the registry editor;
2. Locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform;
3. Right-click the blank space on the right and create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named EnableFrameServerMode;
4. The value data does not need to be modified, just keep the default 0, and then exit;
5. Restart the computer and turn on the camera;

Some manufacturers' own optimization tools (such as Lenovo PC Manager) may disable the camera function. You can consult your local device provider to further confirm how to change this setting.

Some antivirus software may also disable the camera function, such as Kaspersky. You can try pressing WIN+R and entering CONTROL - Uninstall triple antivirus software - Restart WINDOWS system.

Best regards

Brian - Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hey Brian,

I just posted a reply, which somehow disappeared before I could hit "submit" so apologies if this somehow appears twice.
First, thanks for your detailed and exhaustive response. I tried a few of the suggested solutions but nothing worked until I updated the driver. I hesitated to do that for a long time because I'm not confident enough to do a manual update and I read many negative reviews of Norton's Driver Updater--several even claim it screwed up their entire system. But in the end, I sprung for it ($29/year) and presto--Windows Hello works like a charm. The Updater claims to have fixed many other drivers as well-I can't say one way or the other but one thing is certain: it didn't do any damage.
Best,

PdK-NYC

Posting my experience here in case it helps anyone. I had a similar issue: Logitech Brio windows Hello camera working fine in a setup using a KVM switch. Then suddenly it stopped working (not sure whether it was 24H2 or something else - I'd relocated the equipment from my office to home around the same time).

The camera otherwise works fine through the KVM switch and a USB3 hub. If I connect the camera directly to the PC using a USB-A to USB-C cable Windows Hello works fine. Otherwise I get the "Couldn't turn on camera please sign in with PIN" error others have described. I'd tried every solution I could find then I stumbled across this Reddit post (Logitech Brio doesn't work behind KVM switch) from a couple of years ago. The solution in that case was to swap out a standard USB-A to USB-C cable (black connectors) to a USB3.0 cable (blue connectors). To my surprise, that solution worked in my case.

So if you aren't using a USB3.0 cable to connect to your camera you might want to try that.

i want to add a web camera but i can't do it. i know the webcam is compatible with my windows 11 but it can't find it so what can i do?