The inbuild Camera not working only for MS Teams open. Says "Camera not available".

Question

Hi all,

We have a Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 (Machine Type Model 21F8004KUS, May 2024) running the latest Windows 11 Pro version, and when we open MS Teams, the inbuilt camera is not working as soon as we start a meeting and gives an error saying the camera is not available. This is only happening for MS Teams. The in-built camera is working with the Windows Camera App, Zoom, or web applications.

When it connects an external camera through any USB port, it works fine for MS Teams. Only the issue starts when the inbuilt camera is selected.

We checked the privacy settings, uninstalled and reinstalled cameras in Device Manager, and uninstalled and reinstalled MS Teams; none of them helped. Also, when MS Teams opens and goes to Settings>Devices>Video Settings>Camera, the preview can be seen. However, when a team meeting begins, the camera turns off.

I checked with Lenovo Tech Support, and they asked me to contact Microsoft due to the fact that it was happening with MS Teams only.

I found a thread and followed and installed an older camera drive, which has been working until now, and blocked the camera driver update from GPEDIT temporarily.

Looking for a permanent solution to this. I'm not sure the latest Windows updates conflict with the inbuilt camera driver.

Answer 1

Hi @Hardware Support

Thanks for your detailed case description. We have understood the situation you encountered and some of the attempts you have made. There are still some suggestions to help you get back on track.

1. Check app permissions: Make sure Microsoft Teams has permission to access your camera. You can check and enable the camera permission for Teams in Settings > Privacy > Camera.
2. Close other apps: Sometimes other applications (such as Skype or Zoom) may be using the camera, preventing Teams from accessing it. Make sure to close all other apps that may be using the camera.
3. Update drivers: Make sure your camera driver is up to date. You can find the camera in Device Manager, right-click and select Update Driver. Go here for step-by-step instructions for checking your Windows drivers.
4. Check for Teams updates: Make sure your Microsoft Teams app is up to date. You can click your profile picture in Teams and select Check for Updates.
5. Disable and re-enable your camera: Find your camera in Device Manager, right-click and select Disable device, then re-enable it.
6. Check the camera switch or button on your device: Some laptops and portable devices have a physical switch or button that turns the camera on or off. When it's turned off, your device may not recognize that there's a camera installed, or it may cause your camera to show an image of a camera with a slash through it. If your laptop has a switch or button, make sure it's in the on position before using your camera. Those switches or buttons may not be easy to find, so make sure you check all possible places. For example, it could be:
7. Check your antivirus software: Some antivirus software may block applications from accessing the camera. Check your antivirus software settings to make sure it is not blocking Teams from accessing the camera.

Troubleshooting for Windows. If you are still having trouble with your camera, here are some more solutions to try. For more help, see Camera doesn't work in Windows.

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Answer 2

Hi Hardware Support,

Thank you for posting in the Q&A Forums.

1. Check for system updates and drivers

System Updates:

Make sure your Windows 11 Pro system has been updated to the latest version. You can check for and install updates by pressing Win + I to open Settings and select "Update and Security" -> "Windows Update".

Driver updates:

Check and update the camera driver. You can check and update the driver through Device Manager. Right-click the "Start" button, select "Device Manager", locate the built-in camera under "Camera" or "Imaging Devices", right-click and select "Camera" or "Imaging Devices". Find the built-in camera under "Cameras" or "Imaging Devices", right-click and select "Update Drivers", and then select "Automatically search for drivers".

If the automatic search does not find an update, you can try to visit Lenovo's official website to download and install the latest camera driver according to your model (21F8004KUS). 2.

2. Check Microsoft Teams settings

Make sure the built-in camera is correctly selected in Microsoft Teams. You can view and change the video device settings in Teams settings.

Check if Teams has available updates. Ensure that Teams is the latest version by using the Update option in the Microsoft Store or within Teams.

3. Check privacy settings

Check the camera privacy settings in Windows Settings. Press Win + I to open Settings, select Privacy -> Camera and make sure "Allow apps to access your camera" is turned on and Teams is in the allowed list.

4. Check hardware and physical switches

Check if there are any physical camera switches or shortcuts (e.g. F8 or FN+F8) on ThinkPad T14s Gen 4. Make sure these switches or shortcuts are on.

Check if the camera is physically obscured or damaged.

5. Try other video applications

If the built-in camera works fine in other video apps (e.g. Windows Camera app, Zoom, etc.) but has problems in Teams, there may be a compatibility issue between Teams and the camera. You can try to find a solution to a similar problem on the Teams community forum or support page.

6. Reinstall Microsoft Teams

If the above steps do not solve the problem, you can try to uninstall Microsoft Teams and reinstall it. Find Teams in Settings->Applications->Applications and Features, select Uninstall, and then download and install it again from the Microsoft Store. Download and install Teams again from the Microsoft Store.

Best regards

NeuviJ

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Answer 3

Hi,

Lenovo is aware of this bug, the culprit seems to be Lenovo View driver, see here https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht515212-microsoft-teams-camera-failures-on-thinkpads#Additional_Information_HT