Why does my Surface Pro 7 Camera Freeze and Crash Teams when on a video call?

Question

I've been using this laptop for about 9 months now, and noticed that more and more frequently, when I'm on a Teams video call, the camera will freeze and then the program will not respond and crash. The only way I can start the camera working again is to restart the laptop. I've checked to see if the drivers need updating, but there's not issue there. Considering it's Microsoft hardware and software, I assume there is a solution to this issue?

Thanks

Answer 1

Thank you for reporting the issue. A new camera driver is available through Windows Update. This update addresses the issue affecting the camera's performance caused by insufficient memory or storage capacity.

For detailed information regarding updates for your Surface, please refer to the Surface Pro 7 update history page.

Answer 2

Hi ScottF135,

We haven't heard from you, so we assume that your issue has already been addressed. We will not be monitoring this thread moving forward so, if you need further assistance, please create a new thread to discuss these concerns by clicking this link: Create a new question or start a discussion (microsoft.com)

Thank you for understanding. 

Kind regards,
Marrion

Answer 3

Hi Marrion,

I have been experiencing this problem for over 6 months and it is happening with increasing frequency. I have performed all operations you suggested in your mail above, plus I have uninstalled and reinstalled all camera drivers, AVStream plus front and rear camera drivers individually. I have reinstalled all firmware and drivers for the Pro7, plus having emptied cache of all the video conferencing tools I use and have uninstalled and reinstalled the software itself. Nothing has changed. For a while after reinstallation, the camera works again, but it doesn't take long for either Hello or a vid conf tool to crash it and only a reboot will enable a shutdown of the conferencing tool. This is not a Teams specific problem. On rebooting, the camera can no longer switch on and access to the system is via pin only. Every time.

I don't understand how, on a Microsoft product, a microsoft update could have introduced a bug which is taking so unbelievably long to fix. I am reading that this is a universal problem and it is one which is impacting our fundamental needs - I depend on video conferencing for my daily business and this bug has already cost me 4 clients, not to mention the hundreds of hours wasted in researching a fix. I loved my Surface Pro 7 but this is unacceptable. Sadly, it will have to go and I will never buy a Microsoft PC again :-(

Answer 4

We have also experienced the same issue with a pool of laptops ( Surface Pro 7 and 7+) it happens with any video conferencing app we try to use on any of our 60+ devices ( Meet, Zoom or Teams) Any update on what is causing it and how to fix it?

Answer 5

Hi ScottF135,

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your concern with your Surface Pro 7 camera freezing and crashing Teams during video calls.

Firstly, I would like to ask if you have tried using other video conferencing applications aside from Teams? If not, kindly try using other applications such as Zoom or Skype to check if the issue persists. This will help us determine if the issue is with the camera or with Teams.

Also, have you tried also using Teams through web to check if the same issue would also occur?

You can try the following steps to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Clear the Teams cache - This can be done by going to the Teams settings, selecting the "Clear Cache" option, and then restarting the application.
2. Update Teams - Make sure that you have the latest version of Teams installed on your Surface Pro 7. You can check for updates by going to the Teams settings and selecting the "Check for Updates" option.
3. Reinstall Teams - If the issue persists, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling Teams on your Surface Pro 7. This will ensure that you have a fresh installation of the application.
4. Check for Windows updates - Make sure that your Surface Pro 7 is up to date with the latest Windows updates. You can check for updates by going to the Windows settings and selecting the "Update & Security" option. Make sure all updates are installed including Optional updates.
5. Run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit - Run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit to run some system checks and repairs on the device. See: Fix common Surface problems using the Surface app and Surface Diagnostic Toolkit - Microsoft Support

If issues persist, kindly try disabling GPU hardware acceleration option in Microsoft Teams. To do this, open Microsoft Teams app, select Settings then select the Disable GPU hardware acceleration option.

Let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Marrion