Front camera image breaking up during Zoom calls.

Question

When participating in a Zoom call with my Surface Go 2, my image has suddenly started to break up, sometimes with psychedelic colours on the screen. The other participants' images remain stable. I can continue in the meeting with my camera off, but that doesn't solve the problem. I would be grateful for advice on how to solve this problem. I cannot find a previous question directly on this point.

Answer 1

Hi Clive FW,

Thank you for reaching Microsoft Community. I understand how this concern impacts your day-to-day productivity with the device.

May I know how are you accessing Zoom on the device? Are you using the Zoom desktop client or just accessing it through a web browser?

What Windows version, edition and OS build is your Surface Go 2 running on? To check, see Windows specifications section in Windows Settings > System > About.

Did this worked fine before, and issue only started to occur recently, or this had been going on ever since you first got the device?

Does this issue only occur when using Zoom or also when using other applications such as Teams?

Kindly try first running these steps below to make sure that the device has all the updates needed:

1: Run Surface Diagnostic Toolkit

See: Fix common Surface problems using the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit (microsoft.com)

2: Check for Windows Update

Go to Windows Settings > Update & Security and select Check for updates

Make sure all updates need are installed including Optional updates

Let me know how it goes and we may also recommend other troubleshooting steps once we have received your responses to the questions above.

Kind regards,

Marrion

Answer 2

Hi Clive Fletcher-Wood,

I would like to check if you were able to try again attending Zoom meeting. Did the issue occur again?

Have you tried doing it through a different web browser?

Kind regards,

Marrion

Answer 3

Thank you Marrion.

Zoom is not installed on this laptop, I access Zoom meetings through a web browser.

I use Windows 10 Home; Version 22H2; OS build 19045.2364. I had checked that I had all updates before posting my question.

I think that I've had this laptop for about a year (I sent two back as their battery performance was so far below the claimed figure, before realising that it is a generic problem). The front camera has worked perfectly on Zoom, Teams and other platforms through a lot of meetings, until yesterday.

The problem arose during a family Zoom call yesterday, using an academic link that we've been using since the start of the pandemic. After it occurred I left the meeting twice and re-joined it, to see if that made a difference, on one occasion shutting my laptop down and re-starting it.

The image from the front camera remains stable for a short period of up to 20 seconds. Then it can freeze for a few seconds, before my head appears to shake in a physically impossible fashion. On a couple of occasions lurid colours appeared on the screen.

By muting the front camera I can still see and hear the other participants; they can hear me.

I haven't been involved in another video conference since yesterday, so don't know if the problem would occur in Team.

I have checked updates once again and used the diagnostic tool; it asked if it had solved the problem, to which I obviously had to say that I didn't know,

I hope that these answers help to explain the problem.

Clive FW

Answer 4

Hi Clive FW,

Thank you for the response and details provided to clarify the issue.

May I know which web browser are you using? Is it the Microsoft Edge?

Just to confirm though; using the front camera to just record a video works fine, right?

Kindly make sure also that all applications including the browser and camera app is up to date by doing the update through the Microsoft Store. See: Get updates for apps and games in Microsoft Store - Microsoft Support.

After that, I suggest that we test it first and see if the issue would persist. Another suggestion also that we could try to further isolate is to try using a different browser to access Zoom meetings.

Kind regards,

Marrion

Answer 5

Thank you again Marrion.

Yes, I am using Edge.

Not having made a video before using this laptop I have just done so as a test. The picture remained stable during the video, which lasted 1 min 30 sec.

I'm being told that everything on the laptop is up-to-date.

Clive FW