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My touchpad and camera will not work.

Gavin Engelhart 0 Reputation points
2026-03-31T21:51:14.9033333+00:00

My camera has never worked and says it's allowed for all the apps I need it for. My touchpad all of the sudden stopped working too and I can't find either in the device manager.

Windows for home | Other | Devices and drivers
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  1. David-M 111.3K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-31T22:27:22.83+00:00

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

    Please open the Device Manager (Press "Windows + X" and select "Device Manager") and see if there are any devices labeled "Unknown Device" or with warning signs. Click the arrow to the left of each category icon to expand it and see the devices it contains.

    Share a screenshot of what you find.

    Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

    Also, check if you can find the touchpad by enabling the "Show hidden devices" option in the "View" menu.

    • In Device Manager, click on the "View" menu and select "Show hidden devices".
    • If you find it, right-click and select "Properties". Check if there is an error in "Device Status". If you see an error under Device Status, please share a screenshot.

    Also, what is the manufacturer and model of your computer?

    If you prefer, you can share a screenshot of your system information.

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

    Maximize the window and use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.

    Looking forward to your reply.

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  2. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-31T21:51:34.55+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Because both the touchpad and camera are missing from Device Manager and not working, the most likely causes are missing/out-of-date drivers or hardware being disabled.

    Try these steps for the camera:

    1. Check camera privacy and app access
      1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
      2. Make sure Camera access is turned on.
      3. Make sure Let apps access your camera is turned on.
      4. In the list below, turn on access for the specific apps that need the camera.
    2. Scan for camera hardware and reinstall drivers
      1. Select Start, type device manager, and open Device Manager.
      2. On the Action menu, select Scan for hardware changes.
      3. Wait for the scan to complete, then restart the PC and test the Camera app.
      4. If the camera appears under Cameras, Imaging devices, or Sound, video and game controllers but still does not work:
        • Right-click the camera > Properties > Driver tab.
        • Try Roll Back Driver if available, then restart and test.
        • If that does not help, on the Driver tab select Uninstall Device (check Attempt to remove the driver for this device / Delete the driver software for this device), then on the Action menu select Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver and restart again.
      5. If the camera is an external USB webcam, try a different USB port first, then repeat the scan steps above.
      6. If the camera still does not appear after scans, or still fails after reinstall, check the PC or camera manufacturer’s support page for a specific Windows driver. If the driver is very old and uses stream.sys, the camera may not be compatible with current Windows versions and may need replacement.
    3. Switch an external USB webcam to the in-box UVC driver (if it shows up)
      1. In Device Manager, find the webcam under Cameras or Imaging devices.
      2. Right-click it > Update driver.
      3. Select Browse my computer for drivers.
      4. Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
      5. Choose USB Video Device and select Next, then Close and test the camera.

    For the touchpad:

    1. Update or reinstall touchpad drivers
      1. Use Windows Update to install any available driver updates. This is the recommended way to update touchpad drivers.
      2. Open Device Manager and look under:
        • Human Interface Devices, and
        • Mice and other pointing devices for any touchpad entry.
      3. If a touchpad device is present, right-click it and use Update driver, or Uninstall device and then Scan for hardware changes from the Action menu to reinstall it.

    If the touchpad and camera still do not appear in Device Manager after scans and Windows Update, this usually indicates either disabled hardware (for example, a function key or physical switch on the laptop) or a deeper hardware issue that requires the laptop manufacturer’s diagnostics or service.

    References:

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