How to Fix Camera Not Working Error in Windows 10

After updating to Windows 10, you may encounter issues with your camera application. In most cases, the error message ‘We can’t find your camera’ appears when you attempt to open the camera app.

In this step by step tutorial, you will learn three easy ways of fixing any issue related to your camera app not working.

NOTE: The error code shown above may be different, depending on the cause of the malfunction. However, this tutorial is meant to fix all camera failure issues.

Prerequisites

To follow along with this tutorial, you will only need the following:

• Your computer
• An internet connection

Method #1: Configure the camera privacy settings

One of the reasons why the camera app may not be working is because it may not have permission to access the computer’s webcam. You need to confirm the privacy settings to ensure that the camera app access is not blocked.

Step 1

You need to click on the windows button then the settings tab as shown below:

Step 2

In the settings, select the privacy options as illustrated below:

Step 3

Under privacy settings, select ‘Camera’ from the left panel. You now need to ensure that the two switches shown in the image below are active. This action is to give the camera app access to your installed webcam.

If the switches were off, then your issue should be fixed. Search for your camera app and enjoy!

Method #2: Update or Uninstall the Webcam drivers

If the first solution did not work for you, your webcam drivers might not be working properly. In this method, you will attempt to jump-start your drivers or update them if they are outdated. This method will require an internet connection.

Step 1

Click on the search icon at the taskbar and search for ‘device manager’. Click on the result as shown below:

Step 2

Find your webcam device under ‘imaging devices’. Right click on your device and choose ‘properties’.

Step 3

Switch to the driver tab at the top of the panel that appears then click on ‘update driver’ as illustrated below

Step 4

Select the first option to search for updates on the internet. If you find a new update, install it and restart your computer. The update should solve your problem.

Step 5

If you find that your drivers are up-to-date, you then need to go back to Step 3 and click on ‘Uninstall’. In the tab that opens, DO NOT check the box!! Simply click on ‘OK’. This action will uninstall your webcam.

Restart your computer to reinstall the webcam device. In this stage, most of the issues should now be resolved. You should now be able to access your camera app.

Method # 3: Reinstalling the Camera Application

If you still cannot access your camera app, you need to uninstall and reinstall it from the Windows App Store. This method will require a command line (all code is provided) and a working internet connection.

Step 1

Click on the search icon and search for ‘PowerShell’. Select the result as shown below

Step 2

In this step, we will delete the windows camera app via PowerShell

In the command prompt type the following code and press enter:

cd \windows \system32

The above code is to change the directory from your user directory to the location of the camera app.

Type the following lines of code and click ‘Enter’ after each line (uninstall camera app):

cd\

Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.WindowsCamera* | Remove-AppxPackage

Step 3

Click on the windows button at the taskbar then find the ‘Microsoft Store’. You can also use the search tool to find the store faster.

Step 4

Search for ‘Windows Camera’ and select the result. Click on the ‘Get’ button to install the application.

Congratulations! You have successfully re-installed the Windows Camera app. You should now be able to access your camera app.

Note: If the problem persists, it is recommended that you contact your computer vendor to resolve your hardware issue.