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gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

Windows broke my webcam

This is mostly a venting of spleen, I don't expect there's a palatable solution. My 5-year old Samsung laptop stopped recognizing its built-in webcam. Not sure when, as I only use it occasionally, when a client insists on face-to-face presentations. I strongly suspect it was after one of the two most recent Windows updates.

 

I tried uninstalling the camera and restarting the computer, to see if it would reinstall cleanly. It did not. Samsung's only suggestions are a factory reset or pack it off to their repair shop. Not doing either one. Have searched for Windows solutions but not interested in consulting Microsoft directly because the last time I enlisted their help to recover from a Windows update, it sucked up three days of my time and was completely disruptive.

 

The webcam is not mission-critical and I'm mustering the wherewithal to buy a new PC this year, anyway. But it's aggravating as all get-out. I have back-to-back presentations today and tomorrow, using Zoom. The workaround is to log in with two machines, the PC to run the PowerPoint and my Chromebook so the clients can see me. 

 

I wish Windows would stop breaking things.

 

Also, if anybody does have a hot tip about fixing this without rolling back to a factory reset, I'm all ears.

32 REPLIES 32
mtngigi
Community Member

Googling "Samsung laptop stopped recognizing its built-in webcam" brings up forum thread links and a few YouTube videos ... so may be some help from those two sources.


Virginia F wrote:

Googling "Samsung laptop stopped recognizing its built-in webcam" brings up forum thread links and a few YouTube videos ... so may be some help from those two sources.


I did quite a bit of searching that way, probably didn't hit on that specific phrase. I will look some more. thx


Phyllis G wrote:

Virginia F wrote:

Googling "Samsung laptop stopped recognizing its built-in webcam" brings up forum thread links and a few YouTube videos ... so may be some help from those two sources.


I did quite a bit of searching that way, probably didn't hit on that specific phrase. I will look some more. thx


Here's a that came up for me:

 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/my-built-in-webcam-doesnt-work-no-camera-detec...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D330krwhKOI

 

https://www.makeuseof.com/answers/how-can-i-fix-the-built-in-webcam-on-my-samsung-notebook/ read fourth post down


Virginia F wrote:

Phyllis G wrote:

Virginia F wrote:

Googling "Samsung laptop stopped recognizing its built-in webcam" brings up forum thread links and a few YouTube videos ... so may be some help from those two sources.


I did quite a bit of searching that way, probably didn't hit on that specific phrase. I will look some more. thx


Here's a that came up for me:

 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/my-built-in-webcam-doesnt-work-no-camera-detec...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D330krwhKOI

 

https://www.makeuseof.com/answers/how-can-i-fix-the-built-in-webcam-on-my-samsung-notebook/ read fourth post down


Thanks!

 

I can't update the driver because Samsung isn't making it available. I may get into trying Windows diagnostics after I spend some time pricing new laptops and pondering things I'd rather spend money on this summer.

petra_r
Community Member


Phyllis G wrote:

 

I wish Windows would stop breaking things.


After years and years of killing on average 1 Windows machine (laptop) every 8 months (mostly my fault) I finally bought a Mac. (Apple iMac 27 Inch Retina 5K display)

 

Happy now. Very happy now.

Took me two 2 days to adjust to apple-dom, wish I'd done it a decade earlier! Still using a "still alive" Lenovo that survived all my attempts to kill it. Once it dies it will be replaced by another apple thingie.

 

mtngigi
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Phyllis G wrote:

 

I wish Windows would stop breaking things.


After years and years of killing on average 1 Windows machine (laptop) every 8 months (mostly my fault) I finally bought a Mac.

 

Happy now.

 


I've been a Mac user from day one ... I can't believe how fast my PC-user friends go through their computers.

 

ETA: Yes ... Mac operating systems are elegant and very user-friendly.

petra_r
Community Member


Virginia F wrote:


I've been a Mac user from day one ... I can't believe how fast my PC-user friends go through their computers.

 


Why didn't you tell me lol....

I was afraid that my software won't work or that I might not get used to it or that it .......

It really was idiot-proof!

 

 

mtngigi
Community Member


Petra R wrote:

Virginia F wrote:


I've been a Mac user from day one ... I can't believe how fast my PC-user friends go through their computers.

 


Why didn't you tell me lol....

I was afraid that my software won't work or that I might not get used to it or that it .......

It really was idiot-proof!

 

 


Well ... you didn't ask  Smiley Tongue

 

But seriously, bringing up that you're a Mac user means debates will ensue. Their was a time when differences between operating systems was a wider gulf than now. But from the start, most people in the field of graphic design insisted that doing the work on a Mac was so much better/easier/less frustrating than the PC alternative. I occasionally worked on PCs in the real world ... that just made me appreciate my Mac even more. The biggest thing for me was how much more immune to viruses and bugs they've always been.

 

I'm sure that now this thread is here, we'll be hearing from "the other side".

tgstudio
Community Member

Buy a Mac. I have one that is 10 years old and is still running great. I passed it off to my daughter when I wanted to upgrade my Mac and she hasn't killed it yet. Great computers.

gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

I came up in a PC world. My first few laptops were furnished by employers. Later, it would've been disruptive to use a Mac when 90% of my clients and all of my colleagues and collaborators (except designers) were on PCs. It's a more seamless world nowadays, I know. At one point I considered switching to a Mac but it was so expensive compared to a Windows machine. And a techy friend told me that I could upgrade the Windows OS on the same machine, whereas when there was a major Mac upgrade you had to buy a new machine. Maybe that wasn't really the case--it was about 10-12 years ago, maybe longer. Anyway, my economic frame of reference is that I bought this Samsung for about $600 five years ago. I'd had it 24 hours when I dumped a cup of coffee on the keyboard and had to send it off to Texas for 10 days to get repaired. Of course, that voided the warranty. But it's been an absolute workhorse and is still going strong except for this webcam problem. It's gotten sluggish, though. I really need for somebody to take a look at it and tell me whether apps are fighting over resources, or I've outgrown its capacity, or what.

 

It used to be the case that I had a huge investment in knowledge of Windows. But for a while now, MS changes things in ways that force you to abandon huge chunks of your knowledge base yo learn the "improved" version. (The golden hour was when my Windows PC and my second generation Palm Pilot communicated seamlessly and gracefully, and my tiny flip phone was just a phone that fit nicely in my pocket.) I'll be looking carefully at Macs on the next round. 

 

ETA: I've also had an intense case of anti-Apple snobbery for many years. But I'm prepared to get over that. It's the age of diversity, why not add a Mac to my little Android-Chromebook-Windows tech family.

Well,  it's true Macs are more expensive ... but on the flip side they last longer. I came up where computers looked just like the one on the desk in the corner of Seinfeld's living room.  Smiley Very Happy

 

My MacPro (an expensive model) ran well for over 10 years. I now have a 2012 iMac that's still going strong. My niece uses PCs, and I swear she has to buy a new one every 3 or 4 years. But I think some of it has to do with knowing how to maintain a clean machine by running diagnostics and learning a few basic ways to keep a computer running smoothly - which I do on a regular basis.


Virginia F wrote:

Well,  it's true Macs are more expensive ... but on the flip side they last longer. I came up where computers looked just like the one on the desk in the corner of Seinfeld's living room.  Smiley Very Happy

 

My MacPro (an expensive model) ran well for over 10 years. I now have a 2012 iMac that's still going strong. My niece uses PCs, and I swear she has to buy a new one every 3 or 4 years. But I think some of it has to do with knowing how to maintain a clean machine by running diagnostics and learning a few basic ways to keep a computer running smoothly - which I do on a regular basis.


Yes, good housekeeping is critical and I suspect that's why the Samsung has slowed down. And again, I used to know how to keep Windows running pretty well but now they've made everything too opaque.

 

I just counted... I'm on my fourth laptop in about 15 years. The Gateway (which I adored) became obsolete and was replaced by an HP, which had a motherboard failure in the middle of a big, time-sensitve project and the mfr dithered about replacing it, so I bought a Toshiba which I never bonded with and replaced before I needed to, with this Samsung.

 

I recently bought a Chromebook for personal use and really like it. But I hate Google docs and also have a (possibly irrational) distrust of letting everything live in the cloud. I like my trusty backup drive that sits on my desk where I can see it. I do love the Writer app I installed on the Chromebook, that has optional typewriter sounds.

I've sworn time and again the next will be a Mac ... and each and every time the cost puts me off.  I'm one of the  lucky ones; I have a tech guru pal who fixes my 'puter problems for the price of good bottle of wine.  But I'm still vowing the next one will be a Mac.  I'm sick of Windows nonsense.

 

Melissa and/or Virginia, can't you use a hard drive with a Mac?  Or at least flash drives?

My vote goes for Mac as well! 

 

Bought my first Macbook Pro when i started freelancing 2,5 years ago, and I hated it! Getting used to new systems just isn't my thing. After a frustrating week I bought a frind a couple of beers, and he helped me fix all the stuff that was annoying me (by default opening everything in numbers, pages and all that other Apple stuff). Now I love it and will never go back to a PC.

 

However, I think the unstable electricity in SE Asia has ruined my battery (it only lasts for about 3 hours now), so I have to figure out if I should just buy a new one or change the battery in the one I have.

________________________
Freelancing is a gamble - To win you need skill, luck and a strategy


Eve L wrote:

My vote goes for Mac as well! 

 

Bought my first Macbook Pro when i started freelancing 2,5 years ago, and I hated it! Getting used to new systems just isn't my thing. After a frustrating week I bought a frind a couple of beers, and he helped me fix all the stuff that was annoying me (by default opening everything in numbers, pages and all that other Apple stuff). Now I love it and will never go back to a PC.

 

However, I think the unstable electricity in SE Asia has ruined my battery (it only lasts for about 3 hours now), so I have to figure out if I should just buy a new one or change the battery in the one I have.


Good luck with changing the battery. That is the main reason why I avoid Apple products.

 

Long, long time ago I had a iBook G4 but gave up because Trados and other software was not availble for it back then.

 

If I would change now, I would have to replace my husband as well but he does an awesome job cleaning at home and fixing my computer issues. I just tell him what I need and takes care of it. All I have to do is knit two pair of socks per year. Smiley Very Happy


Jennifer R wrote:

 

Long, long time ago I had a iBook G4 but gave up because Trados and other software was not availble for it back then.

 

If I would change now, I would have to replace my husband as well but he does an awesome job cleaning at home and fixing my computer issues. I just tell him what I need and takes care of it. All I have to do is knit two pair of socks per year. Smiley Very Happy


Two pair of socks per year sounds cheap enough.Will he accept to repair other people's computers?


Luce N wrote:

Jennifer R wrote:

 

Long, long time ago I had a iBook G4 but gave up because Trados and other software was not availble for it back then.

 

If I would change now, I would have to replace my husband as well but he does an awesome job cleaning at home and fixing my computer issues. I just tell him what I need and takes care of it. All I have to do is knit two pair of socks per year. Smiley Very Happy


Two pair of socks per year sounds cheap enough.Will he accept to repair other people's computers?


Well, you will have to come and drop it off. Sometimes he is very fast and solves problems before you finish complaining.
The other day I was out aways for 48 with our kid, when I got back my old netbook has been updated including some of the inside. Don't ask about details it's all technobabel to me. When we started to go out and he asked about my computer all I could tell him was that is was grey.

 

There is only ONE rule: Don't let someone else fix your computer before he gets the chance.

 


Jennifer R wrote:

Luce N wrote:

Jennifer R wrote:

 

Long, long time ago I had a iBook G4 but gave up because Trados and other software was not availble for it back then.

 

If I would change now, I would have to replace my husband as well but he does an awesome job cleaning at home and fixing my computer issues. I just tell him what I need and takes care of it. All I have to do is knit two pair of socks per year. Smiley Very Happy


Two pair of socks per year sounds cheap enough.Will he accept to repair other people's computers?


Well, you will have to come and drop it off. Sometimes he is very fast and solves problems before you finish complaining.
The other day I was out aways for 48 with our kid, when I got back my old netbook has been updated including some of the inside. Don't ask about details it's all technobabel to me. When we started to go out and he asked about my computer all I could tell him was that is was grey.

 

There is only ONE rule: Don't let someone else fix your computer before he gets the chance.

 


Up side: perfect excuse to make a trip to Norway, a lifelong dream.

Down side: afraid my knitting skills wouldn't stand up! (I watched the National Knitting Night a couple of years ago and was transfixed.)

Phyllis, have you got any particular reason to think it's a Windows problem and not a broken camera (apart from the fact that Windows is responsible for 90% of what's wrong with the world)?

 

If you're not sure whether it's the hardware, it might be worth trying a cheap clip-on webcam.

 


Phyllis G wrote:


Yes, good housekeeping is critical and I suspect that's why the Samsung has slowed down. And again, I used to know how to keep Windows running pretty well but now they've made everything too opaque.


Then a reset to factory state might not be a bad idea, to have a clean out. In Windows 8 & 10 you can reset just Windows and programs, without losing your documents and other user files (but I'd still advise backing them up first). Of course, it's still a pain having to reinstall and reconfigure all your programs.

 

A few months ago my PC (Windows 10) was running extremely slowly. Most of the time there seemed to be some Microsoft process or other hogging access to the disk. So I exchanged my hard disk for an SSD (i.e. flash memory). Due to a software problem with the SSD I ended up doing a factory reset too. Now my PC is sooo much faster even than when it was new. On the other hand, I wasted a lot of time trying to fix the software problem, and then reinstalling and reconfiguring all my programs after the reset, so might not be worth the effort. But I'm glad now that I did it.


Richard W wrote:

Phyllis, have you got any particular reason to think it's a Windows problem and not a broken camera


I'm a Mac person, but I do agree that blaming Windows is a little premature. The webcam may just have died.

 

Macs are good, especially for those who want to spend more time using their computer than configuring it and fixing it, but they are way, way too expansive.

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless


Richard W wrote:

Phyllis, have you got any particular reason to think it's a Windows problem and not a broken camera (apart from the fact that Windows is responsible for 90% of what's wrong with the world)?

 

If you're not sure whether it's the hardware, it might be worth trying a cheap clip-on webcam.

 


Phyllis G wrote:


Yes, good housekeeping is critical and I suspect that's why the Samsung has slowed down. And again, I used to know how to keep Windows running pretty well but now they've made everything too opaque.


Then a reset to factory state might not be a bad idea, to have a clean out. In Windows 8 & 10 you can reset just Windows and programs, without losing your documents and other user files (but I'd still advise backing them up first). Of course, it's still a pain having to reinstall and reconfigure all your programs.

 

A few months ago my PC (Windows 10) was running extremely slowly. Most of the time there seemed to be some Microsoft process or other hogging access to the disk. So I exchanged my hard disk for an SSD (i.e. flash memory). Due to a software problem with the SSD I ended up doing a factory reset too. Now my PC is sooo much faster even than when it was new. On the other hand, I wasted a lot of time trying to fix the software problem, and then reinstalling and reconfiguring all my programs after the reset, so might not be worth the effort. But I'm glad now that I did it.


I guess it seems more likely to me that a Windows update fouled the works, than that the hardly-used webcam just spontaneously broke. (Laptop has not suffered any blows to the head or other physical mishaps.) But it could be the latter, I guess.

 

Re. a factory reset, it's the task of reinstalling and reconfiguring everything that daunts me. I'd rather be outside gardening. I run routine backups to an external drive, so not concerned about my data. OTOH, nothing bad has ever come of a thorough turning out and cleaning up of any Windows machine I've had. And I'm sure, once I price new machines, especially Macs, I'll look upon housekeeping with a less jaundiced eye.

 

lysis10
Community Member

This is oddly coincidental. Are you using Windows 7? I'm pretty sure the last update I installed  killed my mic. I was able to fix it by messing with the settings, applying, and well... now it works. It's still kinda quiet but works.

 

If I were you, I would download the latest drivers and try installing them. That sometimes works.

 

I had to install Windows 10 on my newly beautiful gaming PC I built (it's pretty awesome) because Windows 7 install froze at the first install screen. Tried everything and it no workie, so I'm stuck with 10. I think the day is coming soon when Windows 7 ain't gonna be supported much longer.

Stop using Windows, then. I've been using Ubuntu for about 3 years, and I'm really happy not to have to deal with Windows nonsence any more.

 

Besides, I'm planning to buy a new computer. If you can buy one with Ubuntu instead of Windows, you save 100 euros - and many headaches.


Luce N wrote:

Stop using Windows, then. I've been using Ubuntu for about 3 years, and I'm really happy not to have to deal with Windows nonsence any more.

 

Besides, I'm planning to buy a new computer. If you can buy one with Ubuntu instead of Windows, you save 100 euros - and many headaches.


Luce, you sent me googling. I will check into Ubuntu. Whenever I've tried using open source software before, I've wound up going back to MS products because I wound up spending too much time and attention on bridging gaps. But I am going to look into it, thanks!


Jennifer M wrote:

This is oddly coincidental. Are you using Windows 7? I'm pretty sure the last update I installed  killed my mic. I was able to fix it by messing with the settings, applying, and well... now it works. It's still kinda quiet but works.

 

If I were you, I would download the latest drivers and try installing them. That sometimes works.

 

I had to install Windows 10 on my newly beautiful gaming PC I built (it's pretty awesome) because Windows 7 install froze at the first install screen. Tried everything and it no workie, so I'm stuck with 10. I think the day is coming soon when Windows 7 ain't gonna be supported much longer.


It's Windows 10. I've had problems before when an update fouled up something. In 2017 I spent the better part of a week making my way through about three levels of  Windows support to find somebody who could actually help. The root problem was definitely an update gone wrong but they couldn't figure out how to fix it and we wound up doing a clean reinstall. I hated it.

 

This time, I can't get updated driver for the camera. It's built-in to this Samsung notebook which is now about five years old and Samsung has more or less abandoned it. All they offered was a factory reset or box it up and send it in for diagnosis. That doesn't seem like a worthwhile investment.


Phyllis G wrote:


It's Windows 10. I've had problems before when an update fouled up something. In 2017 I spent the better part of a week making my way through about three levels of  Windows support to find somebody who could actually help. The root problem was definitely an update gone wrong but they couldn't figure out how to fix it and we wound up doing a clean reinstall. I hated it.

 

This time, I can't get updated driver for the camera. It's built-in to this Samsung notebook which is now about five years old and Samsung has more or less abandoned it. All they offered was a factory reset or box it up and send it in for diagnosis. That doesn't seem like a worthwhile investment.


Well **bleep** gurrrl, that's frustrating as hell. Maybe an excuse to get a new machine? 🙂 If you have my kinda luck, Upwork will flag your account for identify verification tomorrow. 😄

 

eta: If you're a windows person like me, you won't like Linux/Ubuntu. If you want to make a change, I suggest Mac too. I stick with Windows. I'm allll Windows baybbeeeee. The nerds make fun of me for it when I was programming, but I made more money than they did soooooooo..

reinierb
Community Member

All my issues with Windows stopped when I stopped updating Windows. My Win 7 PC has not had as much as a glitch since I turned off automatic updates three years ago, and my Win 10 laptop has been running perfectly for the past 2years since I reset it, and then disconnected it from the Internet. 

 

According to Microsoft Tech Support, they have no idea when Win 10 will become a fully functional oprtaing system, as opposed to being an experiment, but until that time comes, I won't endure another Win 10 infection.  

I run Windows 10. Periodically an update will ruin a driver. It's usually related to the microphone or speakers.  With my hubby, the updates kill his scanner every once in awhile.

Just reinstall your drivers and hold your breath with each update.

Haters gonna hate, but Windows 10 saved the world from Windows 9 and I appreciate it.


Cheryl K wrote:

I run Windows 10. Periodically an update will ruin a driver. It's usually related to the microphone or speakers.  With my hubby, the updates kill his scanner every once in awhile.

Just reinstall your drivers and hold your breath with each update.

Haters gonna hate, but Windows 10 saved the world from Windows 9 and I appreciate it.





Cheryl K wrote:

I run Windows 10. Periodically an update will ruin a driver. It's usually related to the microphone or speakers.  With my hubby, the updates kill his scanner every once in awhile.

Just reinstall your drivers and hold your breath with each update.

Haters gonna hate, but Windows 10 saved the world from Windows 9 and I appreciate it.


Yes, it's like knowing I will need to clean the floor after the washing machine repairman has been here, just crossing my fingers he won't break the window next to the machine.

Trouble is that the camera driver is not available. I have to do a factory reset on the entire machine.

 

The presentations this week went off with flying colors, using Chromebook for webcam and Samsung to run the PowerPoint. So I am going to the beach for a few days and kick this can into next month.

lysis10
Community Member


Reinier B wrote:

All my issues with Windows stopped when I stopped updating Windows. My Win 7 PC has not had as much as a glitch since I turned off automatic updates three years ago, and my Win 10 laptop has been running perfectly for the past 2years since I reset it, and then disconnected it from the Internet. 

 

According to Microsoft Tech Support, they have no idea when Win 10 will become a fully functional oprtaing system, as opposed to being an experiment, but until that time comes, I won't endure another Win 10 infection.  


I don't do automatic updates on Windows 7 either, but if you get too far behind, Microsoft will force it. I went 6 months once and woke up to a forced update. That has happened to me 2-3 times.

reinierb
Community Member


Jennifer M wrote:

Reinier B wrote:

All my issues with Windows stopped when I stopped updating Windows. My Win 7 PC has not had as much as a glitch since I turned off automatic updates three years ago, and my Win 10 laptop has been running perfectly for the past 2years since I reset it, and then disconnected it from the Internet. 

 

According to Microsoft Tech Support, they have no idea when Win 10 will become a fully functional oprtaing system, as opposed to being an experiment, but until that time comes, I won't endure another Win 10 infection.  


I don't do automatic updates on Windows 7 either, but if you get too far behind, Microsoft will force it. I went 6 months once and woke up to a forced update. That has happened to me 2-3 times.


I must admit that I did not know Microsoft could force Win 7 updates. I have not updated anything on my Win 7 pc for a couple of years now, and I have not seen any forced updates. Maybe Microsoft just does not care about their African market? 

I had Win 7 and was forced to update to 10 - a permanent regret - and everything was mucked up. I had to buy a new printer and camera and my Word/office program was contaminated. I loathe Cortana (as well as the stupid name) and "Edge". 

 

And then, a couple of months ago, I kept refusing to update and my PC crashed, so money was spent on getting it to go again. (No files lost this time TG). 

 

That said - it is eight years old and still sort of functional. Like Wendy I am debating a Mac. I had an old Mac laptop that died the death and I still mourn it (I also mourn my old XP). 

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