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2243
Webcam on Inspiron 13-7353
Several weeks ago, my camera stopped working. Actually, most apps say it is working and the light is on, but it is just a black screen. Ran Dell Diagnostics and the camera failed but they wouldn't give any more info since it is out of warranty. Using device manager, I uninstalled the webcam, scanned for hardware changes, re-booted (actually shut down completely and re-started), still nothing. I disabled Avast (my virus protection that runs all the time), but it still did not work. I'm wondering if there is a shortcut key on the keyboard (nothing obvious is there that I can see) that I could have accidently hit and turned it off? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
DJsOak
5 Posts
0
February 10th, 2021 05:00
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Based on what you said, did more investigation on the "Camera App" which I was able to find on the computer despite not showing up on Start, went to "advance" options, re-set and it appears it is now working! These forum are fantastic, much appreciated!
nyc10036
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5.6K Posts
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February 8th, 2021 19:00
See if there is a setting for webcam in the BIOS.
xiaomei
186 Posts
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February 9th, 2021 00:00
If your camera is broken, you can choose a new one.
DJsOak
5 Posts
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February 9th, 2021 05:00
Thank you. How would I check that? I guess there's no "keyboard shortcut" I could have accidentally hit?
nyc10036
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5.6K Posts
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February 9th, 2021 07:00
@DJsOak I have never seen a physical switch for a webcam; althought that does not mean there isn't one. The only things I have seen are privacy slider that covers the webcam.
Webcams are USB devices.
If it shows up in Device Manager, I am inclined to believe it is a hardware failure.
DJsOak
5 Posts
0
February 9th, 2021 16:00
Excuse my ignorance, but if it is a hardware failure, but is built into the computer, how can it be repaired? Someone suggested buying a new one, but I don't want another component to carry with me (external) and I'm not techy enough to open the computer to replace it internally. It's funny, because the light comes on for the camera and every program (except for Dell Diagnostics) said it was "okay." Dell Diagnostics said it faileed. It's almost as though there is a cover over the camera, but it isn't. Thanks for your help.
U2CAMEB4ME
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6.2K Posts
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February 9th, 2021 17:00
Welcome to the Dell Community @DJsOak
Click on "Start" then "Camera"
What happens???
Best regards,
U2
DJsOak
5 Posts
0
February 10th, 2021 05:00
I did a search and found two potential solutions for Windows Camera since it does not appear in Start. The first was to go to Microsoft Store Camera and install. It would not let me, I click on "Get" for Windows Camera, did nothing. The next solution was to re-install via powershell. Although I'm generally not too open at trying stuff, I did try that, but it did not work. What I got was this, just in case it would be helpful:
\WINDOWS\system32> Get-AppXPackage *WindowsCamera* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} Add-AppxPackage : Cannot find path 'C:\AppXManifest.xml' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:54
+ ... | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.I ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (C:\AppXManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
Add-AppxPackage : Cannot find path 'C:\AppXManifest.xml' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:54
+ ... | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.I ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (C:\AppXManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
Add-AppxPackage : Cannot find path 'C:\AppXManifest.xml' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:54
+ ... | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.I ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (C:\AppXManifest.xml:String) [Add-AppxPackage], ItemNotFoundException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>