[Unsolved] Dell integrated webcam not working across multiple devices.

tired-it

tired-it

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I am trying to figure out if this is a Windows configuration issue or something I removed/changed using NTLite. Presets are attached. Registry files are attached; these were based on loads of research and Hellbovine's Optimizing Windows guide (which is amazing and worth checking out!).

In an effort to cut down on possible issues, I got a fresh Windows 11 24H2ISO, added the latest updates and did minimal removals while trying to maintain maximum compatibility for a client workspace. Most of the changes were done via registry tweaks that have not been altered in nearly a year. Dozens of Dell products from Optiplexes to Latitudes were freshly reimaged with an updated ISO. Updates ran fine. Programs installed fine. Audio is good.

Everything works as expected... except for the integrated webcam. Permissions for the camera and mic were off so those were toggled back on. Still nothing. A system scan using "SFC /scannow" turns up clear. All Windows updates and drivers installed, most of which were already integrated via NTLite. Device Manager shows the device as working properly. Can't seem to find anything relevant on the Event Viewer. The useless Get Help app can't even see the webcam even though it shows up in the Device Manager.

I see the light of the camera blink on and off a few times before Windows throws out an error about being unable to preview the camera.

I know these webcams work because a much older image (Windows 11 23H2) had them working properly. I do not know if this was a preset issue on my end or perhaps a Windows configuration issue. Would greatly appreciate any ideas to try out.
 

Attachments

Maybe this component is kinda important. :confused:
Code: 
                <c>microsoft.windowscamera 'Windows Camera'</c>
 
It's always possible something like a component removal or improperly installed driver is causing the problem, but if you're certain that this exact configuration works properly on multiple other builds of the same OS, that'd be a strong indicator Microsoft is at fault. Googling for this issue reveals tons of complaints, specifically coming from updates within W11 24H2 that broke devices, such as bluetooth, cameras, and speakers.

- Google search says in solution #7 to uninstall KB5050009 or KB5050021 (link1)
- YouTubers have videos on this topic that may help (link2)
- Microsoft has official documentation acknowledging issues like this (link3)
 
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Hellbovine said:
It's always possible something like a component removal or improperly installed driver is causing the problem, but if you're certain that this exact configuration works properly on multiple other builds of the same OS, that'd be a strong indicator Microsoft is at fault. Googling for this issue reveals tons of complaints, specifically coming from updates within W11 24H2 that broke devices, such as bluetooth, cameras, and speakers.

- Google search says in solution #7 to uninstall KB5050009 or KB5050021 (link1)
- YouTubers have videos on this topic that may help (link2)
- Microsoft has official documentation acknowledging issues like this (link3)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. This is similar to what I have been seeing online. The issues with 24H2 seem to keep mounting... It looks like those updates are related to the January Cumulative updates, which was something I came across too. These ISOs are downloaded straight from Microsoft and updated to the July Cumulative update in NTLite. So perhaps they were superseded or fixed? I'll keep looking around.
 
garlin said:
Maybe this component is kinda important. :confused:
Code: 
                <c>microsoft.windowscamera 'Windows Camera'</c>
Click to expand...
I'll retry without this removed. What confuses me is that I thought this was just an app. I left the Microsoft Store intact and so I reinstalled the Camera app. It opened fine, but the preview of the webcam failed and threw out an error.
 
Dell has commented on the problems here (link1, link2, link3) and is probably the best resource for your situation. They admit it's a driver issue that has to be fixed between Dell and Microsoft. Their solution is to reinstall drivers while waiting for it to be fixed.

You may find that the act of reinstalling Windows, even with this exact same build/configuration, ends up working fine if you try the camera immediately upon reaching the desktop. The reason I say this, is because I suspect what's happening is that Windows is forcibly updating your previously installed Webcam driver when it goes to run Windows Update, and that's when machines become broken.

The update history and the driver timestamps would show if they've been altered to confirm that theory. Since you are integrating most of the updates via NTLite, there's also the potential that you're missing the opportunity to see this troubleshooting step, because the broken updates/drivers are already affecting you out of the box on your clean installs, before you download the remaining updates on a live desktop.

But again, it could just also be component removals, a bad tweak, bad integrated drivers, etcetera. You've got to do all that basic troubleshooting first, before anyone can really say for sure. I'm just predicting it will turn out to be Windows Update, based on the quantity of complaints. Troubleshooting this is easy, just simply do a default install of Windows without any tweaking whatsoever and try the camera upon reaching the desktop. Then, fully update Windows and try the camera again. If it breaks on a default install then it's entirely on Dell/Microsoft, otherwise you know it's the tweaks at fault.
 
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Hellbovine said:
Dell has commented on the problems here (link1, link2, link3) and is probably the best resource for your situation. They admit it's a driver issue that has to be fixed between Dell and Microsoft. Their solution is to reinstall drivers while waiting for it to be fixed.

You may find that the act of reinstalling Windows, even with this exact same build/configuration, ends up working fine if you try the camera immediately upon reaching the desktop. The reason I say this, is because I suspect what's happening is that Windows is forcibly updating your previously installed Webcam driver when it goes to run Windows Update, and that's when machines become broken. The update history and the driver timestamps would show if they've been altered after the OS was first installed to confirm that theory.

But again, it could just also be component removals, a bad tweak, bad integrated drivers, etcetera. You've got to do all that basic troubleshooting first, before assuming it's Dell/Microsoft's fault, I am just predicting it will turn out to be Windows Update though, based on the numerous complaints. Troubleshooting is easy, just simply do a default install of Windows without any tweaking whatsoever and try the camera upon reaching the desktop. Then, fully update Windows and try the camera again. If it breaks on a default install then it's entirely on Dell/Microsoft.
Click to expand...
Interesting. That is a bit concerning. When I check for drivers on the Dell site and even through Windows update, I do not see any indication that a proprietary driver was used. Just shows the webcam as "Integrated Camera" using a Microsoft basic driver from 2006.

What's even more odd is that the same Microsoft basic driver appears as being used on PCs where the webcam does not work and on PCs where the webcam does. So the issue may not be related to this specific driver? I'm kinda stumped haha.
 

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  • driver2.jpg
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Figured I should post an update here. Still researching this issue when I have the time. After a thorough look-over, none of my removals or registry tweaks should affect the integrated webcam. I'm fairly certain I tried to use an untouched image (with an unattended file to skip most of the OOBE questions) last month, but it was never documented. Might have to try that once more for peace of mind.

Since the first post, there has been at least one BIOS firmware update and the September cumulative update sent through Windows Update. With these updates, the integrated webcams still do not consistently work.

There is a minor improvement. Before, the webcam light would turn on and blink. The video feed would display for about a second before disappearing in the camera app with an error message about the Camera preview being unavailable. Now, the webcam light and video feed turn on, but blink every second. It seems like the camera or feed are being refreshed every second. So while the feed is no visible, the constant one second refresh still makes it unusable.

The current affected models are listed below:
  1. Latitude 3190 2-in-1
  2. Latitude 3500
  3. Dell Pro 16 PC16250
  4. OptiPlex 5400 AIO
Oddly enough, some of the OptiPlex PCs are no longer having issues with the webcam. The light and feed turn on and stay on. The issue seems to be hit or miss and it really does seem like Windows Update had something to do with it.

Edit: I'll add that the 3190 2-in-1 PCs have the blinking feed issue. Both the Optiplex and 3190 2-in-1 PCs have the same Integrated Webcam driver from Microsoft based on what I see in the Device Manager. And I did not find any odd events about the device restarting or having installation issues.
 
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Did you ever resolve this? as I have two Dell Pro 14 Plus PB14250 laptops here with same issue and have spent way too many hours already removing and reinstalling drivers, but still not working.
 
I may be able to help, Message me if want to try what I have done to support multiple motherboards/system
 
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