Many use their laptop camera for an online meeting, live streaming, or maybe just calling their loved ones for a celebration, and if that camera stops working, there is much trouble. If the Surface Pro or Surface Book rear/front-facing Camera is not working or visible in Device Manager, here is how you can fix the problem. We will suggest a set of tips if your Surface or Windows 11/10 OS does not detect the Camera even though it’s right there.
Surface Pro Camera not working
1] Update Camera app from Microsoft Store
It is possible that an update to the Camera app can be restored. Open the Camera app by following the link, or just search for Windows Camera in the Microsoft Store, and see if there is an update. If yes, update it immediately, and check if the issue was resolved.
2] Rollback or Update Camera drivers
Every piece of hardware needs a driver to work properly. You may need to roll back to the old driver that was working for you or update to the latest version. First, try to roll back, and then update if that doesn’t work.
- Open Device Manager using WIN+X+M shortcut, and click on the arrow next to Imaging devices.
- Right-click on Microsoft Camera Front or Microsoft Camera Rear.
- Go to Properties, and see if you have an option to Rollback. If yes, then rollback, and see if the camera works for you.
- If not, click on the Update Driver Software, this will kick-start Windows Update to find new drivers for Windows Camera. You will get an option to Search automatically for updated driver software.
You might want to restart your Surface and then use camera software to see if it works for you.
3] Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter
If the issue persists, we suggest that you run the Hardware and devices troubleshooter. Go to Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshoot > Hardware and Devices > click on Run The troubleshooter.
4] Disable/Enable Camera from UEFI
UEFI is an upgraded version of BIOS which works on the hardware level. It allows you to enable and disable hardware. Boot into UEFI, and then disable the camera.
Boot into Windows again. Restart your Surface, and boot into UEFI again, and then enable it. This will force Windows 11/10 to detect new hardware and reinstall drivers as well.
Hopefully, one of these solutions will help you figure out why your Surface Pro Camera is not working, and then make it work if the solution works for you.
