How To Reinstall Camera Driver In Windows 11

Is your webcam displaying a black screen, showing an error message, or simply not being detected by your Windows 10 or 11 system?

A common culprit behind camera malfunctions is a faulty or outdated driver. Thankfully, reinstalling the driver is often a quick and effective fix.

This process can often resolve these issues, and in this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to reinstall your camera driver in Windows 10/11.

How To Reinstall Camera Driver In Windows 10/11

1. Open Device Manager

• Press Windows+X and select Device Manager.  

2. Find your camera

• Expand Cameras, Imaging devices, or Sound, video and game controllers.  
• Locate your camera device. It might be named “Integrated Camera,” “Webcam,” or have a specific manufacturer name.  

3. Uninstall the current driver

• Right-click on your camera and select Uninstall device.  
• In the confirmation dialog, check the box that says Delete the driver software for this device (if available).  
• Click Uninstall to remove the driver.

4. Restart your computer  

• Restarting your PC allows Windows to attempt to automatically reinstall the default driver.  

5. Update the driver (if necessary)

• After restarting, open Device Manager again.
• Right-click on your camera and select Update driver.  
• Select Search automatically for drivers. Windows will search online for the latest driver and install it if available.  

6. Check for hardware changes

• If you can’t find your camera in Device Manager, select Action > Scan for hardware changes.  

If these steps don’t work:

Try a different USB port: If you’re using an external webcam, try plugging it into a different USB port.

Check for Windows Updates: Make sure your Windows installation is up to date, as updates can sometimes include driver updates.

Visit the manufacturer’s website: Go to your computer manufacturer’s support website (e.g., Dell, HP, Lenovo) or the camera manufacturer’s website (if it’s an external webcam). Search for your specific model and download the latest camera driver.

There are the main support pages of 5 major laptop manufacturers where you can find drivers, including those for webcams:

1. Dell:
   • Support Website: https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us
   • On Dell’s support site, you’ll typically enter your Service Tag (a unique identifier for your Dell product) to get drivers tailored to your specific model.
2. HP:
   • Support Website: https://support.hp.com/us-en
   • Similar to Dell, HP often uses product numbers or serial numbers to identify your device and provide the correct drivers.
3. Lenovo:
   • Support Website: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/
   • Lenovo’s support site allows you to search by product name, serial number, or machine type to find the appropriate drivers.
4. Asus:
   • Support Website: https://www.asus.com/support/
   • Asus’s support site lets you search by product model to find drivers and other support resources.
5. Acer:
   • Support Website: https://www.acer.com/us-en/support
   • Acer’s support site also uses product model numbers or serial numbers to help you locate the correct drivers for your device.

Why Do You Need to Reinstall Your Windows Camera App?

Is your Windows Camera app still not working properly even after reinstalling the driver? Sometimes, the issue goes beyond drivers and lies within the app itself.

You might need to reinstall your camera app in Windows for several reasons:

• Driver corruption: The driver files might become corrupted due to software conflicts, system errors, or incomplete installations. This can lead to the camera not working properly or not being detected at all.
• Outdated driver: An outdated driver might not be compatible with newer versions of Windows or other software, causing compatibility issues and malfunctions.  
• Driver conflicts: Installing new software or hardware can sometimes cause conflicts with existing drivers, including the camera driver.
• Missing driver: In some cases, the camera driver might be accidentally uninstalled or deleted.
• Troubleshooting: Reinstalling the driver is a common troubleshooting step when the camera isn’t working as expected. It ensures a clean installation of the driver, which can resolve various software-related issues.  

Reinstall the Windows Camera App

1. Open the Microsoft Store in your web browser or via the Start menu.
2. Search for Windows Camera and select the app.
3. Click download to get Windows Camera Installer.
4.  Open this file in your downloads to begin installation.

By reinstalling the camera driver, you essentially replace the existing driver files with fresh copies, which can resolve corruption, compatibility, and other driver-related problems.

Windows Camera App Review

Reinstalling the Windows Camera app can help resolve common issues, but how well does the app actually perform? Let’s take a closer look at its features and functionality:

The Windows Camera app is a straightforward and easy-to-use tool for capturing photos and videos on Windows PCs and tablets.

Its clean interface makes it accessible even for novice users. The automatic OneDrive backup is a great feature for ensuring your memories are safe.

The app’s strength lies in its simplicity. It’s perfect for quick snapshots, video calls, and basic video recording. The pause/resume recording feature is particularly useful. While it doesn’t offer the extensive manual controls found in some dedicated camera apps, it covers the essentials well.

Keep in mind that some features, such as enhanced document scanning, panorama mode, and HDR, are dependent on your device’s hardware.

If your device supports them, they add some useful functionality. Overall, the Windows Camera app is a solid choice for everyday use.