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The camera on my Surface Pro 9 just stopped working

Barbara Jones 0 Reputation points
2026-06-11T19:42:14.97+00:00

Up until yesterday my camera worked fine, then it just stopped working. I tried everything to get it back on with no success.

Surface | Surface Pro | Sound and camera
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  1. Clary-N 11,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-12T00:37:13.08+00:00

    Hi Barbara Jones,

    Thank you for reaching out regarding the issue with your Surface Pro 9 camera.

    To begin with, may I check if you’ve already had a chance to try the suggestions provided in the AI Answer? These steps typically resolve common camera-related issues, so confirming this will help us avoid repeating anything you may have already attempted.

    If the issue is still persisting, you can try a few additional checks below. First, please verify that the camera is enabled at the firmware (UEFI) level. To do this, shut down your Surface completely, then press and hold the Volume Up button while pressing the Power button to enter the UEFI settings. Once inside, go to Devices > Camera and make sure it is set to Enabled. If the camera was disabled here, Windows may not be able to detect it at all.

    If the issue started recently, for example after a system or driver update, you may also check if the option to roll back the camera driver is available. Open Device Manager, expand the Cameras section, right‑click your camera device and select Properties. Under the Driver tab, if the Roll Back Driver option is available, you can try reverting to a previously working version.

    In addition, testing the camera in Safe Mode with networking can help determine whether the issue is being caused by a software conflict. To enter Safe Mode, please press Windows key + R, type msconfig and press Enter. In the System Configuration window, go to the Boot tab, check Safe boot, select Network then click OK and restart your device. Once the system starts in Safe Mode, open the Camera app and check if it works normally. If the camera works in this environment, it may indicate that a third‑party application, recent update or security software is interfering with it during normal startup.

    To better understand your system environment, could you also share your Windows version? You can check this by pressing Windows key + R, typing winver and sending a screenshot or the version/build number displayed.

    Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps or if you notice any specific error messages when opening the Camera app. I’ll be happy to continue assisting you based on the results.

    Hope this helps and I look forward to your update.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-11T19:42:28.4766667+00:00

    Follow these steps in order on Surface Pro 9:

    1. Run the camera troubleshooter
    • Open the Get Help app and run the automated camera troubleshooter, which will diagnose and attempt to fix most camera issues.
    • Or use this shortcut: Run the troubleshooter in Get Help.
    1. Check camera privacy settings
    • Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
    • Make sure Camera access and Let apps access your camera are both set to On.
    • If using a specific app (Teams, Zoom, etc.), scroll down and ensure that app is allowed to use the camera.
    1. Test the camera in the Camera app
    • Select Start > Camera.
    • If asked to allow access, choose Yes.
    • If the preview works here but not in another app, the problem is with that app’s settings.
    1. Check Surface app and Windows Update
    • Open the Surface app (install from Microsoft Store if needed).
      • Go to Help & support and check update status.
      • If updates are available, select Check for updates to open Windows Update and install everything offered.
    • Or directly: Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
    • Also check Advanced options > Optional updates for any camera or firmware/driver updates, install them, then restart.
    1. Check camera in Device Manager (do NOT uninstall drivers on Surface Pro 9) Surface Pro 9 with 5G is an ARM-based device; do not remove drivers, as restoring them requires a full reset.
    • Select Start, type Device Manager, and open it.
    • Expand Cameras and confirm the camera is listed (for example, Intel(R) AVStream Camera variants on non‑ARM models; ARM models will show Surface camera devices).
    • If the camera is missing, select Action > Scan for hardware changes and then restart.
    1. Restart and then force a restart
    • First do a normal restart: Start > Power > Restart.
    • If still not working, shut down: Start > Power > Shut down.
    • After it turns off, press and hold the power button for 20 seconds. If the logo appears, keep holding until it appears a second time.
    1. If the camera is still not working
    • If none of the above resolves the issue, follow the guidance to restore or reset your Surface: see Restore or reset Surface for Windows. Be aware that a reset can remove apps and settings, so back up important data first.

    If the camera still fails after a reset, this strongly suggests a hardware problem and the device should be serviced.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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