Fix Truevision HD webcam not working

Truevision HD is the name Toshiba, now Dynabook, gave to the built-in webcam on many of its laptops. When it stops working, the cause is usually one of three things: Windows cannot see the camera, Windows or an app is blocking access to it, or the wrong camera or app is involved. A physical fault is less common. The quickest way to tell these apart is to open the Windows Camera app and check whether the webcam appears in Device Manager. Those two checks tell you which fix to try.

The short answer

If the webcam is missing from Device Manager, focus on detection. Check for a privacy shutter or camera toggle, check the laptop's firmware (BIOS) settings, and check whether Windows has a driver for the camera. If the webcam is listed but no app can use it, check Windows camera privacy settings and security software. If the Camera app works but Zoom, Teams, a browser or another program does not, the problem is in that program's permissions or its camera selection, not the webcam.

The Truevision HD webcam only captures video. Your laptop's microphone is a separate device with its own permission setting and input selection. If people can see you but not hear you, or the other way round, troubleshoot the two separately.

Check 1: Does the Windows Camera app show a picture?

Open the Camera app from the Start menu. It is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 and depends on very little, so it makes a good baseline test. It only shows whether Windows can get video from the webcam. It says nothing about your microphone, and it does not prove that a different app has permission or has the right camera selected.

• Live picture appears: the webcam, its driver and Windows-level access are working. Go to Check 4 for the app that is failing.
• Black or blank image, but no error: look for a privacy shutter, a camera toggle key, or another app that is already using the camera (Check 2).
• An error saying the camera cannot be found: Windows is not detecting the webcam. Go to Check 3.
• An error about permission or access: go to the privacy settings in Check 2.

Check 2: Physical controls, other apps and privacy settings

Some laptops have a sliding cover over the lens or a keyboard shortcut that turns the camera off. Which features your model has varies, and that information is not given here, so check your model's user manual for the exact control. A closed shutter usually gives a black image even though the camera is detected. A disabled camera may vanish from Windows entirely.

Many webcams can only be used by one app at a time. Close video-calling apps, browser tabs that might be using the camera, and anything running in the system tray. Then try the Camera app again.

Next, check the Windows privacy settings. In Windows 11, go to Settings, then Privacy & security, then Camera. In Windows 10, go to Settings, then Privacy, then Camera. Make sure camera access is on, that apps are allowed to use the camera, and that the specific app you need is allowed. Traditional desktop programs, including many meeting clients, are controlled by a separate setting that lets desktop apps access your camera. Turn that on as well. The Microphone page in the same section controls microphone access, and its settings are independent of the camera.

Some antivirus and security suites have their own webcam protection feature that can block apps even when Windows allows them. If you use one, check its settings or its log of blocked attempts. On a work or school laptop, an administrator's policy may disable the camera. In that case your IT team needs to change it.

Check 3: Is the webcam listed in Device Manager?

Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager. Expand the Cameras section, and also Imaging devices if it appears, since the webcam may be listed under either one. Look for an entry that mentions a web camera, HD camera or integrated camera. The exact name depends on the model and driver. Also expand Other devices, where hardware without a working driver tends to appear. Device Manager shows only whether Windows has detected the device and loaded a driver. It cannot show whether the lens, sensor or image quality is fine.

What you see | What it suggests | What to do next

Webcam listed, no warning icon | Detected and driver loaded | Go back to permissions (Check 2) or app settings (Check 4)

Webcam listed with a down-arrow icon | Device has been disabled in Windows | Right-click it and choose Enable device

Webcam listed with a yellow warning icon | Driver problem | Open Properties and read the device status, then see the driver steps below

Unknown device under Other devices | Hardware detected but no suitable driver | Install the driver for your exact model

No camera entry anywhere, even after Action > Scan for hardware changes | Not detected at all | Check the camera toggle, firmware settings and power state, then consider a hardware fault

If the camera does not show up at all, restart the laptop fully. On some models, the firmware (BIOS) setup screen has an option that enables or disables the built-in camera. Whether that option exists, and what it is called, depends on the model, so use your model's manual to confirm. Leave other firmware settings as they are unless you know what they do.

Check 4: The camera works in Windows but not in one app

If the Camera app shows a picture, the webcam is fine, and the remaining problem is the failing app's access or settings. Open that app's video or device settings and select the built-in webcam. This matters if you have ever connected an external webcam, a phone camera link, or virtual camera software, because the app may still be pointing at one of those. In a browser, check the site's camera permission, usually through the icon next to the address bar, and make sure the browser itself is allowed in Windows camera privacy settings. Also check that the app is not set to start calls with video off.

Fixes in order, starting with the easiest to undo

• 1. Open the shutter, use the camera toggle if your model has one, close other camera apps, and restart. Retest in the Camera app.
• 2. Allow camera access in Windows privacy settings, for desktop apps too if needed, and in any security suite. Retest in the app that was failing.
• 3. Choose the built-in webcam in the app's settings and allow camera permission for the site or app. Make a test call or preview.
• 4. If Device Manager shows the camera as disabled, enable it. Retest in the Camera app.
• 5. If there is a driver warning or an unknown device, work through the driver steps below. Retest after each one.

Driver steps and their side effects

Only move on to drivers if Device Manager shows a problem, or if the camera stopped working right after an update. Microsoft documents these options in Device Manager. Right-click the webcam entry to find them.

• Roll back driver (on the Driver tab in Properties): restores the previous driver. Use this if the problem started after a driver update. The option is only available when Windows has kept a previous version.
• Update driver: lets Windows search for a newer driver. Also check Windows Update, including the optional updates section, where hardware drivers are sometimes offered.
• Uninstall device, then restart: Windows usually reinstalls the camera with a default or stored driver when it starts up. If you also tick the box to delete the driver software, Windows may not be able to reinstall it on its own. You would then need to get the driver from Windows Update or the manufacturer, so leave that box unticked unless you already have a replacement driver ready.

If you need a manufacturer driver, get it from the Dynabook (formerly Toshiba) support section for your exact model number and Windows version. The model number is usually on the label underneath the laptop. Avoid third-party driver download sites. Older Toshiba laptops came with a separate webcam utility, but on current Windows versions the Windows Camera app is enough for testing. Whether an older model has a supported driver for Windows 10 or 11 depends on that model, and that information is not given here.

How to know it worked, and when to stop

The fix has worked when the Camera app shows a live picture and the app you actually need shows your video in its preview or a test call. If you were also having audio problems, test the microphone separately. A working camera does not mean the microphone is selected or allowed.

Stop troubleshooting and contact Dynabook support or a repair service in these cases: the webcam never appears in Device Manager after a restart, with the camera toggle and firmware setting confirmed as enabled; it appears and disappears at random; or it is detected but shows only a black image with the shutter open in every app. These symptoms can point to a hardware fault, such as a failed camera module or a loose internal cable in the screen. They can only be confirmed by inspecting the hardware, which is beyond what software checks can do. If the camera stopped working after a fall, liquid spill or screen repair, skip straight to this step.