How to Find and Install a Webcam Driver in Windows

Most webcams in Windows 10 and Windows 11 work without a separate download. USB webcams usually use the built-in USB Video Class driver, and Windows Update supplies many laptop camera drivers. You need a manufacturer driver when the camera is missing from Device Manager, shows an error, or needs vendor features. This guide shows how to check which driver your camera uses, install or replace it, and confirm that it works.

Before you start

Installing a driver is a local change to Windows on your PC. Downloading it through Windows Update or from the manufacturer requires an internet connection. Some driver packages include vendor software, and whether that software contacts online services depends on the product. Check its documentation before you install it.

• An administrator account, because installing or removing drivers requires administrator rights.
• The exact model. For a laptop, use the model name or serial number from the label or from Settings > System > About. For an external webcam, use the model printed on the camera or its packaging.
• Your Windows version and architecture, also shown in Settings > System > About. Devices with ARM processors need ARM64 drivers.
• On a laptop, confirm the camera is not blocked by a physical privacy shutter, a camera toggle key, or a setting in the UEFI/BIOS.
• A way back: note the current driver version from Device Manager, or create a restore point, in case a new driver performs worse.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Check how Windows sees the camera

Right-click Start and select Device Manager, then expand Cameras. Some webcams appear under Imaging devices or Sound, video and game controllers instead. An external USB webcam on the generic driver is often listed as USB Video Device or by its model name. A yellow warning icon, or an unknown device under Other devices, means Windows has not loaded a working driver.

Double-click the camera and open the Driver tab to see the provider, date and version. Microsoft as the provider usually means the built-in class driver is in use, which is normal for many USB webcams.

Step 2: Let Windows Update look for a driver

In Windows 11, open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates and expand Driver updates. In Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, select View optional updates, then expand Driver updates. Select any entry for the camera, install it, and restart if prompted. Optional updates do not always include a camera driver. If nothing relevant is listed, continue to the next step.

Step 3: Download the driver from the manufacturer

For a laptop's built-in camera, open the support section of the laptop maker's official site, enter your model or serial number, and choose your Windows version. Look under categories such as Camera or Chipset. Many laptop makers also provide their own update utility. On some recent laptops the camera connects through the processor's imaging hardware rather than USB. These cameras can depend on a chipset or camera platform package from the laptop maker, and a generic webcam driver will not replace it.

For an external USB webcam, check the camera maker's support page for your exact model. Many vendors offer only a companion app for zoom, focus or firmware updates, because the camera already works with the Windows class driver. Avoid third-party driver download sites and driver updater tools, which often deliver the wrong driver or unwanted software.

Step 4: Install the driver

If the download is an installer (.exe or .msi), run it, approve the administrator prompt, follow its steps and restart. If it is a folder or archive containing an .inf file, extract it first. Then in Device Manager, right-click the camera and choose Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers. Point to the extracted folder, keep Include subfolders selected, and finish the wizard.

Step 5: Reinstall or switch drivers if the camera still fails

In Device Manager, right-click the camera and select Uninstall device. For a simple reinstall, leave the option to remove the driver unchecked. Check it only if you want to remove a faulty driver package completely. Then select Action > Scan for hardware changes, or restart, so Windows detects the camera again. With a USB webcam, unplugging and reconnecting it also triggers detection.

To choose between drivers already on the PC, select Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. Choosing USB Video Device switches a USB webcam back to the generic Windows driver.

Undo a driver update

If a new driver causes problems, open the camera's Properties, go to the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver. The button is unavailable when Windows has no earlier driver stored for that device. In that case, reinstall the earlier version from the manufacturer or use a restore point.

Check the output

Open the Camera app included with Windows. If a live preview appears, the driver is working. In Device Manager, the camera should have no warning icon, and the General tab of its Properties should read This device is working properly. Recent versions of Windows 11 also list connected cameras under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, with basic image settings for each one.

Next, test the app you actually use. Video call apps and browsers keep their own selected camera, so pick the right device in their video settings. This matters most on PCs that also have an infrared camera, a virtual camera or a capture card. Confirm camera permission is on in Settings > Privacy & security > Camera (Windows 11) or Settings > Privacy > Camera (Windows 10), including access for desktop apps.

A driver does not raise the hardware's limits. Available resolution and frame rate depend on the formats the camera supports, and a call app may send a lower resolution than the camera can capture. Dim lighting can also make a webcam lower its frame rate to allow longer exposure. Judge image quality in good light before blaming the driver.

Common problems and next steps

The camera does not appear in Device Manager

Select View > Show hidden devices. If the camera still does not appear on a laptop, check the privacy shutter, the camera toggle key and the camera setting in the UEFI/BIOS. For a USB webcam, connect it directly to another port on the PC instead of a hub, and try another cable if the cable is detachable.

Device Manager shows an error code

The General tab in the camera's Properties shows the code. Code 28 means no driver is installed, so use Windows Update or the manufacturer's package. Code 10 (the device cannot start) and Code 43 (Windows stopped the device because it reported problems) usually call for reinstalling or rolling back the driver. For USB cameras, also try a different port.

The Camera app works but another app does not

In this case the driver is working. The problem is the app's camera selection, its permission, or another program already using the camera. Close other apps that might hold the camera, then choose the correct device in the app's video settings.

An older webcam has no Windows 10 or 11 driver

Webcams sold as UVC-compatible usually work with the generic driver even after the manufacturer stops offering downloads. If an older model needs a proprietary driver and none exists for your Windows version, a driver built for an older Windows release may fail to install or run unreliably. Replacing the camera may be the practical option.

The camera still does not work

Install pending Windows updates and the laptop maker's chipset and USB drivers, then test again. If an external webcam also fails on another computer, the hardware is the likely cause. If it works there, focus on drivers and settings on the original PC.