Where Is the Webcam in Device Manager?

In Windows Device Manager, a webcam is usually listed under the Cameras category. Some cameras, particularly with older Windows versions or certain drivers, appear under Imaging devices instead. If you see neither, the camera may be listed elsewhere, hidden because it is currently disconnected, or not detected by Windows at all. This guide shows where to look, what the entry tells you, and what to try if the webcam keeps dropping out.

Device Manager Is a Windows Tool

Device Manager exists only in Windows. On a Mac, the closest equivalent is System Information, which lists connected cameras in its Camera and USB sections. The rest of this guide covers Windows 10 and Windows 11. Menu wording can differ slightly between versions and updates.

How to Open Device Manager

• Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.
• Or press Windows key + X and choose Device Manager from the menu.
• Or type Device Manager in the Start menu search box and open the result.
• Or press Windows key + R, type the command below, and press Enter.

devmgmt.msc

Where the Webcam Appears in the List

Device Manager groups hardware into collapsible categories. Click the arrow next to a category to expand it. Check these places in order:

• Cameras: the usual location on current Windows versions. The entry may show the manufacturer and model, or a generic name such as Integrated Camera, Integrated Webcam or USB Camera.
• Imaging devices: used by some older drivers and some scanners or cameras.
• Sound, video and game controllers: some capture devices and webcams with built-in microphones list their audio part here. This entry is not the video camera itself.
• Universal Serial Bus controllers or Universal Serial Bus devices: a USB webcam can occasionally appear here, or as an unrecognized USB device, if its camera driver did not load.
• Other devices: an entry with a yellow warning icon, such as Unknown device, may be a camera without a working driver.

Windows 11 also lists cameras outside Device Manager, under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras. That page is useful for a quick check, but Device Manager shows more detail about drivers and errors.

If the Webcam Is Not Listed

Open the View menu and select Show hidden devices. Devices that Windows has seen before but that are not currently connected will then appear with faded, greyed-out icons. If your webcam shows up only as a faded entry, Windows knows about it but cannot detect it at the moment. That matters if the camera works sometimes and then disappears.

Also try Action > Scan for hardware changes. This asks Windows to detect hardware again without restarting the computer.

On a laptop, a missing built-in camera can have causes outside Windows. Some laptops have a keyboard key or switch that turns the camera off electrically, and on some models the camera then disappears from Device Manager. Firmware settings, known as BIOS or UEFI, can also disable the built-in camera on some computers. Whether either applies depends on the laptop model, so check the manufacturer's documentation. A physical privacy shutter is different. It blocks the lens, but the camera normally still appears in Device Manager and produces a black or blank image.

What the Device Manager Entry Tells You

Double-click the webcam entry, or right-click it and choose Properties, to see more detail. The General tab shows a Device status message. The Events tab, where available, lists a history of when the device was configured, started, or removed. That history can help confirm repeated disconnections.

What you see | What it generally means

Normal icon, status says the device is working properly | Windows detects the camera and its driver loaded. Video capture and call quality are not yet confirmed.

Yellow triangle with an error code | Windows detects the hardware but has a problem starting or using it.

Down-arrow icon | The device is disabled in Device Manager (Code 22). Right-click and choose Enable device.

Greyed-out entry (with hidden devices shown) | Windows has seen the camera before but does not detect it now.

Code 28 | Drivers for the device are not installed.

Code 10 | The device cannot start.

Code 43 | Windows stopped the device because it reported problems.

Detection, capture and call quality are three separate questions. Device Manager only answers the first: whether Windows recognizes the camera. To confirm the camera can actually capture video, open the Windows Camera app. To check whether a browser or calling app can use it, test inside that app, because each one has its own camera permission and device selection.

Troubleshooting a Webcam That Keeps Disconnecting

If the webcam appears and disappears in Device Manager, freezes mid-call, or Windows plays the device connect and disconnect sounds repeatedly, work through the checks below in order. Each one is reversible, and each result helps separate a physical problem from a settings or software problem. The causes listed are possibilities to test, not confirmed diagnoses.

1. Watch Device Manager While the Problem Happens

Leave Device Manager open with the Cameras category expanded and use the camera normally. If the entry vanishes or refreshes when the video drops, Windows itself is losing the device, which points toward the connection, power or driver. If the entry stays put while the video freezes in one app, the cause is more likely that app, the browser, or another program competing for the camera.

2. Check the Physical Connection (USB Webcams)

• Plug the camera directly into a port on the computer instead of a hub, dock, monitor port or extension cable.
• Try a different USB port, preferably on another side or section of the computer.
• If the cable is detachable, try a different cable.
• Check whether the disconnections line up with moving the cable or the laptop.

If the camera becomes stable after one of these changes, the original port, hub or cable is the likely weak point.

3. Rule Out Power-Saving Settings

Windows can turn off USB devices to save power, and on some systems this can interrupt a webcam. In Device Manager, open the camera's Properties, along with the USB Root Hub entries under Universal Serial Bus controllers. If a Power Management tab appears, clear the option that allows the computer to turn off the device to save power. Some systems also offer a USB selective suspend setting in the advanced power plan options, found from Control Panel under Power Options by changing plan settings and then advanced power settings. Not every computer shows these options. Note what you change so you can undo it.

4. Close Other Apps Using the Camera

Usually only one app can use a webcam at a time. Close calling apps, browser tabs with video, camera utilities and virtual background or effects software, then test again with a single app. If the problem stops, one of those programs was likely holding or resetting the camera.

5. Check Camera Permissions

Permissions do not cause a camera to disappear from Device Manager, but they can make an app behave as if no camera exists. In Windows 11, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Privacy > Camera. Make sure camera access is on and that the app you are using is allowed. In a browser, check the site's camera permission, usually through the icon next to the address bar, and make sure the correct camera is selected.

6. Work on the Driver

In the camera's Properties, open the Driver tab. If the disconnections began after an update and Roll Back Driver is available, try that first. Otherwise you can choose Uninstall device, but leave the option to delete the driver software unchecked unless you have a replacement ready. Then run Action > Scan for hardware changes, or restart, so Windows reinstalls the camera. For a built-in camera, the laptop manufacturer's support pages may offer a driver made for your model.

7. Retest and Know When to Escalate

After each change, retest in the Windows Camera app first, then in the app you actually need. Give it enough time to cover the point where the disconnection used to happen. If a USB webcam disconnects on a second computer as well, the camera or its cable is the likely problem, and the camera maker's support or warranty service is the next step. If it works reliably on another computer, focus on the original computer's ports, power settings and drivers. For a built-in laptop camera that keeps vanishing after these checks, contact the laptop manufacturer or run its hardware diagnostics, since the cause may be an internal connection that you cannot fix from Windows.

Gaps in This Guide

This guide reflects general Windows behavior rather than tests of specific webcam models. It does not cover manufacturer-specific camera software, keyboard shortcuts, or firmware menus, which vary by device. Use your device's documentation to confirm those details.