• Skype sees the camera but there is no image. The camera on the laptop works, but it doesn’t show up on Skype.

    Skype is a program designed for communication, and video calls, one of the wonderful functions of this messenger, imply uninterrupted transmission of video images (after all, you must not only hear, but also see the interlocutor). Video not working on Skype is one of the most common problems, the reasons and solutions for which we will talk about in this article.

    Why doesn't video work on Skype? The reasons may be different, but, one way or another, they have one thing in common - something is wrong with the webcam. By the way, this is also true if . It could be incorrect setting in the program itself, problems with drivers, etc. But let's talk about why video calls don't work in Skype in more detail.

    You can find out what to do if in our next article.

    Reasons

    Here are a few reasons why video in Skype usually does not work on a laptop or computer:
    Often video calling does not work because the settings in Skype itself are set incorrectly. To find out if this is true:

    • Open the program and open the menu “Tools” - “Settings”.
    • Here select "Video Settings". This is where you can check which camera is used by the program by default (if there are several of them), as well as in general.

    Quite often it happens (especially in the case of a computer) that several web cameras are connected to the device at once, and the program uses the inactive one by default. If so, choose from the list the right option and apply it.

    In addition, the checkbox next to “Enable Skype Video” must be checked. You can check whether the function is active in the program itself during a call to another user. Check to see if the camera image on the icon is crossed out.

    Check, maybe the video does not work in Skype on a laptop simply because the camera is not turned on. On some devices it is activated by pressing special key(or a keyboard shortcut) on the keyboard. While on other laptops this function is turned on automatically.

    Video does not work in Skype on Windows 10, 7, 8, as well as in versions for other operating systems, because there was a problem with the drivers - they crashed, were not updated, or were not installed at all. To check this:

    • Open the Start menu and select Device Manager or Devices and Printers (depending on operating system).
    • Here find “Imaging devices” and look for the name of your camera. See if there is a yellow triangle next to the name. If this is the case, the driver is not active, try reinstalling or updating it. If you haven’t found the name at all, then the driver was not installed initially. Accordingly, download and install it.

    If you followed all our advice, but the problem still has not been solved, most likely the problem is in the webcam itself. take the equipment to service center for diagnostics. Unfortunately, even the most good device may become unusable, for example, due to an accidental power surge.

    I think it’s no secret to anyone that you can contact anyone anywhere for almost free of charge. globe, if you both have internet access. And I’m sure the word video call and, in particular, Skype will not be new to you. So, it happens that for some inexplicable reason your webcam stops working even though you didn’t go into the settings and basically didn’t touch anything. In this article, we will solve this common problem.

    Before you start looking for a problem in everything, you need to think carefully and reduce the range of searches to a minimum so as not to waste time. There can be many reasons why a camera may not be visible:

    1. If you just bought a computer, laptop, then it may very well be that you simply do not have the driver installed (usually the most common case);
    2. Perhaps you not only just bought a computer, but also reinstalled the operating system, then you most likely need to install the appropriate driver;
    3. The most unpleasant case is a malfunction of the webcam;

    There may be other options, but they will have to be sorted out individually.

    In any case, you should start with the first two points (even if you do not qualify for them). That is, even if you did not buy a PC and did not change the operating system, you better check for the availability of the driver. Moreover, if everything worked great, and then suddenly stopped. It happens that the driver, for reasons that seem inexplicable at first glance, has been removed. Maybe you did it, maybe you didn’t - it doesn’t matter.

    If this is not the case, then you will have to deal with the camera. Let's go.

    Checking the availability of the driver and its functionality

    First, we check the presence of the driver. To do this, go to the device manager (you can enter it through “my computer” or the control panel).

    In the device manager, find the “imaging devices” section and click on it (to expand). Usually you will see at least one device there.

    The device functions normally if:


    What if the driver is not working correctly?

    If you find some error, then you should remove the driver (to do this, just right-click and click “delete”).

    After that download new driver. It is best to find it on the website of the manufacturer of your laptop or computer (usually there is a special corresponding section there).

    Checking the operation of the webcam

    Once we have solved the problem with the driver (if there was one), we need to check the functionality of the camera itself. To do this, you need to open, for example, a popular video player for Windows - media player classic (or any other) and select File - Open device.

    You may have to specify the video source in the settings. To do this, go to the menu View - Settings - Capture.

    In general, any player for Windows has a similar function. You can choose any of them from the corresponding article on our website.

    If, for some reason, this option does not suit you, then you can use special sites, for example - webcammictest.com.

    Go to the site and click the big green button - “check webcam”, after which you allow the use of everything they ask and, if everything is fine, you see yourself.

    If you were able to see yourself, then everything is fine and now you can configure Skype itself.

    Setting up a webcam in Skype

    After updating the drivers and checking the camera itself, you may find that Skype still does not see you. To fix this, go to the settings and find the “video settings” section.

    When communicating on the Internet, especially with people you know well, correspondence alone is not enough; you also want to hear and see your interlocutor. This live communication can provide a number of messengers, among which is the most popular. This application can capture video from a built-in or external webcam and send it over the network, however, in some cases, Skype does not see the camera, even though the latter is in good working order.

    As always, there can be several reasons causing this problem. Often, Skype does not detect a webcam if the corresponding hardware drivers are missing or damaged, the user disables the webcam, or third party programs, using an outdated version of the messenger. Also, the webcam may not work in Skype due to incorrect settings in the application itself. Hardware malfunctions cannot be ruled out - camera breakdowns, damage to cables, ports or cables. Let's start in order.

    Outdated version of Skype

    If you encounter problems with video communication, the first thing we recommend is to make sure that the version of Skype you are using is up-to-date. To do this, select the “Check for updates” option in the “Help” menu.

    If a new version of the program is available, download it from the official website and install it.

    Temporary failure

    The problem may arise as a result of temporary problems with the computer or system. To eliminate this option, simply restart your PC. Perhaps the service responsible for the webcam simply failed in Windows. When you reboot, the service will automatically start and the camera will be detected by Skype.

    Webcam is disabled

    It may happen that you yourself accidentally or intentionally turned off the webcam and forgot about it. This is one of the reasons why the camera does not turn on in Skype. In some laptop models, the built-in camera is activated and deactivated by pressing the Fn + F (1-12) button combination. Look carefully to see if you have top row keyboard button with a picture of a video camera and press it. Buttons for controlling the webcam can also be located on the side of the laptop.

    You can also check whether the webcam is enabled or disabled in Device Manager. Find the “Imaging Devices” item in the list, expand it and check the status of all components in it. Their properties should indicate “The device is working normally.”

    If the camera is inactive, turn it on by clicking the corresponding button in the window or selecting context menu“Enable” option.

    Note: If the webcam is not displayed in Device Manager, update the hardware configuration through the Action menu.

    Driver problems

    In case of hardware problems, the availability of drivers is traditionally checked. If your camera does not work in Skype on Windows 7/10, be sure to check whether the camera driver is installed and, if installed, whether there are any conflicts or problems with its operation. You can find out this again in the Device Manager. In the properties of image processing devices there must be a message about their normal operation, and the device icons themselves should not be marked with yellow or red icons.

    Unknown device in the dispatcher it may well be a webcam. For the assumption to be confirmed, you need to find and install for it software. To search for drivers, it is best to use special programs like DriverPack Solution, for laptop cameras necessary drivers can be found on the included disc. The manufacturer often adds to it proprietary utility to configure the built-in webcam. In case of updating or reinstalling drivers current version must be removed, otherwise the new one may not install correctly.

    The camera is being used by another application

    One webcam can only work with one application. Check to see if there are other programs running on your computer that may have access to the camera. If in at the moment the camera transmits the image to some program, it will not work in Skype, and the user will either receive a black window or a notification “Cannot start video broadcast.” Close all applications that are intercepting the video stream, and only then launch Skype.

    The camera is not selected in Skype itself

    If the webcam in Skype on a laptop does not work after connecting a second camera, TV tuner or other video device to it, you must also check the settings of the messenger itself and make sure that required device. Go to the program settings, switch to the “Video Settings” subsection and select the camera you need from the drop-down list at the top. At the same time, you can eliminate the “conflict” between Skype and the camera by checking whether it works with other applications.

    To check the camera, you can use the service Webcam Toy. Go to the address in your browser webcamtoy.com/en, click the “Use my camera” button and give permission to the service to use your webcam.

    A similar check can be performed using any media player, for example, VLC. To do this, select the “Open capture device” option from the “Media” menu.

    Now specify the webcam you are checking in the “Device name” drop-down list.

    The player window should display what your camera sees.

    If the video stream is broadcast in the player or other applications, but not in Skype, then the problem is in the messenger itself. Check all settings, reinstall the application, try the portable version. If there is no video in other programs, check the camera and the drivers that support its operation.

    Webcam failure

    The worst thing that can happen is that the built-in or connected external webcam fails. A hardware failure will be indirectly indicated by the lack of interaction between the camera and different programs and directly – the absence of the camera itself in Device Manager. However, you should not rush to make such a diagnosis without checking the operation of the ports, cables and cable.

    Perhaps the webcam in Skype does not work only because the contact in the port through which it is connected to the computer has been broken. Check all contacts and cable integrity. But with laptops everything is a little more difficult, to establish whether everything is in order with the connection between the camera and motherboard cable can only be used at a service center.

    Other reasons

    What else can cause problems with the webcam in Skype? Maybe you changed BIOS settings and mistakenly turned off the capture device? In this case, you need to go into the BIOS, find the camera in the Advanced or Security section and turn it on.

    The Skype camera often does not work on older computers with Pentium processors III and below. Alternatively, users of such PCs can be recommended previous version Skype, preferably a portable one, otherwise the best solution, of course, there would be a purchase of a new one modern computer. The same goes for outdated versions operating system. For example, in Windows XP SP2 all the latest Skype versions do not support video broadcast mode, so the only correct solution in this case would be Windows installation 7, 8.1 or 10 or upgrade to XP SP3.

    Good afternoon.

    Calls via the Internet are, of course, good, but video calls are even better! In order to not only hear your interlocutor, but also see him, you need one thing: a webcam. Every modern laptop has a built-in webcam, which, in most cases, is enough to transmit video to your interlocutor.

    1. Is the driver installed, is there a driver conflict?

    The first thing you should do in case of this problem is to check whether the drivers are installed on the webcam and whether there is a driver conflict. By the way, usually a laptop comes with a disk with drivers (or they have already been copied to hard drive) - try installing them.

    To check if the drivers are installed, go to device Manager. To enter it in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, press the Win+R button combination and type the command devmgmt.msc, then Enter (you can also access the device manager through the control panel or “my computer”).

    In the device manager, you need to find the “imaging devices” tab and expand it. It must have at least one device - a webcam. In my example below, it is called “1.3M WebCam”.

    It is important to pay attention to how the device is displayed: there should be no red crosses opposite it, as well as exclamation marks. You can also go to the device properties: if the driver is installed correctly and the webcam is working, the “Device is working normally” message should be on (see screenshot below).

    If you don't have a driver or it doesn't work correctly.

    First, remove old driver, if there is one. This is quite simple to do: in the device manager, right-click on the device and select “delete” from the menu.

    It is best to download the new driver from the official website of your laptop manufacturer. By the way, a good option is to use some special. driver update program. For example, I like DriverPack Solutions (for an article about updating drivers) - drivers are updated for all devices in 10-15 minutes..

    You can also try the SlimDrivers utility - a fairly fast and “powerful” program that allows you to find the latest drivers for almost all laptop/computer devices.

    If you can’t find a driver for your webcam, I recommend reading this article:

    How to check the webcam's operation without Skype?

    To do this, just open any popular video player. For example, in the Pot Player video player, to check the camera, just click “ open -> camera or other device". See screenshot below.

    If the webcam is working, you will see the picture that the camera will shoot. Now you can go to the Skype settings, at least you can be sure that the problem is not in the drivers...

    2. Skype settings affecting video broadcast

    When the drivers are installed and updated, but Skype still does not see the camera, you need to go to the program settings.

    We will be interested in the “video setup” section:

    Firstly, the webcam must be detected by the program (in the screenshot below 1.3M WebCam - the same as in the device manager);

    Secondly, you need to check the box “automatically receive video and share the screen for...”;

    Thirdly, go to the webcam settings and check the brightness and other parameters. Sometimes this is precisely the reason - the picture is not visible due to the brightness settings (they are simply reduced to minimum).

    Start a video broadcast on Skype.

    3. Other common problems

    1) Before talking on Skype, check if any other program is working with the camera. If yes, then close it. If the camera is occupied by another application, then Skype will not receive the image from it!

    2) One more common reason Because of which Skype does not see the camera, this is the version of the program. Remove Skype completely from your computer and install new version from the official website - http://www.skype.com/ru/.

    3) Perhaps several webcams were installed on your system (for example, one was built-in, and the second was connected to USB and configured in the store before you purchased a computer). And Skype automatically selects the wrong camera during a conversation...

    4) Perhaps your OS is outdated, for example Windows XP SP2 does not allow you to work in Skype in video broadcast mode. There are two solutions: update to SP3 or install a newer OS (for example Windows 7).

    5) And lastly... It is possible that your laptop/computer is already so outdated that Skype no longer supports it (for example, a PC based on processors Intel Pentium III).

    That's all, everyone is happy!

    Imagine you open Skype and the camera doesn't work. What to do? Let's consider what actions to take if the camera does not work in Skype.

    What to do first

    If the reason why the camera does not work in Skype is unknown, follow these steps:

    1. Download latest version programs;
    2. Check your internet connection. It must be stable. It turns out that the program itself determines its speed. If the connection is unstable, it reduces the quality of the transmitted image;
    3. Make sure the camera is working.

    The reason is in the drivers

    If the camera drivers were not installed, or they were damaged as a result of a system failure, the video will not be displayed. To check, open Device Manager. Press “Win+R”, write “devmgmt.msc”.
    Next, in the “Processing devices” or “Cameras” sections, find information about the camera. If the microphone and camera do not work in Skype, look at the section " Sound devices».
    If an “Unknown Device” is detected, it is a web camera. To update drivers, take the disk that came with the camera to install the driver. If there is no disk, download them from the official website of the device manufacturer.
    If the driver is marked with an exclamation mark, it is not configured correctly. To check its functionality, perform the actions as in the screenshot:
    A window will open where there should be an inscription that “The device is working correctly.”
    Otherwise - problems with drivers. Remove the broken one and install a new one. To do this, do this:
    After uninstalling, reinstall the driver.

    Webcam does not work in Skype

    The reason is a camera malfunction. To check, open the video player installed on the system. Next, “Open the device.” This item will differ depending on the selected player.
    If the image with is displayed in the player window, it is working. If there is no image and the drivers are installed correctly, the device does not work.
    Do things differently. Use the services located at: webcamtoy.com/ru. To work with it, click the “Use my camera” button.

    Setting up the camera via Skype

    After completing the steps described above, check the program settings. Let's look at how to do this in different versions programs.

    Skype 8

    Skype 7

    The settings are made in the same way as described above. The only differences are in the program interface.
    Click “Tools” - “Settings”.
    Find “Video settings”. Make sure the program sees the camera. Make sure it is connected exactly the right camera. For example, if the laptop has two cameras. If the device is recognized but there is no image, click the "Settings" button.
    Further, the same as with the settings in Skype 8.

    Reinstall the program

    If the methods described above do not help, reinstall the program. Possible reason-Damage to application files. Uninstall Skype. I recommend uninstalling the application using the program. Then install the latest version.

    Camera does not work after Skype update

    The latest application updates are not available for older webcam models. If possible to purchase new camera no, install the old version of the program. Read what the messenger developers themselves think about this. You will need information about the Skype version. To watch this click:

    The camera is being used by another application

    The web camera transmits the image to only one program. If several applications try to access the camera at the same time, there will be no image or a message will appear.
    To work, close programs that can intercept the video stream. If this is difficult to determine, restart your PC. Sometimes it helps to turn off the camera for 2-3 seconds.

    Why the webcam doesn't work on Skype

    This problem is encountered by users who still have installed old version OS. For example, XP SP2 users. To normalize operation, install modern system. If your computer is older, Skype may no longer support it.

    The camera does not work in Skype on a laptop

    There are no special function keys, with the help of which the volume level, brightness, and so on are adjusted. Perhaps you have keys that are responsible for turning on the camera. Look carefully. They are located on the keys labeled F1-F10. They will show a camera image. Try turning it on. These keys work in combination with the Fn key.

    Conclusion

    We looked at what to do if the webcam on Skype stops working. Problems with video playback can be hardware or software in nature. Use the recommendations described above and you will fix all problems.

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