Drivers are essential pieces of software that form the link between your system and the hardware. So, if there are any issues with your drivers, your hardware may simply stop working. This also applies to camera drivers.
However, updating your drivers can help resolve issues caused by problematic drivers. It also has many benefits, as it can help your computer communicate with hardware more easily.
How to update camera driver in Windows?
There are mainly two methods you can use to update the (camera) drivers on your Windows computer. You can either do the procedure manually or let Windows do it for you. However, there are other methods as well, like using third-party apps.
So, let’s go straight there. Here are the possible ways to update your camera drivers.
Update camera driver from device manager
The easiest way to update your camera driver is to use Device Manager. It allows you to change driver settings, including updating them.
Here is how you can perform this method:
- Access the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R keyboard shortcut.
- Walk in
devmgmt.msc
- Double click on the Camera header and right click on your camera driver. (For webcam drivers, it should be under the Imaging devices on your mind)
- Select Update Drivers and Automatically search for drivers.
Manually update the camera driver
You can also update your camera drivers by manually downloading and installing the update.
Follow the steps below to update your driver manually:
- Press Windows key + R to launch Run Utility.
- Walk in
devmgmt.msc
- Expand the Camera drop-down menu and right click on your camera driver.
- Click on Properties.
- Select the Details tongue.
- Picking out Hardware identifiers in the menu under Property.
- Right click on the first line of text and select Copy.
- Find the information in the browser of your choice.
- Go to official hardware website or trusted websites and download the latest version of this driver.
- For driver updates with configuration files (
.exe
), you can just run them to update your driver. However, if it is a.inf
file, you need to follow a few more steps. - Open Device Manager again, then right-click on your camera driver.
- Click on Update Driver options and Browse my computer for drivers.
- Press on Browse.
- Navigate to where you downloaded the driver update and select it.
- Faucet OKAY.
- Your driver should start updating.
From Windows Updates
Windows Updates also provides driver updates for most of its built-in hardware, including camera drivers. However, since Microsoft only provides driver updates for its own hardware, you won’t be able to use this method to update external webcam drivers.
Here’s how you can update from Windows Updates.
- Access the start menu and launch Settings.
- Move towards Update & Security > Windows Updates.
- Click on Check for updates and Show all optional updates.
- Expand the Driver Updates menu.
- Check the camera driver update. (If any are available)
- Click on Download and install.
Use third-party apps
Finally, you can use third-party apps to automatically update your camera drivers. They usually update your drivers as soon as they find updates are available, which also includes camera drivers.
Some of these apps are Driver Talent and Driver Booster, or you can use any other app you like.
How to restore driver updates?
Driver updates can help resolve several types of issues. However, if the driver updates are incorrectly installed or corrupted, you may again see issues in the driver. This applies to almost all drivers.
So, to fix this issue, you may need to roll back driver updates. Here’s how:
- Open Device Manager using the above method.
- Locate your update camera driver and right click on it.
- Select Properties.
- On the Driver tab, click Driver Rollback.
- Choose any raison and click Yes.
Related Question
What if my camera drivers are missing?
Drivers can disappear for various reasons. You could even have deleted the driver and forgotten about it. To recover your drivers, simply right-click on the blank area of Device Manager and press Scan for hardware changes.
However, if the camera hardware is disconnected, searching for hardware changes may still not show drivers. In this case, you may need to go to Show and enable Show hidden devices. For the camera to work, you need to reconnect the hardware to your computer. With a built-in camera, your wires can be loose or broken, causing a disconnect.