I need help with a camera device that I have used previously, but now I can't seem to find it

Mel Bick 0 Reputation points
2026-11-14T19:04:24.19+00:00

I have a J5 create web cam. I used it before, but when I recently tried to use it, I see a green light, but when I search cameras on my Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 it says no cameras found. Please help and thank you in advance.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. Hendrix-V 20,960 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-15T00:44:20.3033333+00:00

    Hi Mel Bick,

    Since your J5create webcam is still showing a green light but Windows cannot find a camera, the important next step is identifying exactly which device Windows is seeing.

    Please let us know:

    • The exact J5create webcam model number.
    • If anything related to it appears in Device Manager, go to Properties > Details > Hardware Ids and copy the first entry.

    With those details, we can look at a more specific next step rather than having you repeat the troubleshooting you've already been given.

    Thanks for your patience, and I hope we can get this narrowed down for you.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-11-14T19:05:05.77+00:00

    Connect the J5create webcam directly to another USB port, then use Device Manager to force Windows 11 to detect it; if it remains absent, test it on another computer to distinguish a webcam fault from a Dell USB or Windows issue.^1^

    1. Check whether Windows detects the webcam

    1. Disconnect the webcam.
    2. If it is connected through a dock, hub, or adapter, bypass that device.
    3. Connect it directly to a different USB port on the Dell.
    4. Right-click Start → Device Manager.
    5. Select View → Show hidden devices.
    6. Check these categories:
      • Cameras
      • Imaging devices
      • Sound, video and game controllers
      • Universal Serial Bus controllers
      • Other devices
    7. Select Action → Scan for hardware changes.
    8. Wait for the scan, restart the computer, and open Start → Camera.

    The green light confirms that the webcam is receiving some power, but the Device Manager result determines whether Windows is actually detecting it.

    2. Act on the Device Manager result

    If the J5create camera appears normally:

    1. Right-click it → Update driver.
    2. Select Search automatically for drivers.
    3. Go to Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates.
    4. Install any relevant camera or USB driver update, restart, and test Start → Camera.

    If it appears with a warning symbol or as an unknown device:

    1. Right-click the device → Properties and note the error under Device status.
    2. Open the Driver tab → Uninstall Device.
    3. If offered, select Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then select OK.
    4. In Device Manager, select Action → Scan for hardware changes.
    5. Restart and test again.

    Microsoft documents uninstalling the camera device and scanning for hardware changes as the driver-reinstallation path. For many external USB webcams, Windows can also use its built-in USB Video Class (UVC) driver, although that driver may not provide every manufacturer-specific feature.^1^

    If it does not appear anywhere:

    1. Test another known-working USB device in the same Dell port.
    2. Test the webcam on another computer.
    3. Interpret the results:
      • Webcam works elsewhere: concentrate on the Dell’s USB/controller drivers and install available updates under Windows Update → Advanced options → Optional updates.
      • Webcam is undetected elsewhere: contact J5create support; this points to the webcam, its cable, or its USB connector.
      • Other USB devices also fail in that Dell port: use another port and obtain the applicable USB/chipset support from Dell.

    Do not manually install a camera driver unless the package explicitly supports the exact J5create webcam model.

    3. Check permissions only after the camera is detected

    Permissions normally affect whether applications may use a detected camera; they do not make an electrically connected USB device appear in Device Manager.

    Go to Settings → Privacy & security → Camera, then enable:

    • Camera access
    • Let apps access your camera
    • Let desktop apps access your camera if it is used with a browser, Teams, Zoom, or another desktop application

    Then test with Start → Camera. If it works there but not in another application, select the J5create camera in that application’s video settings.^1^

    4. Windows 11 24H2 fallback

    If the camera is listed under Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Cameras, but it produces no preview, Windows 11 version 24H2 or later offers Basic camera mode. Select the camera, open its advanced camera options, enable Basic camera, and apply the change. This mode is relevant only when Windows already recognizes the webcam.^1^

    References

    1. Windows 11 (#tab/windows-11)
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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