BenchReady — Camera works in one place but not another: compare access Windows 11 with a camera detected by the system and an app that cannot use it. Some IR, DirectShow and proprietary cameras do not appear in Windows Camera settings. Outside this guide: A missing or physically damaged camera needs a different route. A successful Windows Hello sign-in does not prove ordinary apps have permission to use the camera. STOP: If camera access is controlled by an administrator, contact that administrator. Grant access only to apps you intend to use. BenchReady never requests camera access or uploads camera images. PREPARE [ ] The affected app’s name and whether it is a Store or desktop app [ ] Authority to change camera permissions [ ] A private setting for previewing the camera CHECKS 1. Record a comparison If the camera appears under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, choose it to view its preview. Record whether a preview works. No picture needs to be captured or shared. 2. Check device-level permission Open Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. Check Camera access. If the setting cannot be changed, record that it is administrator-controlled. 3. Match the app’s permission route For a listed Store app, check Let apps access your camera and its individual switch. For a desktop app, check Let desktop apps access your camera; Windows does not give every desktop app its own switch here. 4. Retest the affected app Return to the same app and camera choice. Record whether access changed, without treating a successful preview in another app as a complete test of this one. OBSERVATIONS Windows camera preview: Not checked Choices: Not checked / Works / Fails / Camera not listed Camera access: Not checked Choices: Not checked / On / Off / Administrator-controlled Affected app type: Not checked Choices: Not checked / Listed Store app / Desktop app / Uncertain Applicable access setting: Not checked Choices: Not checked / Allowed / Not allowed / Unavailable or managed Same-app retest: Not checked Choices: Not checked / Camera now works / Still fails / Not retested Next step: Not checked Choices: Not checked / Use intended permission setting / Ask administrator / Ask app or camera manufacturer NEXT STEPS Preview works; one app still fails: The problem differs by app or access route. Keep the app type and permission observations for its support team. A setting is managed: Ask the administrator to review the applicable policy. Do not work around organization restrictions. The camera is absent from this settings page: Record that fact and check its type before concluding it is broken; some camera types are intentionally not listed. OFFICIAL SOURCES Microsoft: Manage app permissions for a camera: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/manage-app-permissions-for-a-camera-in-windows (checked 2026-10-20) Microsoft: Manage cameras in Windows 11: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/camera/manage-cameras-with-camera-settings-in-windows-11 (checked 2026-10-20) Guide: https://csl-15-device-repair.pages.dev/guides/windows11-camera-access/ Keep credentials, recovery keys, personal files and serial numbers outside this worksheet. A recorded observation is not proof of a physical repair.