Saturday 9 May 2020

Lenovo ThinkPad: Integrated camera continuously turns on and off when using video applications

Lenovo ThinkPad integrated camera continuously turns on and off when using video applications including Skype, Windows 10 Camera app and Zoom.

The System event log shows the following error: "The Windows Camera Frame Server service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this x time(s)."

To resolve:

1. Open Regedit.

2. Browse to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform

3. Create a DWORD value named EnableFrameServerMode with the value 0

4. If using Windows 64-bit, create the same DWORD value EnableFrameServerMode with the value 0 in the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform

This registry key is for 32-bit applications running on a Windows 64-bit computer.

5. Close Regedit and restart the computer.


To create the registry keys with PowerShell:

1. Open an elevated PowerShell prompt.

2. Run the command:

New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform' -Name EnableFrameServerMode -Value 0 -PropertyType DWORD


3. Run the command:

New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform' -Name EnableFrameServerMode -Value 0 -PropertyType DWORD



Credit: paolone
https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T-series-Laptops/KB4284835-causes-webcam-to-stop-on-T470p/m-p/4110977?page=2#4540806

2 comments:

  1. If you ever come to Maryland, cup of coffee on me! This worked, thank you very much!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Timothy,
    i have the same camera problems. But recently installed Ubuntu. Do you know how to solve it?
    Best Benjamin

    ReplyDelete