I spent the last couple of days troubleshooting an issue with Windows Hello and I’m documenting it here in case it helps others or my future self.
My Problem: My Dell WB7022 4k UHD camera (great camera, btw) failed to start with Windows Hello.
- The camera worked 100% fine as a camera in Zoom, Teams, Camera app, etc.
- The camera did not work with Windows Hello
- When Windows 11 started, the camera errored out and required PIN to log in
- At Camera setup (Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > Facial recognition), it threw the ‘Sorry, something went wrong. Couldn’t turn on the camera. Make sure it’s working properly’ error (screenshot below)
My Fix: My camera was plugged into the wrong USB plug. Per the camera’s user guide documentation, the camera uses a USB 3.1 Gen 1 USB cable (screenshot below).
For the camera to work with Windows Hello, this particular camera needs to be plugged into a USB 3.1 or 3.2 Gen 1 port (USB-A) – it does not work in a Gen 2 port (USB-C), nor does it work in a USB 2.0 port. In my case, I plugged it into a USB 2.0 port. Once plugged into my USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, everything worked again!
So…if your external [Windows Hello capable] webcam isn’t working and the standard Windows Hello troubleshooting steps have failed you, check your cabling/port requirements. ^_^
Public Service Announcement – If you don’t already do have one, you should create a document with your USB ports so that you can remember which ones do what. Below is a screenshot of my one-pager – listing which USB ports are 2.0, which are 3.2, and which ones have Smart Power On capability (for keyboards and mice). I get the plugs wrong more times than I care to talk about…and this document is mana from the gods.
The image and text come from the computer’s user manual. And I formatted it to make it more skimmable. The document helps when I’m under/behind my desk plugging in or troubleshooting cables.
