Windows 10: IR camera doesnt activate

My windows hello seems to break after being inactive for a while. The prompt for windows hello activates but the usual blinking red lights of the IR camera doesnt shine. Sometime restarting the laptop solves the problem but then after being inactive and letting it sleep it stops working again. I have checked the IR camera drivers as well as the facial recognition hardware in device manager and both seem to be updated.

:)

 

Help with IR camera used by Windows hello

Hello,
I have a Lenovo Thinkpad P53 laptop with an integrated camera. Under device manager I can see an integrated camera and an Integrated IR camera. Up to about a month ago I was able to use the hello login with face recognition without any trouble. I was getting a RED led blinking beside my camera when I was logging in.
Now when I start windows and I get the screen where the Hello usually open the IR camera to logged me in, I get a message saying “preparing”, the eye doesn’t not move as it did before, I don’t see any activity (led blinking) at the camera and finally get a message that it couldn’t activate the camera and to use the pin to sign in.

Around the same time I also started having problem with the Windows 10 Camera app. When I was trying to use it, I was getting either of the following errors:

Can’t start the camera
0xA00F429F<WindowsShowFailed> (0x80070002)

Close other applications
0xA00F4288<AllCameraAreReserved>

I know the integrated camera is working fine since I can use it with Skype, Zoom or Microsoft Teams.I have tried to reinstall the drivers on both cameras, no luck. I have tried from advanced options to reset the Camera app, no luck. I have checked the Camera access and everything seems to be normal and active. I even deactivate it and reactivate it with no luck. I found an entry in a board about a registry entry that seems to have fixed the camera app.

It is under:
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform
and the key is: EnableFrameServerMode

I also created the same key under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform

Since the creation of both keys the camera application seems to be working. Mind you that some times it just died when I start it but next time it works ok.
But I still have the same problem with the Hello and IR camera not working. I have checked for a restore point but I don’t have any. I also don’t have the option of rolling a version back for Windows. I am currently running under 20H2 and I know that 21H1 is available. Anybody know if there is anything under 21H1 that may help with Windows Hello and the used if IR Camera? I have the Hello finger print reader enable to login and it works fine. So part of the Windows Hello is working.
Before trying to start playing with my windows configuration I would like to know if there is a way that I can test the IR Camera. There are sites where I can test the standard integrated camera but I haven’t found anything where I could test the IR camera. I would like to confirm that the IR works before starting to modify and troubleshoot windows hello.
Thank you,

Luc

Details for Windows version and system. It is in french But I'm sure you will be able to amke sense of it *Wink


Édition Windows 10 Professionnel
Version 20H2
Date d'installation ‎2021-‎01-‎09
Version du système d’exploitation 19042.1052
Numéro de série PF1DU720
Expérience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.2020.0


Nom du périphérique LAPTOP-3DR26S16
Processeur Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHz 2.59 GHz
Mémoire vive installée 8,00 Go (7,74 Go utilisable)
Type du système Système d’exploitation 64 bits, processeur x64
Stylet et fonction tactile La fonctionnalité d’entrée tactile ou avec un stylet n’est pas disponible avec cet écran

 

Dell camera driver

Is the Camera listed in Device Manager ?
My DELL INSPIRON 15-5578 lists a > Realtek IR Camera Driver
My older Dell's used > Dell Webcam Central

 

Access Integrated IR Camera

Hello,

My computer (Dell Inspiron) comes with an integrated IR camera. It works with Windows Hello perfectly fine, however I want to access the depth output for the IR sensor. Unfortunately, I've been looking around and cannot find an easy way to access the IR sensor. How would I go about doing this? As it stands, the IR camera is completely unusable except for with Windows Hello.

Thank you,

Ryan