Skype doesn't see my webcam even after I re-installed the software. What's next?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve used this webcam as recently as a month or so ago to Skype. Today, nada. Skype info on video checking is that it can’t find a webcam. I uninstall the camera on my computer, then I go to Logitech, the maker, and download the most recent software and drivers for it. Then I check it on their website for that webcam and it tells me that it can’t detect any webcam. WTF? Do these things just blow out? It may be a few years old, but I only use it every month or so. But my computer says that it is functioning properly. (?!) I don’t know what else to try. Any ideas, Dopers?

2

Are you on windows 10? If you are check your camera privacy settings, just search camera in the “all settings” area it should pop up.

3

Yeah, the problem is that I’m using a desktop - no privacy settings like on an i-phone.

4

If the maker’s own software can’t find the camera, then you’re probably out of luck.

But that said, maybe try some other video applications and see if any of them work.

Other than that, maybe try rebooting your computer a few times. With Windows, for whatever reason, a reboot or three will usually fix most issues.

5

I have no camera but I am using a desktop with windows 10. I can press the windows + i keys and get the settings panel. Then I click on privacy. Then I select “camera” from the left sidebar. Scrolling down, I see a button to enable/disable Skype explicitly. I cannot enable mine, probably because I have no camera. But maybe you can enable yours if you try.

6

Wow,** Perderabo**, thanks - that worked! I can’t figure out why it had worked all along up until yesterday, but now Skype recognizes the camera. Back in biz!

7

I’m guessing you picked up a Windows update (maybe the infamous version 1803) that dinked around with privacy settings (possibly as a GDPR response; IMHO, it would be unlike Microsoft to disable things for the sake of increasing privacy unless it had a good externally compelling reason to).

ETA: Regarding your prior comment (“no privacy settings” because it’s not a phone): Windows 10 is both a mobile device OS and a desktop/laptop OS. So the assumption that the desktop version of the OS lacks the same kinds of controls as a cell phone OS is obviously unfounded.