Camera/ Microphone
Sometimes the camera or microphone on a laptop seem to fail, but it's actually a software issue. These steps will help you check to see if the issue is software or hardware. The steps are in order from the most common solution to the least common.
Microphone only: Check to see if you are muted.
On some devices, the F4 key is used to mute the built-in microphone. You would see a microphone and a white light on the F4 key. Clicking the F4 or Fn key + F4 will toggle the mic. If the white light is on then the mic has been muted.
Camera only: Check to see if the camera is already in use.
Look for a white light next to the camera lens. If it is on, the camera is in use by a program and needs to be released to be used by another.
Close all programs, then reopen Chrome. Open only the tab you are trying to use (Meet/ Seesaw/ etc.)
Having more than one tab open and accessing the camera/mic can cause the hardware to be controlled by the one site, preventing other sites from accessing the camera/mic.
Restart the computer and try your program again.
This ensures all other programs that might still be controlling the camera/mic are closed.
Check for a physical malfunction
Close all programs, then go to the Start Menu and type “Silverlight” . Click on Microsoft Silverlight. Choose the Webcam/Mic tab and gently tap on the laptop. If you see yourself in the box, and see the green bars moving up and down, you know the hardware is working properly and the issue must be software.
If you don't see your picture or the green bars, you probably have bad hardware. Contact Mr. Woolner.
Check your Chrome permissions
Go to the site where you are trying to record or take a picture. Click on the lock icon on the left of the site URL in Chrome. Make sure the drop down choices for camera and microphone say "Allow".
Check the Windows Privacy Settings
Open the Start Menu and clicking on the gear symbol. Choose ‘Privacy’ from the options and you will see several sections on the left side. Scroll down on the left side and choose the ‘Camera’ & ‘Microphone’ sections. Under each section, make sure the ‘Allow apps to access your camera/microphone’ is switched on.
Reset your Chrome settings
Open the Chrome menu (3 dots) in the upper right hand corner of the browse, and open ‘Settings’. Once in Settings, scroll all the way to the bottom and click ‘Advanced’. Scroll to the bottom again and select ‘Restore settings to their original defaults’. In the little window, click ‘Reset Settings’. Once completed, close and reopen Chrome.
This will not delete your bookmarks or account, you'll just need to sign back in using your PSD username and password.
Go back to the site you are trying to use. When is asks you for permission to use the camera and microphone, choose "Allow".