error code 0xA00F4250<PhotoCaptureStartFailed>

Right-click Start → Device Manager

Expand Cameras

Right-click Surface Front Camera

Click Uninstall device

Restart the computer

When Windows restarts, it will automatically reinstall the correct driver.

Follow these steps on the Surface Pro to troubleshoot the front camera error:

1. Run the built-in camera troubleshooter
   1. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
   2. Find Camera and select Run. Apply any fixes it suggests.
2. Check camera privacy settings
   1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Camera.
   2. Make sure Camera access is On.
   3. Make sure Let apps access your camera is On.
   4. In the same page, turn on access for the specific apps that need the camera (for example, Camera, Teams, etc.).
   5. If using desktop apps (like browsers or Teams desktop), ensure Allow desktop apps to access your camera is also turned on.
3. Test the camera in the Camera app
   1. Open Start > Camera.
   2. Check if the preview works with the front camera.
   3. If it works here but not in another app, adjust that app’s own camera/video settings.
4. Update the camera driver
   1. Select Start > Device Manager.
   2. Expand Cameras and locate the Surface camera (for example, Intel(R) AVStream Camera or Intel(R) TGL AVStream Camera).
   3. Right-click the camera > Update driver.
   4. Select Search automatically for drivers and let Windows install any found update.
   5. Restart the Surface and test again.
5. Reinstall the camera driver (do not do this on Windows Arm-based Surface models like Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 9 with 5G, Surface Pro (11th Edition), Surface Laptop (7th Edition), Surface Laptop 13-inch (1st Edition), or Surface Pro 12-inch (1st Edition))
   1. Open Device Manager.
   2. Expand Cameras.
   3. Double-click the Surface camera entry.
   4. Go to the Driver tab and select Uninstall Device.
   5. Check Attempt to remove the driver for this device and select Uninstall.
   6. Restart the Surface so Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.
6. Check for Windows and Surface updates
   1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.
   2. Install all available updates, including any Optional or driver updates, then restart.
   3. Optionally, open the Surface app, go to Help & support, and select Check for updates to ensure all Surface firmware and drivers are current.
7. Force a restart of the Surface
   1. Select Start > Power > Shut down and wait for it to power off.
   2. Press and hold the power button for 20 seconds. If the logo appears, keep holding until it appears again.
   3. Release the button, let it boot, then test the camera.
8. If the issue persists If the front camera still fails after these steps, back up data and consider a restore or reset of the Surface using the built-in recovery options.

References:

• Surface camera not working
• Camera doesn't work in Windows