Hardware Access Error - Messenger - Webcam and Mic

Anonymous
2018-10-31T15:37:39+00:00

Hello,

For the past week, I've been getting this pop up when I want to make a Messenger video call.  Been using this for over a year without a glitch.  Both camera and mic work fine with Skype and Zoom but not with Messenger.  Checked all settings in FB and Google Chrome to make sure mic and webcam are 'allowed'.  Tried a couple of troubleshooting YouTube vids.  Even did a whole recovery process, going through the pain of reinstalling apps...ugh..., with no results.  The only thing I remember that may - or may not- be related is that I connected my laptop (where I use Messenger) to my Samsung bluetooth speaker.  After that, Messenger video calls went kapout!!!  Please HEEEEEEEELP!!!! 

Thank you!

MC

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Settings

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-04-09T16:16:08+00:00

    The below worked for me. I was only trying to use my mic (no webcam installed on my PC) and getting the hardware message. As I had (new) Edge installed, I tried that and it still didn't work - which made me lead to think it was Chromium based. Installed Firefox, but wasn't able to join the call, maybe due to it being multi-person.

    TLDR:

    Click on the padlock next to the site URL whilst on messenger.com

    Click "Site Settings"

    Click "Reset permissions" (all my settings were on "Ask" and resetting the permissions didn't change anything)

    Go back to the messenger.com tab, and the page should ask to reload.

    Make/join a call.

    The permissions didn't change when I clicked reset, but it fixed it for me. Maybe some permissions left over from previous versions of Chrome were conflicting.

    Hope this works for someone else.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-04-06T15:11:34+00:00

    Mine is exactly the same as yours!  It's SO frustrating!

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-04-05T04:27:56+00:00

    What you need is close everything out.... Go to windows and go to CAMERA (App) And it will open... It will open and it will talk about privacy settings and you need to click the privacy settings button.  Once you do this it will open camera settings.. Click the CHANGE and slide the slider to ON.  This ALLOWS apps to access camera. You do this on settings and then it should work

    Also ... if you are having trouble with sound/microphone go to search bar... Type sound... Open sound settings  Click troubleshoot for microphone...

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  5. Anonymous
    2020-04-05T04:13:56+00:00

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/hardware-access-error-messenger-webcam-and-mic/d5cdd343-cf99-4502-85ef-58cce8ee46f9

    IF ITS GIVING YOU A HARDWARE ACCESS ERROR MESSAGE, THAT MEANS THERE IS ANOTHER PROGRAM WHICH IS CONFLICTING WITH YOU CAMERA. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CAMERA OPTIONS IN THE FACEBOOK SETTING, THERE SHOULD ONLY BE THE ONE OPTION FOR YOUR WEB CAM.  IF A DIFFERENT CAMERA NAME IS SHOWN, THIS MEANS IT IS CONFLICTING WITH YOUR WEB CAM.  YOU MUST UNINSTALL THE CONFLICTING PROGRAM SUCH AS COREL VIDEO MAKER AND SUCH, RESTART YOUR COMPUTER AND YOUR PROBLEM SHOULD GO AWAY.

    I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY WEBCAM, AND AS SOON AS I UNINSTALLED THE CONFLICTING PROGRAM, MY WEBCAM ON MESSENGER BEGAN WORKING AGAIN.

    THIS SHOULD FIX YOUR PROBLEM.

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