Microsoft Surface Pro X Cameras Have Stopped Working

Have the cameras on your Microsoft Surface Pro X stopped working? You're not alone.

As The Verge reports(Opens in a new window), it seems the cameras on every Surface Pro X have ceased to function, with owners seeing the Windows error “0xA00F4271<MediaCaptureFailedEvent> (0x80004005)” popping up when the camera app is accessed. The good news is, there seems to be an obvious cause.

According to a Reddit post(Opens in a new window) by Motor-Roll-1788 on the subject, some users discovered the cameras start working again if you set the date manually to be May 22 or earlier. Although doing so isn't recommended as it could screw up some services you rely on, it does suggest the problem is being caused by an expired Windows security certificate. If that's the case, the official fix from Microsoft should be both easy and swift.

For now, Microsoft isn't commenting and it's probably a little distracted by the Build conference. However, those who have called Microsoft were told the issue is known about and a fix is being worked on. So, if you own a Pro X and can live without the camera working for a few days, I'd suggest not attempting the manual date fix. Perhaps this is the excuse you needed to sit out a few remote work meetings this week?

The Surface Pro X is 2-3 years old now depending on the model purchased, and it's currently out of stock on the Microsoft Store. There's plenty of choice for upgrades within the Surface family if this camera problem has presented you with the perfect excuse to invest in a new device.

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