Microsoft is currently under heavy fire from users as the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which it pushed out earlier in the month, has broken millions of third-party USB webcams.
The problem is apparently due to Microsoft dropping support for two major video compression formats, namely the H.264 and MJPEG codecs.
In a post on the Microsoft-focused Thurrott.com blog, it was revealed that the Windows 10 Anniversary Update made the operating system only support the YUY2 codec. The decision behind such a change was because with the update, there were new situations where multiple apps would try to access the webcam, and the presence of the H.264 and MJPEG codecs would duplicate the encoding stream and cause a slowdown. By limiting the number of supported compression formats, multiple simultaneous webcam access would not diminish the computer's performance.
Unfortunately, this decision has left a massive number of users with webcams that freeze shortly after being turned on. The issue is affecting not only individual consumers, but also enterprise clients who regularly use webcams for purposes such as business meetings.
The Windows Camera team, through a post on the Microsoft developer forum, explained the reason behind the removal of support for the H.264 and MJPEG codecs. However, they noted that they underestimated the number of users that would be affected by the decision.
A fix for the issue is said to be in the works to be included in a September update, but unfortunately, it will only be adding back in MJPEG support. For users who rely on the H.264 codec for their webcams, the wait might be a bit longer.
Until then, is there something that users can try to enable their webcams? One possible solution is to roll back Windows 10 to a version before installing the Anniversary Update. However, this is only possible for users who installed the Windows 10 Anniversary Update within the past 10 days.
A more significant workaround was suggested by Rafael Rivera, a contributor to Thurrott.com, but it will involve the user making changes to the Windows Registry. Tweaking the Windows Registry is a risky move, especially for those who have no experience in doing so, as it could corrupt the computer's systems if it is done incorrectly. However, for those willing to take the risk and can at the very least follow instructions in making Windows Registry changes, Rivera tweeted the registry entry that users can try to prevent webcams from freezing.
