If your laptop’s webcam shows “This device cannot start (Code 10)” with “STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE”, Windows is telling you the camera failed to power on correctly. In most cases, Windows tried to bring the camera from a low-power state to active mode, but the device or its driver did not respond properly, so Windows stopped the device.
Here's what it looks like when I open Device Manager on my PC:
This is commonly reported on HP Spectre (the laptop line) and other HP models where the integrated camera sits behind an internal USB hub and relies on chipset, BIOS, and camera drivers to handle sleep and power transitions. It is not “Spectre” the security bug.
Most of the time, you fix it by doing a clean camera driver reinstall, updating BIOS and chipset drivers, and removing any power-saving setting that can switch the camera off.
How the error shows up
You will usually see one or more of these:
- Camera app / Teams / Zoom shows a black screen or says the camera is unavailable.
- Device Manager shows the camera with a yellow warning icon.
- Camera Properties shows: “This device cannot start. (Code 10)” and may include STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE.
What “STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE” actually means
Windows devices have power states. When the PC sleeps, devices often go into a lower power state. When you open the Camera app, Windows asks the camera to wake up and switch to an active state. If the camera firmware/driver does not handle that request correctly, Windows reports a power-related failure for the device and you see the Code 10 message.
Quick diagnosis table
| What you see | Most likely cause | Fast check |
|---|---|---|
| Works after reboot, fails after sleep | Power-state resume issue | Test: reboot → camera works → sleep → fails |
| Fails all the time | Driver corruption, disabled device, BIOS setting, hardware issue | Check Device Manager Code 10 and camera enabled in BIOS |
| Camera “missing” in apps | Privacy permissions or camera disabled | Check Windows camera privacy settings and any physical shutter/switch |
Fix order
1) Do a full shutdown and power reset
This clears a stuck device power state.
- Shut down Windows.
- Unplug the charger.
- Hold the power button for 15–20 seconds.
- Boot up and test the camera.
HP community threads often recommend a power reset for camera and other built-in devices that fail to wake correctly.
2) Confirm it is not blocked by a physical shutter or hotkey
Many HP laptops (including Spectre models) have a privacy shutter or a camera disable key. If the shutter is closed or the camera is disabled at hardware level, apps can fail even when Windows looks fine. (This is model-dependent.)
3) Reinstall the camera driver cleanly
Microsoft’s own guidance for Code 10 starts with driver update/reinstall.
Steps
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Cameras (or Imaging devices).
- Right-click your HP camera → Uninstall device.
- If you see it, tick Delete the driver software for this device.
- Restart the PC.
- Back in Device Manager, Action → Scan for hardware changes (or just reboot once more).
If the issue is driver corruption or a bad install, this usually fixes it.
4) Update BIOS + chipset drivers
If the error happens after sleep/hibernate, BIOS and chipset drivers matter because they control how devices enter and exit power states.
- Update your system BIOS (from HP’s official update tool for your model).
- Update chipset drivers and any camera-related drivers.
This is frequently discussed in HP forum threads for Spectre-class devices where the camera fails with power-related status.
5) Turn off power-saving that can cut the camera
This targets the “power failure” part directly.
Try this
- Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus controllers
- Open USB Root Hub / Generic USB Hub (anything that looks like the camera’s path)
- Tab Power Management
- Untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
- Restart
If the camera is behind an internal USB hub, this can stop Windows from powering it down aggressively.
6) Reset Windows system files
Run these in Terminal (Admin):
sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Then reboot and test.
7) If it still fails: isolate whether it is hardware
At this point, you want to know if it is software or a camera module problem.
- Test the camera in HP Hardware Diagnostics (if your model supports it).
- Boot into Safe Mode and test the Camera app.
- If the camera still fails and always shows Code 10 with power failure, hardware service becomes more likely.
Common causes
| Cause | Why it triggers power failure | Fix that usually works |
|---|---|---|
| Camera driver bug/corruption | Driver fails to bring device into active state | Clean uninstall + reinstall |
| BIOS/chipset power management issue | Device does not resume from sleep correctly | BIOS update + chipset update |
| USB hub power saving | Hub powers down camera path | Disable “turn off device to save power” |
| Privacy shutter / camera disable | Hardware blocks camera activation | Open shutter / enable camera key / BIOS setting |
| Hardware fault | Camera module cannot power up | Diagnostics test, service |
FAQs
Is this the Spectre security vulnerability?
No. Most “Spectre” mentions in forums are about HP Spectre laptops, not the CPU security issue.
Why does Device Manager show Code 10?
Code 10 means Windows could not start the device and recommends updating the device driver.
Why does it often happen after sleep?
Sleep changes device power states. If the camera driver/firmware does not handle the wake request correctly, Windows reports a power-related start failure.
Will reinstalling Windows fix it?
Sometimes, but it is usually overkill. Try driver reinstall + BIOS/chipset updates first.
What details should I collect before contacting HP support?
- Laptop model (exact SKU) and BIOS version
- Windows 11 build number
- Camera device name in Device Manager and the full Code 10 message
- Whether it fails only after sleep or always
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