FIX: Camera App Error Code 0xA00F4246 / 0xC00D36B6 on Lumia
The Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview is just that – an unfinished, possibly unstable preview of the latest iteration of Windows 10 Mobile. The Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview is not intended to be a complete and final version of the firmware it represents, explaining why Windows Insiders may face one or more issues when they decide to participate in the Insider Program and upgrade to the Insider Preview. One of the problems a Windows Insider might encounter is error code 0xA00F4246 (0xC00D36B6), an error code that appears when attempting to open any camera-related application, such as the default Camera app or Windows Camera, leading to the app’s crash.
For the average Windows Insider, it can be unsettling and agitating to not be able to use their camera, especially if the phone they’ve upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview is their primary one. If you encounter error code 0xA00F4246 (0xC00D36B6) and can’t use your camera within apps like Windows Camera, here are three potential solutions to fix the issue:
Solution 1: Perform a Hard Reset.
Press and hold the Volume Down button, and while doing this, quickly press and release the Power button. This action will cause the device to vibrate.
Release the Volume Down button when an exclamation mark appears on the screen.
Press each of the following hardware buttons, one at a time, in the exact same order in which they are listed.
Volume Up > Volume Down > Power > Volume Down
The device will then vibrate, reboot, show the Nokia flash screen and then go to the spinning gears install screen. Once the spinning gears process completes, the device will be reset and you should now be able to use your device’s camera through the default Camera app (or any other camera app, for that matter).
Solution 2: Roll back to a version of Windows Mobile on which the camera worked.
If a hard reset does not fix the error code 0xA00F4246 (0xC00D36B6) on your device, your only remaining option is to roll back to a previous version of Windows Mobile – a version in which the camera worked on all applications, including Windows Camera. Rolling back to a previous version of Windows Mobile may delete some or all of your personal files and data. Therefore, be sure to back up anything of value beforehand. To do so, you need a Windows computer and a USB cable to connect your phone to your computer. Here’s how:
Go here to download the Windows Phone Recovery Tool (designed for Lumia phones running on Windows 8 or higher). If you have an older Lumia device or other Nokia phone, you will have to go here to download the Lumia Software Recovery Tool.
Install the recovery tool on your computer.
Open the recovery tool.
Connect your phone to the computer via the USB cable. Wait for your phone to be detected automatically. If your phone is not automatically detected, click on the “My phone was not detected” button and follow the onscreen instructions.
Once your phone has been detected, select your phone’s model in the Recovery Tool window.
The next screen will contain all of the available Operating System versions for your phone. Select the version that you want to roll back to (the one on which your phone’s camera worked perfectly) and click on Reinstall software.
Click on Continue on the next screen.
The files required for the installation of your selected firmware will definitely be larger than 1 Gigabyte, so you will have to patiently wait for the firmware to be downloaded and then installed on your phone, making sure that the USB connection between your computer and phone stays secure throughout the process.
Once the installation of your selected firmware has been completed, you will receive a success message stating “Operation successfully completed”. You are free to restart your device after this message appears.
Solution 3: Wait for a new firmware update
If you’ve upgraded to a specific version of the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview and can’t use your camera due to error code 0xA00F4246 (0xC00D36B6), you are likely not alone. Windows is probably already aware of the issue. If you can tolerate not using your device’s camera for a few weeks, you may choose to stay on the Insider Preview and await the next firmware update. Hopefully, this forthcoming update will resolve the issues with your device’s camera and error code 0xA00F4246 (0xC00D36B6).
