Windows 10’s stock Camera application is a pretty decent all-rounder in every aspect. However, that does not mean that Windows 10’s Camera app is perfect as it is certainly not. Windows 10 users have reported a variety of different problems and issue pertaining to the Camera app, only one of which is the 0xA00F4246 (0x80070005) error. Windows 10 users affected by this issue become incapable of using their computer’s camera via the stock Camera app; whenever they try to launch the Camera app, they see an error message containing error code 0xA00F4246 (0x80070005) instead of the camera viewfinder.
Windows 10’s Camera app is a pretty decent camera application all around, and not being able to use it can prove to be a pretty significant problem, especially for users who are fond of using their computer’s camera. Thankfully, though, this issue is completely fixable, and the following are the most effective solutions that you can use to try and fix it:
Solution 1: Make sure that apps are allowed to use your computer’s camera
Windows 10 users have the ability to allow or deny the use of their computer’s camera by applications and programs, and having this option set to block apps’ access to their computer’s camera can often result in the user seeing the 0xA00F4246 (0x80070005) error whenever they launch the Camera app. If lack of access to your computer’s camera is the cause of the 0xA00F4246 (0x80070005) error in your case, all you need to do in order to get rid of the issue is:
- Open the Start Menu.
- Click on Settings.
- Type “webcam” into the Search box located in the top-right corner of the window.
- Locate and click on Webcam privacy settings in the search results.
- Locate the Let apps use my camera option and make sure that it is enabled, meaning that apps on your computer are allowed to access and use the camera.
- Check to see whether or not the problem has been fixed.
Solution 2: Reset the Camera app
The 0xA00F4246 (0x80070005) error can also be caused by some kind of an issue with the Windows 10 Camera app. If that’s the case, the problem can be resolved by simply resetting the Camera app. In order to reset the Camera app on a Windows 10 computer, you need to:
- Press the Windows Logo key + R to launch a Run
- Type the following into the Run dialog and press Enter:
- Press Ctrl + A to select all of the contents of the folder that the Run dialog opens.
- Press Delete.
- Confirm the action in the resulting popup to delete all of the contents of the folder, effectively resetting the Camera app.
- Restart your computer and check to see whether or not the problem persists once it boots up.
Solution 3: Reset your computer
If neither of the solutions listed and described before have worked for you, your only remaining option is to reset your computer. While resetting your computer might seem like a pretty drastic measure, it is not nearly as drastic as reinstalling Windows 10 from scratch and many other users affected by this issue have had tremendous success with the use of this solution. In order to reset a Windows 10 computer, you need to:
- Open the Start Menu.
- Click on Settings.
- Click on Update & security.
- Click on Recovery in the left pane.
- In the right pane, click on Get Started under Reset this PC.
- Click on either Keep my files (if you want the computer to be reset without losing any of the user data stored on it) or Remove everything (if you want the computer to be reset and any and all user data stored on it to be deleted. If you plan on using the Remove everything option, it is recommended that you back up any data/files that you don’t want to lose beforehand.
- If you clicked on Remove everything in the last step, click on either Just remove my files to only have your files deleted or Remove my files and clean the drive to have your files deleted and your Hard Disk cleaned (which takes longer than its alternative). If you clicked on Keep my files in the last step, skip this step.
- If presented with a warning, simply click on Next.
- When prompted to do so, click on Reset.
Once you click on Reset, the computer will restart and then reset itself. When/if prompted with a screen that has three options on it and asks you to choose one, click on Continue.
Note: Whether you choose the Keep my files option or the Remove everything option, all of your installed programs and applications will be uninstalled, so you are going to have to reinstall them once your computer has been successfully reset. Resetting a Windows 10 computer also results in the resetting of any and all settings and preferences to their default values.
