Fix Webcam Issues in Windows 10 by Disabling Frame Server Mode

A technological change made in Windows 10 Anniversary Update caused a problem where webcams failed to work, and the respective software (like Logitech, Skype) simply hung up within minutes of use.

This problem was first perceived as a bug in the Anniversary Update, but it appears to be an intentional change in the Redstone 1 update. Microsoft seems to have dropped support for MJPEG or H264 encoding standards and moved towards YUY2 for performance. Webcams that use MJPEG or H264 would not work correctly after the Anniversary Update.

Fix for Webcam issues in Windows 10

Rafael Rivera has found a workaround for this issue. Follow these steps:

  1. Create a Restore Point first.
  2. Start Regedit.exe and go to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform
  3. Create a REG_DWORD value named EnableFrameServerMode and leave the data to 0.
  4. If you’re using Windows 64-bit, make the changes here, in addition:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform

    The above key is for 32-bit applications running on a Windows 64-bit computer.

  5. Exit the Registry Editor.

Realtek drivers specific issue

The following error may be logged in the System Event Log repeatedly:

Service Control Manager - The Windows Camera Frame Server service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 20 time(s).

The following error consistently occurs just after the above error as logged in the Event Application Log:

Application Error - Faulting application name: svchost.exe_FrameServer, version: 10.0.18362.1, time stamp: 0x32d6c210
Faulting module name: RsProvider.dll, version: 1.30.0.0, time stamp: 0x57ee1a06
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000007bd6d
Faulting process id: 0x458
Faulting application start time: 0x01d6619a58c690a6
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Realtek\RsProviders\RsProvider.dll
Report Id: b5fe8c79-a485-428f-8087-e7a90ce0d976
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:

The RsProvider.dll (a Realtek driver file), appears to be the issue causing the Windows Camera Frame Server service to crash. It has been observed that renaming the RsProviders folder fixes the issue which would prevent RsProvider.dll from being used.

Go to the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Realtek

In that folder locate and then right-click and rename the RsProviders folder to something else such as RsProviders_

Log out and then log back in again (or restart the computer).

References

Hope that helps.

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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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34 thoughts on “Fix Webcam Issues in Windows 10 by Disabling Frame Server Mode”

  1. The address for the “If you’re using a 64-bit application” also applies to if you are using a 32-bit version of Windows. The first address applies to 32-bit applications on 64-bit Windows.

    Reply

  3. A variant that worked for me: I had a similar problem on my HP Envy All-in-One 27-b1XX running Windows 10 Home 64 Bit, version 1809. Until a couple of days ago, Windows Camera and Windows Hello were working fine. Two days ago, I reset Windows 10 Home 64 Bit version 1809 and reinstalled all my apps. All my drivers are up to date. After the reset, Windows Camera wouldn’t work and Windows Hello couldn’t start the camera. Rafael Rivera’s suggestion enabled Windows Camera to work, but it didn’t fix Windows Hello. Windows Hello still couldn’t start the camera, even though the camera was working in other apps. When I removed Windows Hello and tried to set it up again, it told me that another app was using the camera and I would have to close that other app. I stumbled upon the following modification that enabled both Windows Camera and Windows Hello to work: In the registry at
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform I created a DWord named EnableFrameServerMode . However, instead of giving it the value 0 as recommended by Rafael Rivera, I gave it the value 1. I did the same at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform . With these changes to the registry, both Windows Camera and Windows Hello are working on my PC.

    Reply

  6. Thanks this worked for my Lenovo Y50-70 with Windows 10 all updates installed. I also saw this issue through logs

    Reply

  7. Bernard Kripkee’s solution doesn’t work for Windows Hello even Camera stopped working worse than before, previously it was crashing & then restarting regularly just a bit of interruptions but after setting Dword of EnableFrameServerMode to 1 Camera crash or hang for infinite time.

    Reply

  8. As of 04/06/2019: After a Windows Update on 04/03/2019, Windows Frame Server is broken again. My Camera and Windows Hello both stopped working. I was able to get both of them working again by changing a DWord in my registry from 1 to 2. The DWord is
    Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform\EnableFrameServerMode

    I have also changed another registry DWord to 2:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform\EnableFrameServerMode

    Next development as of 09/05/2019:
    I installed Windows 10 version 1903. After the installation, Windows Hello, Camera and Windows Frame Server were working without the DWords in the registry for EnableFrameServerMode, so it appears that version 1903 resolved this problem.

    However, HP Support Assistant invited me to install IR camera driver-Realtek, SoftPaq number sp78998, Version 10.0.10586.11226, which it describes as “the IR camera driver for Windows Hello.” I did this installation, and it promptly broke Windows Frame Server, Windows Hello and Camera. Windows Frame Server crashed every time I tried to use Windows Hello, and Windows Hello told me that it couldn’t find my camera. Camera would not display an image. I tried to fix the problem by using the EnableFrameServerMode DWord using the values 0, 1, 2 and 4 successively. None of them worked. I then used Windows Restore to back out the installation of IR camera driver-Realtek. Immediately Windows Frame Server, Windows Hello and Camera worked again.

    Conclusion: IR camera driver-Realtek breaks Windows Frame Server in Windows 10 Version 1903. Don’t use it.

    My PC is an HP Envy All-in-one 27-b1XX.

    Reply

  10. OMG IT WORKS!!! Thank you!!!!

    I have been nearly tearing my hair out trying to figure out why my laptop’s webcam would start very choppy then stopped working totally after a minute or so. And now everything went swimmingly well!

    Reply

  14. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features
    Scroll down to (or search for) Camera
    Select it
    Click Advanced options
    Click Reset

    Reply

  16. Hello. My computer crashes when starting the camera app alone and when doing video calls using Zoom and Skype. It says the error is about SPUVCbv.sys (KMODE EXCEPTION NOT HANDLED). I think this happened after I updated to the latest version of Windows. As of April 23, 2020, I tried the solution on this post, and also did a reset on the camera app but both didn’t work on my HP EliteBook 2570p. Any other possible solutions? Would greatly appreciate your help on this.

    Reply

  17. Thank you for this! Worked on Lenovo Yoga c940-15 with Windows camera frame server using more and more ram until zoom crashed

    Reply

  20. Worked on my lenovo t470s! I’ve spent hours looking for a solution and rolling back/updating drivers but this did the trick. Thanks!

    Reply

  21. before it didn’t recognize the camera. after changing the registry I see a black screen instead, but no picture. I’m using Lenovo X1 6th gen.

    Reply

  22. Thanks a lot for sharing!
    The issue is fixed on my Lenovo E550 after applying both fixes: regedit and renaming realtek folder.

    Reply

  23. It is beyond absurd that customer have to go through these kind of hoops when owners of these companies travel around in private jets. The day of reckoning will come.

    Reply

  24. Still not working for me. Windows 10 version 1909, HP Spectre. Worked fine until Windows update. Now just black screen in the camera. I tried the fix mentioned above, no luck. Still just a black screen. The IR light comes on when I open the camera app, but it “picture” is all black.

    Reply

  30. 1: Tried setting the D-word to both 0 and 1 – Result: did not fix it
    2: Tried resetting the camera – Result: did not fix it

    Then from the device manager > camera I rolled back the Realtek drivers from 10.0.19041 to the previous version and this fixed the camera from turning on and off continuously. Alternatively uninstalling and installing the drivers Version 1709 or later for Realtek should work.

    I am using a Lenovo ThinkPad T450s and Windows-10 Enterprise version 1909

    Reply

  31. Registry fix appears to have worked for me on HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 running Win10 21H1 with all drivers updated.

    Also with realtek drivers, but did not need to touch the folder.

    Fix completed 02/01/2022

    Reply

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