Home windows driver woes journey AMD GPU house owners, blind Arm-powered cameras

Microsoft is coping with a few unrelated processor driver issues which can be inflicting complications for some Home windows customers.

Redmond’s Home windows Replace instrument is mechanically changing the present AMD GPU drivers for Home windows 10 and Home windows 11 with older variations, inflicting compatibility issues between the newly put in driver and AMD Software program already deployed within the units.

AMD acknowledged the issue and outlined an answer.

In the meantime, Microsoft issued a short lived repair for a state of affairs the place the built-in digicam app on some cellular units, similar to Floor Professional X tablets, working on sure Arm-based processors stopped working. The workaround developed by the software program maker will get the digicam up and working once more, although it is not an entire repair.

A conflict of software program variations

Within the final couple of weeks, some Home windows customers have been greeted with a dialog field when making an attempt to launch AMD software program on cellular and all-in-one programs warning them of the automated Microsoft Replace transfer and the ensuing compatibility drawback. When customers received out of the warning field, AMD Software program would not launch.

Based on a discover from the chipmaker, the issue was prompted when Microsoft Home windows Replace “put in a Common Home windows Platform (UWP) driver in your AMD Radeon Graphics drawback which isn’t appropriate with the present put in model of AMD Software program. This driver could have been offered to Microsoft by the producer of your Cellular/All in One (AIO) system.”

Putting in the driving force created a state of affairs the place there have been two variations of AMD Software program on the programs, and the warning field popped up when the system tried to launch the unsupported model of the software program.

The AMD Software program package deal contains assist for video games, varied options, and instruments for optimizing efficiency. UWP and customised cellular and AIO drivers are designed to offer compatibility with the programs.

AMD really helpful customers cease Home windows Replace from putting in drivers on Radeon GPUs utilizing system properties and pointed to a Microsoft article for steps to take. It added that relying on the Home windows model getting used, superior strategies could be discovered by looking out the Microsoft On-line Group. Customers can then reinstall AMD Software program with the newest out there package deal.

Redditors acknowledged that reinstalling the drivers may take a while, however that the answer works.

“Roll again driver. Or reinstall the driving force from AMDs web site,” one wrote. “I am glad they’re lastly acknowledging that Home windows mechanically updates drivers after they’re not presupposed to. Earlier than it could simply do it and subsequent factor you realize your PC is unstable.”

The Register has requested Microsoft for remark and can replace if a response is available in.

Keeping track of the digicam

The digicam concern arose on Floor Professional X and different units powered by Qualcomm’s 8cx Gen 1 and Gen 2 chips and Microsoft’s SQ1 and SQ2, all primarily based on Arm’s structure. The issue surfaced Might 23, when customers reported to Microsoft and on Reddit that they have been getting an “0xA00F4271<mediacapturefailedevent> (0x80004005)” error when making an attempt to make use of the digicam app.

The issue did not have an effect on USB cameras or webcams, together with these connected to affected Home windows units, in line with Redmond.

Nonetheless, as we famous, it did have an effect on each back and front cameras and saved customers from with the ability to correctly run such instruments as Home windows Hiya face recognition and Zoom.

Customers spent a few days unsuccessfully making an attempt their very own workarounds earlier than Microsoft issued what it referred to as a “important troubleshooter,” which is utilized mechanically and cannot be put in manually.

The seller additionally listed steps enterprises and customers can take to disable the affected characteristic of the digicam driver and “to mitigate this concern on managed units the place troubleshooters are disabled by your group or if you need the mitigation earlier than the troubleshooter has run mechanically.”

The steps got here with a warning to solely apply the workaround on units being affected by the problems as a result of “severe issues” may stand up if the registry is incorrectly modified utilizing the Registry Editor or one other instrument.

“Microsoft can not assure that these issues could be solved. Modify the registry at your individual threat,” the corporate wrote.

The mitigation steps embrace deciding on the Begin button, typing “cmd” after which proper clicking on Command Immediate and deciding on “Run as administrator.”

Admins then can copy and paste the command reg add "HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlQualcommCamera" /v EnableQCOMFD /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f then press Enter.

The final step is restarting any camera-connected app.

It isn’t an ideal repair. It may disable some digicam options or diminish the picture high quality, although the digicam will operate till the issue is resolved when the OEM releases an up to date driver, which ought to restore full performance.

Microsoft is working with the gadget producers and driver makers to resolve the problem. ®