Batch of 60 laptops (precision 5680) hard freezes when camera is initiated

Question

Since the February 2026 Windows Update cycle, we have identified a critical stability issue affecting a batch of about 60 enterprise laptops (primarily Dell Precision 5680).

The systems experience a total "hard freeze" (requiring a physical power-button reset) immediately upon initializing the integrated webcam in applications including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and on occasions even the native Windows Camera app.

The issue does not occur 100% of the times which makes it difficult to confirm in real time whether an attempted fix was successful or not.

No BSODs are occurring, but the freeze is so sudden that the event logs are not capturing any significant event leading to it.

Environment Details:

Affected Models: 60 x Dell Precision 5680, 1 x Dell Latitude 9440 2-in-1, 1 x Dell XPS 13 9320
Operating System: Windows 11 24H2/25H2 (Affected following KB5077181 / KB5077179 / KB5079473).
BIOS and drivers: the affected devices are kept up to date in all respects via scheduled runs of the Dell Command update utility, and for the few that were not up to date at the time the issue was reported, the BIOS and driver update has not resolved it.

The only proven workaround, which is not sustainable to maintain in place, was to roll back from the February Windows Cumulative Updates and blocking their reinstallation.

the issue reoccurs as soon as the CU is installed again, and the March CU that has become available in the meantime is presenting the very same issue.

After a restart its observed that the camera works for random amount of time until it fails again on the next camera initiation.

These models do not have an NPU.

Further Troubleshooting Performed (Non-Resolving):

Driver Parity: Verified and updated all units to the latest manufacturer-validated drivers (BIOS, GPU, and Chipset). Dell Command | Update: Ran the full "Advanced Driver Restore" and support stacks.
Running sfc /scannow and DISM health checks returns no corruption.
Basic Camera feature turned on.
Hardware Acceleration: Specifically turned off in conferencing apps (Teams, Zoom).
Teams/WebView2 Reinstallation: Full uninstalls and cache clears for communication platforms.
Privacy Settings: Verified camera permissions were enabled for desktop apps.
Deleting the camera driver from device manager and reinstalling.
Upgrading to 25H2 the affected devices that were still on 24H2
Installing drivers in a specific order did not help
Frameserver registry changes did not help
Changing PCI express and CPU settings in the power plan settings did not help.

Reached out to Microsoft as well.

DELL-Daniel V · Answer

@AlexSanchez​ Dell Engineering is aware of the issue and is working towards a resolution for the Precision 5690 and 5680. Unfortunately, I dont have any other information on an ETA or a possible root cause. Users with these systems should contact support, refer the agent to article 000403155, and get their issue escalated with the relevant teams to get the latest updates. The freezing when opening the camera in teams or zoom would be specific to the 5690 and 5680. If you have a different model having a camera issue, then it should be a separate issue.  Click the blue 'Get Help Now' on the right to start a private live chat session to create a case.

DELL-Daniel V · Answer

Contact Dell GHN (Get Help Now) chat technical support Monday through Friday. Click the blue "Get Help Now" on the right to start a private live chat session. Share the private Service Tag with them so that they can verify the ownership and warranty status. This will also generate a unique Technical Support case for your unique Service Tag.

Please inform the agent to view article #000403155. With 60 units impacted, you'll certainly want to get a case created and escalated to our advanced teams.

HSDAN · Answer

@DELL-Daniel V​ I've done this already however its taking a while to get anywhere. Trying all avenues to get this resolved.

AlexSanchez · Answer

I've contacted Dell about this same issue and they weren't much help at all. I've also created a post on here a week ago or so ago mentioning the same thing. We've had to roll back to January's updates as February and March's updates break the camera. It's consistent as well, after a fresh restart it will work okay but will eventually freeze at about 10-15 minutes. Some others have it instantly as soon as you turn on your camera. We've had multiple Precision 5680's having the same issue.

AlexSanchez · Answer

Any update on this? This is still a huge issue and I'm seeing the same thing happening on other models posted on the community pages.

Benny Johansson · Answer

Hi everyone,

Did you manage to solve the issue with the help of Dells support?

We’ve been in contact with Dell support regarding the exact same problem on our Precision 5680 machines. During our discussions, we also referenced the OP’s support ticket as well as Daniel V’s mention of article 000403155.

The Dell technician we spoke with pointed us toward the latest NPU driver (32.0.100.4512, A00) as the proposed solution, but unfortunately, this has not resolved the issue for us. Even after installing the driver, we are still seeing machines freeze during camera initiation. We’ve observed this multiple times across several different devices, all 5680.

I just wanted to check in and see whether anyone else has discovered anything new, found a workaround, or received any additional guidance from Dell.

Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Benny

HSDAN · Answer

@Benny Johansson​ Hey, we have not had much luck unfortunately. The NPU driver they suggested for you would only work with 5690s/devices with an NPU which the 5680s do not have. Dell supports current suggestion is to try installing a Dell OEM image. Here's the email -  ' Thanks for your mail. I'm afraid that I haven't been able to replicate the issue on the 5680 that I have here. Would it be possible for you to try rebuilding an affected system into a Best Known Configuration state and testing?   BKC: Perform a clean installation of Windows, deleting the previous installation (ideally with the Dell OEM image).  Repair and Restore your Computer Using SupportAssist OS Recovery | Dell US or Download and Create Windows Recovery Image | Dell US Once completed, immediately disable Windows Updates. Install the latest Dell Command Update, then run it as administrator and perform an Advanced Driver Restore:  https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-uk/000177525/advanced-driver-restore-using-dell-command-update  Allow DCU to check for further updates and update as needed, then turn Windows Update back on.' I have tried this and haven't had a crash yet over 2 days. This is promising however I'm not sure how we can fix the 50 or so devices with this solution.  Let me know if you find anything else, we are desperate.

AlexSanchez · Answer

@DELL-Daniel V​ Thanks for the update Daniel, we're still waiting to hear back on this.

AlexSanchez · Answer

@Benny Johansson​ Nothing new on this and it's still very much an issue. We can only hold off on Windows Updates for so long.

Benny Johansson · Answer

@AlexSanchez we're in the same seat. Still no ETA for a potential fix.

We had a meeting with Dell a couple of weeks ago discussing this issue, where they kept pushing for the NPU-driver to be the recommended fix (even for the 5680 model), but after testing and verifying that the driver does not make any difference on the 5680 model and that the problem can still be reproduced, they have not presented any other recommendations.

We suggested that they use one of our machines to troubleshoot and analyze themselves, which they agreed on, so we sent them one of our 5680 machine last week (11th of May). I'll post an update in the thread if we hear back from them with anything worth sharing.

AlexSanchez · Answer

@Benny Johansson​ Thank you for the update on this. I don't know why they keep trying to recommend the NPU driver when it doesn't apply to this model. Great to hear that they are willing to take a look at one of your machines. Hopefully they can finally figure this out.

sushihasquestions · Answer

@DELL-Daniel V​    has there been any follow up regarding this issue? We are kind of desperate since we have over 50 laptops with this issue now and after trying every troubleshooting possible it still seems to be happening quite often. Please look into this further, since we are all suffering here..... :(

DELL-Daniel V · Answer

@sushihasquestions Unfortunately I don't have any new info for this issue. It is still under investigation with the engineering teams. It is my understanding that driver development for MIPI cameras is with Intel, so we have to wait for them to provide improvements for this particular camera type. I would have to recommend to continue working with Support to get the latest updates on these models. Again, refer the agent to article 000403155 if you have not done so already.

(edited)

Precision Mobile Workstations

Batch of 60 laptops (precision 5680) hard freezes when camera is initiated

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