Microsoft has tried to make ARM-powered Windows computers a viable product category on and off for years, but it never seems 100% committed to the core concept. These devices always feel like second-class PCs behind x86/x64, and the Surface Pro X is no different. Owners of this device have noticed an odd bug: The camera doesn't work anymore, and it affects everyone. Oops.
This issue cropped up within the last day because that's when Microsoft broke the camera. Starting on May 23, something broke. It's unclear exactly what went wrong, but ever since, Surface Pro X owners have been met with a "MediaCaptureFailedEvent" error when attempting to use the built-in camera. Numerous Reddit and Microsoft Support threads are discussing the issue.
It does not appear that Microsoft pushed a system update or even an update to the camera app that caused this. The Verge speculates that there may be an expired certificate in Microsoft's ARM build of Windows for the Surface Pro X. So, the clock struck midnight on May 23, and everyone's cameras stopped working. It's not the best look for Microsoft as it leans into AI while promising to address the raft of bugs and incongruities in its implementation of ChatGPT.
The current version of the Surface Pro X was released in 2021—Microsoft unveiled a version of the Surface Pro 9 with an ARM chip as part of the 2022 Surface refresh. The company usually goes a few years between flagship ARM releases, so that's not a shocker. It is a little surprising, even given Microsoft's history with ARM hardware, that it would release an update that breaks a core feature of the computer. The Surface Pro X is supposed to be ideal for taking video calls on the go with its mobile connectivity and ultra-long battery life.
Microsoft is advising Surface Pro X owners to wait it out while developers work on a fix. There's no public timeline for that to happen, though. An alternative is to roll the machine's date back to May 22, making the camera work again. However, that could cause some services to throw authentication errors. Microsoft has also suggested users could perform a factory reset. This will allegedly fix the issue, but most of those who have tried report the problem reoccurs.
