Microsoft: Microsoft releases a temporary fix for Surface Pro X camera issue – Times of India

Last week, during Microsoft’s Build event for developers, multiple Surface Pro X users reported that their cameras were not working properly. Affected users reported that their hybrid device was showing a “0xA00F4271 (0x80004005)” error code while taking video calls on Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
However, at the same time, some Surface Pro X users also discovered a temporary workaround for the camera issue. Users noticed that manually changing the date and time of their system to May 22 or before was fixing the problem. This temporary fix suggested that the issue was caused due to an expired Windows security certificate.
What Microsoft said about the issue
To acknowledge the camera problem, Microsoft’s support channel issued this statement: “Microsoft is deploying a critical troubleshooter to mitigate this issue on most affected Windows devices. This workaround might disable some features of the camera or lower the image quality but should allow the camera to function until the issue is resolved by the device manufacturer with an updated camera driver.”
This means that Microsoft has issued an official fix for the issue but this can’t be a permanent one. As per the statement, the company has noted that the rolled-out fix for Surface Pro X cameras may affect some features or the image quality of the camera.

The camera drivers on the Surface Pro X are produced by Qualcomm. So, Microsoft suggests that the “device manufacturer” (which is Qualcomm in this case) is the only one that can permanently solve the outdated driver problem.
What users should do about the issue
So, as long as Qualcomm doesn’t release a patch for the affected components, users can update their devices with Microsoft’s troubleshooter and settle with a ‘low-quality’ camera system. Users can also manually change the date on their devices but that should be done as a last resort.
Changing the date can’t be a safer option as software and services that run on a scheduled basis can get confused. Moreover, systems that depend on encryption and authentication to communicate with each other also need to be operating on the same date and time. So, users are advised to update their devices with Microsoft’s temporary patch and wait for Qualcomm to roll out a permanent fix for the issue.