Since yesterday, the webcam indicator on my HP Victus 16 turns on as soon as I press the power button and stays lit until the laptop is shut down. This happens before the Windows 11 login screen appears. The camera is covered with tape, and both camera and microphone access are disabled in Windows settings. Turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth makes no difference. Windows Defender scans did not find anything, and I couldn't spot any suspicious processes in Task Manager. There is also no recent camera activity shown in Windows privacy settings. Could this be a webcam hardware, BIOS/firmware, or driver problem rather than malware? How can I determine what is keeping the light on, and could a compromise still access the microphone or screen despite Windows camera and microphone permissions being disabled?
3 Answers
Because the light comes on before Windows reaches the login screen, a normal Windows app is unlikely to be the cause. Check the laptop’s BIOS or UEFI settings for a built-in camera privacy switch and disable the webcam there if available. Also install the latest BIOS, chipset, and camera drivers from HP’s official support page. If the light still stays on in the BIOS, during a recovery environment, or with the camera disabled in firmware, that points more toward a hardware fault or webcam-controller problem than a Windows process.
A webcam LED that stays on can result from a driver crash, a camera module malfunction, or a firmware issue. The LED is often electrically linked to the camera module, so it does not automatically prove that someone is recording. In Windows, check Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and Microphone, review the desktop-app access entries, and test from a new local user account or a clean boot. If the indicator is already on at power-on, those Windows checks may not reveal anything.
For peace of mind, disconnect from the internet temporarily, back up important files, run an offline Microsoft Defender scan, and review startup apps and recently installed software. Change important passwords from a separate trusted device and enable two-factor authentication if you have any real signs of compromise. A covered camera prevents someone from seeing through it, but it does not stop microphone or screen access if the operating system itself is compromised, so keeping Windows and HP firmware updated still matters. Given the pre-login timing, though, hardware or firmware is the more likely explanation.
You can also use HP’s hardware diagnostics or contact HP support. If the webcam light remains on with the camera disabled in BIOS, the webcam module may need to be repaired or replaced.
There is no recent camera activity in Windows, so I’ll check the BIOS and HP driver updates next. I wasn’t sure whether the light could be controlled before Windows starts.