Sudden "Camera Failed" problem, but not the usual one

[S_Kinison]

I've seen plenty of posts on the "Camera Failed" issue, but none quite like what I've experience in the last week. I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with Oreo and have had zero problems of any kind with it previously. I'm the original owner.

The error first popped up out of nowhere an hour after successfully taking a pic. The camera then refused to boot up for 4 days. No image ever hits the screen, just the error message Camera Failed after several seconds.

I tried ALL the recommended fixes:
- I did a Force Stop, then Cleared Data and Cache for both the camera and gallery several times
- Ran in safe mode (still nothing)
- Went to the phone restore screen, the one you get to when you hold volume up/home/power buttons, and erased the entire phone's cache. Still nothing
- Lastly after 4 days of futility I did a full phone system restore back to factory, wiping out the entire phone (after backing up apps, pics and messages)

The camera worked after the full reset-to-factory plan.... for about 3 hours. NOW it works about 30% of the time. It will work 4 or 5 times in a row, then refuse to work for hours. Then, suddenly, it works again.

I had not installed any new apps in the 3 or 4 weeks leading up to the sudden issue. The camera just decided one day to puke. After doing the factory reset it now works sometimes, almost completely randomly. I'll try it 3 times in rapid succession and get Camera Failed, then on the 4th try it suddenly works. I downloaded 2 other camera apps with pretty much the same results. The camera functions about 1/3 of the tries.

I have absolutely no idea what to even try next. After getting the error the first time it NEVER worked a again until I did the factory reset. Now, after the factory reset, it works occasionally with no discernible pattern.

Any thoughts?

 

[mustang7757]

I've seen plenty of posts on the "Camera Failed" issue, but none quite like what I've experience in the last week. I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with Oreo and have had zero problems of any kind with it previously. I'm the original owner.

The error first popped up out of nowhere an hour after successfully taking a pic. The camera then refused to boot up for 4 days. No image ever hits the screen, just the error message Camera Failed after several seconds.

I tried ALL the recommended fixes:
- I did a Force Stop, then Cleared Data and Cache for both the camera and gallery several times
- Ran in safe mode (still nothing)
- Went to the phone restore screen, the one you get to when you hold volume up/home/power buttons, and erased the entire phone's cache. Still nothing
- Lastly after 4 days of futility I did a full phone system restore back to factory, wiping out the entire phone (after backing up apps, pics and messages)

The camera worked after the full reset-to-factory plan.... for about 3 hours. NOW it works about 30% of the time. It will work 4 or 5 times in a row, then refuse to work for hours. Then, suddenly, it works again.

I had not installed any new apps in the 3 or 4 weeks leading up to the sudden issue. The camera just decided one day to puke. After doing the factory reset it now works sometimes, almost completely randomly. I'll try it 3 times in rapid succession and get Camera Failed, then on the 4th try it suddenly works. I downloaded 2 other camera apps with pretty much the same results. The camera functions about 1/3 of the tries.

I have absolutely no idea what to even try next. After getting the error the first time it NEVER worked a again until I did the factory reset. Now, after the factory reset, it works occasionally with no discernible pattern.

Any thoughts?

Hi, this is a note 9 forum, maybe try the s7edge forum for more help.

 

[Javier P]

Hi, this is a note 9 forum, maybe try the s7edge forum for more help.

Agreed. Thread moved to the S7 Edge forum.

 

[S_Kinison]

Thank you, tried to delete it and start over, but the Edit/Delete option doesn't seem to actually have a delete option....

 

[Javier P]

Thank you, tried to delete it and start over, but the Edit/Delete option doesn't seem to actually have a delete option....

No worries. The delete option is only available for replies posted on an existing thread and not for the first post that created it. Next time that you need help you can report your own post, explain what the problem is and the mod team will help you out.

 

[Rukbat]

As far as the original problem, it sounds like an intermittent camera module - a hardware problem. Try the front camera - does that work every time, or is it intermittent too? (If it's intermittent, I'm wrong, and it's a very strange firmware problem. If the front camera works, you're going to have to have the rear camera module replaced.)

 

[S_Kinison]

As far as the original problem, it sounds like an intermittent camera module - a hardware problem. Try the front camera - does that work every time, or is it intermittent too? (If it's intermittent, I'm wrong, and it's a very strange firmware problem. If the front camera works, you're going to have to have the rear camera module replaced.)

I think you're right. The main camera app never gives me the option to do the front camera. It just refuses to load completely. I downloaded another 3rd party app that lets me switch to the front and that works sometimes. Others not. The regular camera has not worked in 2 days.

Its just strange. It did start working immediately for several hours after the factory reset, and has worked on and off since (while not working a single time for 4 or 5 days before doing the reset) which kept me thinking it was software. Why else would it suddenly boot up again? I just don't know what else to try.