[Q] Can a ROM kill the camera?

[aalaap]

I had a perfectly working Galaxy Nexus running CM10.x, which I updated to a CM11 nightly. This worked great for a week or so and then the camera and gallery started FCing. After several resets, restores, newer/older nightly installs, nothing changed. Tried all possible combinations of new/old Gapps, but still no luck. I tried different ROMs - PA, stock 4.3 and some others, but nope. I even tried Ubuntu Touch and even that couldn't access the camera. This is when I was pretty convinced that the camera module itself must have died.

My questions:

1. What killed the camera? Is it possible that a bad ROM could have done it?
2. Is it possible to fix this via software?

I can try and get it repaired locally, but I just want to know if anything can be done at home.

Thanks.

 

[jsgraphicart]

I had a perfectly working Galaxy Nexus running CM10.x, which I updated to a CM11 nightly. This worked great for a week or so and then the camera and gallery started FCing. After several resets, restores, newer/older nightly installs, nothing changed. Tried all possible combinations of new/old Gapps, but still no luck. I tried different ROMs - PA, stock 4.3 and some others, but nope. I even tried Ubuntu Touch and even that couldn't access the camera. This is when I was pretty convinced that the camera module itself must have died.

My questions:

1) What killed the camera? Is it possible that a bad ROM could have done it?
2) Is it possible to fix this via software? I can try and get it repaired locally, but I just want to know if anything can be done at home.

Thanks.

A ROM wouldnt just kill the camera over time. It would have not worked right after the ROM was installed. So I doubt it was a ROM. I would do a full reset. Not just a normal factory reset but flash the factory image and see if it fixes it. If it doesn't then most likely it's a hardware issue.

 

[aalaap]

A ROM wouldnt just kill the camera over time. It would have not worked right after the ROM was installed. So I doubt it was a ROM. I would do a full reset. Not just a normal factory reset but flash the factory image and see if it fixes it. If it doesn't then most likely it's a hardware issue.

I've used the phone for over a year without any issues with several kernels and ROMs before and the camera worked just fine.

Yes, I've done a complete clean up - I wiped the whole phone and memory (using the fastboot -w option) and installed different ROMs and even a different OS (Ubuntu Touch), but the camera issue persists.

I believe it's hardware issue, but I just wanted to know if anyone's faced a similar problem.

 

[jsgraphicart]

I've used the phone for over a year without any issues with several kernels and ROMs before and the camera worked just fine.

Yes, I've done a complete clean up - I wiped the whole phone and memory (using the fastboot -w option) and installed different ROMs and even a different OS (Ubuntu Touch), but the camera issue persists.

I believe it's hardware issue, but I just wanted to know if anyone's faced a similar problem.

So you went through this process?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-nexus/general/how-to-return-to-stock-galaxy-nexus-t1626895

 

[aalaap]

So you went through this process?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-nexus/general/how-to-return-to-stock-galaxy-nexus-t1626895

Yup. I believe that's the exact post I referred to when I did it.

It even lost root during this process (of course) and I had to do it again - something I hadn't done in almost two years.

Since it was a spare phone, there wasn't any useful data on it. I backed up a few pictures and completely wiped it clean. No luck.

I'll add that the issue is only with the camera. Some apps FC, some apps (such as Camera+) give a message saying it was unable to connect to the camera or something. I believe the Gallery also FCs because it uses the camera at some point. All other apps work perfectly fine.

 

[jsgraphicart]

Yup. I believe that's the exact post I referred to when I did it.

It even lost root during this process (of course) and I had to do it again - something I hadn't done in almost two years.

Since it was a spare phone, there wasn't any useful data on it. I backed up a few pictures and completely wiped it clean. No luck.

I'll add that the issue is only with the camera. Some apps FC, some apps (such as Camera+) give a message saying it was unable to connect to the camera or something. I believe the Gallery also FCs because it uses the camera at some point. All other apps work perfectly fine.

Usually if the phone has any issues at all, that process fixes them. And if it doesn't, then there is usually something wrong with the hardware. I wouldn't think the problem was brought on by installing a ROM or kernel though.

 

[.B.0.W.]

I think it's related to the kernel that you're using

 

[Sal7_one]

......

i think yes but if you change the rom it will work

some roms the camera has some bugs big bugs colors are broken and stuff