Ubuntu turns on webcam but black screen in cheese

Question

I have Ubuntu 14.04 installed in my VMware and when I turn on cheese the light of my integrated webcam turns on but nothing appears on the screen. I have gone through black screen issues in internet but none of them provide any conclusive solution. I do get an output for lsusb where I can see the name Suyin.corp which relates to my webcam. My laptop is Dell N4050. Please advice.

Answer 1

I know this sounds stupid, but it's worth a try.

Some laptop models have a physical shutter, so the reason for the black screen is because the shutter's closed.

You can usually open it with a finger by sliding it to the right/left.