Toggle the Windows device status for the provided webcam.

Toggle-Webcam.ps1

<#
    .SYNOPSIS
        Enable or Disable a webcam.

    .DESCRIPTION
        Toggle the Status of a Webcam by disabling the PnPDevice. Useful for completely disabling an unneeded device
        without physically disconnecting it.
        Can also be used to output the current status of the provided webcam.
        Webcam name is sourced from the -WebcamName parameter, trying the WEBCAM_NAME env var if no parameter used.

    .EXAMPLE
        Toggle-Webcam.ps1

    .EXAMPLE
        Toggle-Webcam.ps1 -WebCamName "Logitech HD Webcam C270" 
    
    .EXAMPLE
        Toggle-Webcam.ps1 -Status
   
    .EXAMPLE
        Toggle-Webcam.ps1 -WebCamName "Logitech HD Webcam C270" -Status

#>
 
 param (
    # Only output the status and exit.
    [switch]$Status = $false,

    # Name of the webcam to use.
    [string]$WebcamName
 )

# Check for Admin (required to enable PnP Devices
function Check-Admin {
    If (-NOT ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal] [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole] “Administrator”)) {
        return $false
    }
    return $true
}

# Try Arg, then Env var, return $false if no name detected.
function Get-WebCam-Name {
    $name = If($WebcamName) { $WebcamName } ElseIf($env:WEBCAM_NAME) { $env:WEBCAM_NAME } Else { $false }
    return $name
}

# Try to get the webcam Pnp object.
function Get-Webcam {
    $webcamName = Get-Webcam-Name
    if (-not($webcamName)) {
        Write-Warning "No Webcam name detected from env var or passed as argument."
        return $false
    }

    $webcam = Get-PnpDevice -FriendlyName $webcamName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($webcam) {
        return $webcam
    }
    return $false
}

# Check the status without modifying the device.
function Output-Status {
    # Get a new webcam object in case the status changes.
    $webcam = Get-Webcam
    $webcamStatus = If ($webcam.Status -eq "Ok") {"Enabled"} Else {"Disabled"}
    $webcamObj = New-Object PSObject -Property @{
        "Webcam Name" = $webcam.FriendlyName
        "Status" = $webcamStatus
    }
    # Output status table.
    $webcamObj | Format-Table -Property "Webcam Name", "Status"
}

# Test webcam exists
$webcam = Get-Webcam
if (-not($webcam)) {
    Write-Warning "Webcam not detected."
    Break
}

# Status flag passed - output status and exit.
if ($Status) {
    Output-Status
    Break
}

# Exit if not running as admin.
if (-not (Check-Admin)) {
    Write-Warning “You do not have Administrator rights to run this script!`nPlease re-run this script as an Administrator!”
    Break
}

# Toggle Webcam
if ($webcam.Status -eq "Error") {
    Write-Host "Webcam is currently disabled - Enabling Webcam..."
    Enable-PnpDevice -InputObject $webcam -Confirm:$false
    Output-Status
}
else {
    Write-Host "Webcam is currently enabled - Disabling Webcam..."
    Disable-PnpDevice -InputObject $webcam -Confirm:$false
    Output-Status
}