The Windows Phone Central Forums are a place of immense knowledge, resources and camaraderie. There is no better place on the web to hang out if you’re a fan or user of any Windows Phone device. Here is some proof of the kind of content you’ll find inside – this is some Sherlock Holmes level work regarding dust, the front-facing camera, and the proximity sensor on the Nokia Lumia 920 .

Forum user Eric Ewing (eeewing) was having some issues with dust working its way into the device and right onto the front-facing camera. Here’s his story and what he found while trying to fix the situation.

His first Lumia 920 was replaced because of the dust in the camera, which could easily be chalked up to problems with being an early production right? Not quite, as his replacement unit started having the same issue.

Communication with Nokia to fix the second handset was fruitless. He started with the support team on Twitter which wanted him to follow the normal repair process – the one that leaves you phoneless for about two weeks, which isn’t satisfactory in the least. Mostly because other members in the forums have reported all they do is take a can of air and blow the dust out for you. He then reached out to Matt Rothschild who passed him to the Nokia Care Team, where Eric learned that the issue was not covered under warranty. He then reached out to Stephen Elop (some members have had success in the past) and did not get a response there.

Frustrated with the situation, Eric decided to be proactive and attempt to fix the issue himself. This is what he found.

At the top of the phone, there is a seam about 1/2mm tall that runs the width of the device. It is located where the glass and polycarbonate housing meet. It’s all sealed except for one part, where the camera sits. The images below illustrate what Eric found.