Integrated webcam
 

A work colleague ( No, honest !!) of mine has recently purchased an Advent 9215 laptop with integrated webcam. The lappy looks great but neither of us can work out how to switch the webcam on. The operating system is Vista so we're fumbling in the dark a bit ... any clues ?? :O

Edited to add there's nothing on the desktop or in the start up menu that seems to start the webcam. I've had a browse through the 'All programs' option with no success.

Try searching in the User Guide. (There should be an electronic copy on the desktop somewhere.)

My new Samsung laptop also came with an integrated webcam at the top of the screen. I need to use some bespoke Samsung software ('Play Camera') to get it to work.

In your case, I'm guessing that there will be some Advent software utilities somewhere. Try looking in there.


HTH.

There are probly some drivers that need to be installed, before the camera will work. Maybe its not Vista compatible. Vista can be a bit hard to navigate at first.

Also, check out the utility cd that usually comes with a new machine. You may very well find the software needed on that.

Just a thought, but is there a button (or a Fn + button) to enable the device on (or above) the keyboard?

I have seen grown men weep with frustration wondering why they can't get wifi to work on their shiny new lappies, when all they had to do was to press the button to switch it on...

SD

New laptops usually come with everything installed - ditto the grown men - spent ages trying to figure out how to enable built in speakers on daughter's friend's new vista laptop, eventually to find a small, hidden-away volume control wheel on the case.

Whiz, on some models it's Fn+F10 to enable the webcam. Check the little icons on the F keys.

Avtrician, why would you assume a machine sold with factory-installed Vista require additional drivers to activate integrated hardware? Do you seriously believe that's normal?

Good morning all, thanks for the info. My colleague took the beastie home last night and had a good fiddle (ooer missus) it would appear that he only narrowly rescued the packaging still complete with instruction manual and discs from the recycling bin !! I felt compelled to give him the following advice...... RTFM !!! :rolleyes:

When it comes to windows, I dont think any thing is normal. Some Laptop/notebook PCs although pre loaded with Vista, dont work very well, or the drivers dont always work. Daughter has a Dell that crawls although is Vista recommended. I stuck with XP Pro.

Then again, this may be as simple as a hidden switch, had that problem on a Toshiba last week.

Could always try downloading a webcam programme like Sightspeed. When I did, it looked for a camera and found the one installed. Everytime I launch Sightspeed now, the camera turns on.

Assuming Vista has one, try looking in Control Panel and see if it's listed (maybe disabled).

Got my mates new Toshiba up and running today from straight out of the box. This has a built in webcam and I had a look how to get it going, couldn't find anything except an icon down on the right next to the clock. Have a look there...

had same problem
 

i bougt exactly same laptop at the weekend and had same problem. i typed the problem into windows help and it run me through re setting the power options. bizarre yes.. but it now works fine. i have used it fine through msn messenger today.

Come to think of it, on Vista you can go control panel>system>problem reports & solutions. From there, if Vista has detected the webcam, it'll offer a link in most cases, to download the software or driver to run it.

Thanks all, some great info here, as vista virgins you've saved us a lot of time. Webcam seems to be working now just need to sort the wireless out now :ooh:

I fixed the problem.
 

I got my webcam on my advent 9215 laptop to work by going to the device manager in control panel. Clicking on the imaging devices tab. Select the usb 2.0 camera, right click and disable it. Restart the laptop then go back to the device manager and turn the camera back on. Go to your msn messenger do the webcam setup and you will see the LED by the webcam has turned red, this means it is working. This worked for me hopes this helps!

I bought a new laptop last week with a webcam built in.

I can't find where to switch it on manually but it works on it's own with the likes of MSN etc, it just comes on automatically.

The manual is a load of crap though. No paper copy, it is on a disk and it is appalling. Most of the illustrations on there as to what the buttons do are missing the numbers, there is a list of items but no numbers on the diagrams...... :ugh:

I notice the thread started with an Advent computer. I had one, the backlight failed after 2-years, but Advent previously swore blind that it did not have a microphone - it did.

The Advent also had an inscription inside saying wireless lan; if it did I never found it.

I looked at a replacement from Currys. They swore it had not got a VGA Out; it did. They said it was the Kensington lock.

The moral is that your computer only has what you can find and what you can make work :}