Laptop webcam dead?

[MRNR]

Hello.

 

A friend of mine asked me to check the webcam in is laptop (it's a Sony Vaio with a few years), the webcam just stopped capturing image. When any application that uses it sends the request all that shows is a black image. The webcam is detected and says its function well in the device manager. The driver, despite being pretty old, it's the most recent one I could find... (and yes it was a long search... :wacko: ). I also uninstalled and reinstalled said driver...

 

It's possible that the webcam just flat out died?

 

On a side note, the mic still works...

 

Any ideas or solutions?

 

Thx.

[ThE_MarD]

Heyyo,

Could be a loose cable. Try tapping around the bezel.. that or if you're feeling brave and get his permission? Remove the rubber stands on his screen as they are probably covering screws and unscrew the bezel and try and reseat the cables going to the webcam. I say get his permission because the bezels are thin and can be prone to having broken plastic clips or even cracking the bezel itself... so you have to be REALLY gentle. If you have rubber pry tools it makes it a little safer... that or only use your thumbnails to try and get under the plastic hooks. Same with rubber or those cheap plastic screw covers, they can bend or the glue could fail and then you'd have to buy new ones if you want it to look pretty again.

If that doesn't work? Next step is to either price out an internal cable if he's really against external cameras... but to be honest? external webcams that clip onto notebooks are dirt cheap. I'd recommend spending the few bucks for an external that you know will work guaranteed.

External webcams also provide a better image for the price you pay.