Modern laptop models are almost all sold with a built-in webcam. Considering that among computer users video communication is becoming more and more popular every year, this is very convenient.
But suppose you did not use the camera, but after making the first call, you paid attention to the image - very light, dark, black and white, and this option is also possible - the camera simply did not turn on. In any case, you need to configure the webcam on your laptop for it to work correctly in the future.
Often, problems with the camera are solved very easily. If all else fails, then the problem is probably related to the hardware, and you need to bring the laptop in for repair. To buy a brand new, or not quite brand new, laptop with confidence that the camera is in working order, I advise you to read about several ways to check the camera on a laptop.
So the first thing to do is check installed camera drivers. We go "Start" - "Control Panel". Here we open "Device Manager".
We find the item in the list and expand it by clicking on the small arrow. Available connected devices will be displayed here. The one responsible for the camera will be called something like Web, Cam, Video. Look for a yellow exclamation mark or a red cross on the icon next to the name - this may indicate incorrect installation of drivers or their absence.
We right-click on the desired device and go to the context menu item "Properties".
On the General tab, in the field "Device Status" should be written "Device is working properly". This means that the camera is in good working order. If there is another inscription - go to the tab "Driver".
Here you can see which driver, when it was installed, update or remove existing drivers.
If problems with the camera started after laptop repair, then click "Update" and select "Automatically search for updated drivers". The wizard will search for drivers on the laptop and on the Internet. If it finds drivers on the laptop, install them and the problem will be solved.
You can install drivers yourself. Your laptop or camera should come with an installation disc. Insert it into the laptop's drive, then follow the suggested steps of the installation wizard. As a result, you will install all the drivers necessary for the connected devices, including the camera.
If you can't find a disk, or you bought a camera separately, and the laptop simply doesn't have a disk drive, don't worry. You can download drivers from the official website of the laptop manufacturer for free. Then install the drivers for the device yourself.
Special programs can also help you find and install drivers for your laptop. You can use the free program Driver Pack Solution. You can download it and read about it in more detail by clicking on the link.
After installing the drivers, be sure to restart the laptop.
The second thing to do is check if the camera is connected in device manager. We go, in the already familiar, device manager and open the item "Image Processing Devices". Look at the icon of the device responsible for the camera, there should not be an arrow next to it, as shown in the figure.
If it is, right-click on it and select from the context menu "Engage".
The device manager will blink, that is, it will be updated, the arrow will disappear, and the camera should work.
The third thing to do is to install a special webcam software. You can download it from the Internet, for example, LiveCam, WebCam Max or SplitCam. There are also various portable versions that do not need to be installed on your computer, download and use.
Run the selected program. After that, a window should appear with the image entering the camera, and a green indicator will light up near the camera itself, which means that it is working.
In such programs, you can configure the camera. Find the relevant item. I have this "Options" - "Video Capture Filter".
Here you can change some camera parameters, and make the image normal for perception.
If you do not want to download any programs, then consider the fourth paragraph. It suits those who skype installed on laptop. You can also use it to set up your camera. Go to "Tools" - "Settings".
Next, on the "Basic" tab, open "Video Settings". Here, in the main window, video from the camera should appear; to change the settings, click on the button "Webcam settings".
In the next window, you can select the desired settings for the camera image.
I hope the described methods will help you set up the camera on your laptop: the image from it will be displayed during video calls, with normal brightness and contrast.
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- The webcam is not in the equipment list at all. This is the worst of the options, which means that either the device is physically broken or hardware disabled.
- There is some unidentified device. It could be a camera (or something else) that the computer simply cannot recognize. In 90% of cases, this means that there is no software, that is, a driver.
- There is a camera, but it is marked with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point. This means that the device is recognized and generally works, but there may be problems in operation. It is treated by removing the old driver and installing a new one.
Good day.
Every modern laptop is equipped with a webcam (after all, Internet calls are becoming more and more popular every day), but not every laptop has it working ...
In fact, the webcam in a laptop is always connected to power (regardless of whether you use it or not). Another thing is that in most cases the camera is not active - that is, it does not shoot. And this is partly correct, why should the camera work if you do not speak with the interlocutor and did not give permission for this?
In this short article I want to show how easy it is to enable the built-in webcam on almost any modern laptop. So…
Popular programs for checking and configuring a webcam
Most often, to turn on the webcam, it is enough to launch some application that uses it. Very often, such an application turns out to be Skype (the program is famous for making calls over the Internet, and with a webcam - you can generally use video calls) or QIP (initially, the program allowed you to exchange text messages, but now you can talk with video and even send files...).
QIP
Official site: http://welcome.qip.ru/im
To use the webcam in the program, just open the settings and go to the "Video and Sound" tab (see Fig. 1). The video from the webcam should appear at the bottom right (and the LED on the camera itself usually lights up).
If the image from the camera does not appear, try the Skype program first (if there is no image from the webcam, there is a high probability of a problem with the drivers or the camera hardware itself).
Rice. 1. Checking and configuring the webcam in QIP
Skype
Website: http://www.skype.com/ru/
Setting up and checking the Skype camera is identical: first, open the settings and go to the "Video Settings" section (see Fig. 2). If everything is in order with the drivers and the camera itself, a picture should appear (which, by the way, can be adjusted to the desired brightness, clarity, etc.).
Rice. 2. Skype video settings
By the way, one important point! Some laptop models allow you to use the camera by pressing just a couple of keys. Most often, these are the keys: Fn + Esc and Fn + V (with the support of this function, usually, a webcam icon is drawn on the key).
What to do if there is no image from the webcam
It also happens that no program shows anything from the webcam. Most often this is due to a lack of drivers (less often, a breakdown of the webcam itself).
Opposite it there should not be any exclamation marks or crosses (example in Fig. 5);
Press the enable (or enable, see Figure 4) button. The fact is that the camera can be turned off in the device manager! After such a procedure, you can try to use the camera again in popular applications (see above).
If in device manager an exclamation mark is on in front of your webcam - it means that there is no driver for it in the system (or it does not work correctly). Usually, Windows 7, 8, 10 automatically find and install drivers for 99% of webcams (and everything works fine).
How to find your "native" driver:
Programs for automatic driver update:
Rice. 5. No driver...
Privacy settings in Windows 10
Many users have already switched to the new Windows 10 system. The system is not bad at all, except for some driver and privacy issues (for those who care about it).
Windows 10 has settings that change the privacy mode (which can block the webcam). If you use this OS and the picture from the camera is not displayed for you, I recommend checking this option ...
First, open the START menu, then the tab " Settings"(See Fig. 6).
Next, you need to open the section " Confidentiality". Then open the section with the camera and check if the applications have permission to use it. If there is no such permission, it is not surprising that Windows 10 will try to block everything “unnecessary” that wants to access the webcam ...
Rice. 7. Privacy options
By the way, to check the webcam - you can also use the built-in application in Windows 8, 10. It is called consonantly - “Camera“, see fig. eight.
Rice. 8. Camera app in Windows 10
That's all for me, successful setup and work 🙂
Question from user
Good afternoon.
Tell me how to make the webcam work. It seems that the driver has already downloaded, reinstalled it 10 times - but it still does not work (shows only a black screen). What else could be wrong?
Good day!
Yes, today's Internet surprises no one with streaming video, webcams, etc. In general, in general, there are not so many problems with webcams, and by following a simple series of steps, you can eliminate the cause of its inoperability (unless, of course, it is related to the hardware component - after all, your webcam could simply break down).
Why the webcam may not work
1) The camera is simply not active...
By default, the webcam in a laptop is always on and powered (it's just not active in real time - you don't always need a camera, but only while talking on the Internet, or when recording video).
And for it to start capturing an image, you just need to launch some application that uses it.
For example, in Windows 10 - such a program is "Camera". It's in the start menu.
If you have Windows 7/8, then some problem may arise - because. they do not have a basic webcam program built in. In this case, you can use Skype or Media Player Classic(which is present in every set of codecs).
Addition! About where to download the normal Media Player Classic -
Using the example of Media Player Classic, I will show how to open a picture from a webcam in it (relevant for all versions of Windows).
After installing the program, go to its settings: "View/Settings" . In the "Capture" section, specify your camera in the "Video" column, a microphone in the audio, and "Russia" in the country (it should turn out approximately like in my screenshot below).
If everything is in order with the camera, an image should appear in the player window.
2) Drivers not installed
If the picture from the webcam is not transmitted, then very often drivers are the reason for this (more precisely, their absence). To see if the driver is installed on the system, open device Manager (press the combination Win + Pause and in the menu on the left you will see a link to launch it).
In device manager, look at the tabs "Cameras" and "Other devices" .
If the driver is installed, then in the "Cameras" tab - the model of your device should be displayed, if there is no driver - then in "Other devices" you will see a mark with a yellow exclamation mark on some "Integrated webcam"(see visual screenshot below).
Device Manager - check if there is a driver for the webcam
To update the driver, you can try using the Windows function: right-click on the "Camera" and select from the menu that appears.
3) It is disabled in Device Manager or Windows Control Panel
It is also worth noting that in addition to the lack of a driver, the camera can simply be disabled in the device manager. Pay attention to the icon: is there an arrow on it?
If you have Windows 10, then open the START menu and go to the settings section.
In chapter "Confidentiality" open tab "Camera" and allow applications to use the hardware.
By the way, please note that at the bottom of the window you can set applications for each individually, which can use the camera, and which can not.
4) Check the spec. laptop control centers, antivirus.
And there is one more thing that may affect the operation of the webcam ...
Some laptops have control centers (comes with drivers). They allow you to adjust the laptop's power supply, adjust its monitor (brightness, contrast, etc.), fine-tune the keyboard, touchpad in detail.
Often in such centers there are also privacy (security) settings in which there may be a restriction on the use of a microphone and a camera. I recommend checking this one out.
By the way, some antiviruses can also block the transfer of images from the camera, fearing that the attacker's application will be able to gain control over it (and thus receive confidential information about you). Try temporarily disabling your antivirus.
PS
Alternative non-obvious reasons
1) Check Is the camera sealed with tape? or some kind of sticker. For some laptop users, I have noticed such a "trick" for several times - people are afraid that hackers (or tracking software) will be able to take pictures of their personal lives and, just in case, seal the camera. Naturally, in this case, apart from the black screen, the camera will show nothing...
2) Is the webcam busy? another application? It's just that if you run two applications at the same time that "want" to use the camera, then perhaps nothing will be shown in one of them. Try restarting your PC (after previewing and turning off all unnecessary), and use only the only software to view video from the camera.
3) It may take 10-15 seconds between the time you launch the program to display video from the webcam and the time you see the picture on the computer screen. ! Those. there is a certain pause. It's just that many users, having launched the program and not seeing the image after 2-3 seconds. - consider that it does not work and look for the "cause" of the problem (which does not exist!).
4) If all of the above did not help, maybe your camera is just broken(hardware reason). I would recommend that you buy an inexpensive external webcam (connected to a USB port) in some Chinese store (for example). If you catch a promotion (+ use cashback) - you can spend mere trifles...
Suggestions on the subject are welcome...
For now, that's all.
Modern laptops have built-in webcams. Now it is impossible to find a model for sale that does not have a camera. But, like any other module, this one can also be faulty. Or users often just don't know how to turn on the webcam on "Windows 7". We will try to solve this problem once and for all.
How to enable webcam on Windows 7 laptop?
Let's start with the fact that the webcam on a laptop works by default with pre-installed drivers. That is, when you buy a laptop in a store, it already has Windows 7 (or another version) with drivers for the webcam. If you reinstalled the OS or some kind of malfunction occurred in the camera, then the drivers must be installed again. But we will talk about this later.
The easiest way to turn on the webcam on Windows 7 involves using Skype. Everyone has this program, and if not, then downloading it is easy. In the Skype settings there is a section "Camera settings". Already there, in the settings, you can turn on the camera and see your image. However, if you want to know how to turn on the webcam on Windows 7 without Skype, then there are other ways.
Alternatively, you can do this on a specialized site for testing webcams. Just go to webcammictest.com and click the "Test Webcam" button. If everything is in order with it, then it will start, and you can see yourself in the image. In the event of a malfunction or any problem, the message "Webcam not connected or defective" will be displayed.
Social media camera check
The same can be done on the social network "Vkontakte" or "Facebook", for example. There you can create a profile photo using your webcam by clicking on the "Take Snap Photo" button. After that, a small window "Adobe Flash Player Options" will pop up and ask for permission to use the camera. You need to click "Allow" and "Close". After that, the camera will be activated and you will be able to take a picture. It is worth noting that the camera can only work on Internet sites if the Adobe Flash Player plug-in is installed. If the camera is not all right, for example, drivers are not installed, then you will see the message "Webcam not detected".
You can also use special programs that enable and allow you to configure the camera: Active WebCam, RGS-AvaCam, Webcamoid, etc.
Status check
If the described methods of how to turn on the webcam on Windows 7 do not help, then you need to check its status. To do this, go to the device manager and check if this module is present in the system at all. The easiest way to do this is to write on the command line: devmgmt.msc. This will immediately open the "Device Manager" window, and there we need to look for the camera in the list. It will be in the drop-down list under "Imaging Devices". Expand this list, and if there is a webcam there, it means that everything is in order with it. But there may be other situations:
Therefore, before turning on the webcam on Windows 7, first check its condition. If it suddenly turns out that the computer simply does not see it, then you will not be able to turn it on at all.
How to enable the webcam on "Windows 7" on an HP or Asus laptop?
Laptops have special functionality for quickly launching the camera using the Fn buttons. In laptops, these buttons allow you to slightly expand the functionality. For example, you can make the sound quieter or louder, the brightness higher or lower. You can also turn off the display and put the computer to sleep. How to turn on the webcam on Windows 7 on an Asus or HP laptop in this way? Just press the Fn button and, without releasing it, click on the camera icon. Depending on the model, this icon can be located anywhere: at the top or bottom of the keyboard. It may not exist at all. When pressed, the built-in camera application is launched with different settings. On some laptops, this key combination allows you to enable or disable the camera module itself. It all depends on the model.
But even if in this case nothing happened, then your case is difficult. At a minimum, you need to try to install the driver.
Installing the camera driver
If you tried all the described methods on how to turn on the webcam on Windows 7, but still nothing worked, this means that you need to install the driver.
The information label on your laptop indicates the model. Find this sticker and identify the model. This is important, because depending on the model number, your laptop may have one or the other camera installed.
Did you recognize the model? Now go to the laptop manufacturer's website and click on the "Support" section. All manufacturers on their website allow users to download drivers. In the "Support" section, you need to select "Download Software" and indicate the model of your laptop there. This will display a complete list with drivers for all devices that are used specifically in your model. You are interested in a driver for the camera, which may be called Camera driver or something else. After downloading the driver (or camera application), install it, restart your computer, and check again using one of the suggested methods.
If the problem really was the missing or incorrect operation of the driver, then reinstalling it should solve the problem. But if this did not help, then the last option remains with a malfunction of the module itself. In this case, you will have to carry the computer to the workshop, because the hardware problem cannot be solved by software.
Conclusion
Now you know how to turn on the webcam on Windows 7 on your computer, and what to do if that doesn't work. Unfortunately, in laptops cameras often break down in hardware, not in software. However, their replacement does not imply any difficulties.
We often need a camera to communicate on Skype or another messenger, but, unfortunately, it does not turn on. It may not be configured or even enabled. We offer you several effective methods for checking the connection and settings, which should help out at such an important moment.
Connectivity Check
If you are using a USB camera, you should first check all the connectors and cables. Sometimes you need to additionally press the power button on the gadget itself. The built-in camera in a laptop will require certain programs.
The easiest way is to check the camera online. You just need to go to the site that provides such a service, click "Allow" in the drop-down window, and you will be on the screen.
Check Device Manager
You can check the operation of the camera using the "Device Manager".
A question mark or an exclamation mark next to the name indicates the need to install drivers. They are located on the disk with the operating system. If there is none, they can be found on the official website of the gadget manufacturer.
Choose drivers exclusively for the model of your laptop or USB camera.
With an arrow drawn down opposite the name, you need to press the right mouse button and select the "Enable" item in the context menu.
Turning on the camera
You can turn on the camera using standard programs and special utilities.
Take advantage of special programs
You can turn on the camera using Windows Movie Maker (Movie Maker) or Skype. If they are not on your laptop, install them.
Everything is clear with the film studio - you just need to open it to start the camera.
Skype is a little more complicated:
You can also turn on the device using any utility or special program for creating photos and videos on your computer. There are a lot of them on the Internet, just download wisely - do not bring viruses. To do this, check the files through the checked .
The most difficult situations
In the most difficult cases, you can restart the laptop, move the portable camera to another slot, update or reinstall the official drivers.
When all else fails, you should contact the master or take the gadget (USB camera or the entire laptop) to a service center.
