Computer Question

[Teacher Mark 53]

The integrated WC is malfunctioning on my laptop. I have disabled it and am using an external cam now. The picture sucks when it's dark. I figured it was the cam. WRONG. I just hooked the cam up to my new laptop and it works great. Anybody have any idea why it would work so good with the new one and not the old one? The picture quality on the integrated cam is excellent and still is when it works. The problem is sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

P.S. Yes I've restarted! I've done everything I can think of, including reinstalling the software

Edited February 4, 2009 by Joe Six-Pack

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Your video card on your old laptop is probably the culprit. Find out what kind of video card you have and then Google search for the latest drivers and update the driver. I'm not sure what it is, if it's not that.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Your video card on your old laptop is probably the culprit. Find out what kind of video card you have and then Google search for the latest drivers and update the driver. I'm not sure what it is, if it's not that.

Thanks.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Your video card on your old laptop is probably the culprit. Find out what kind of video card you have and then Google search for the latest drivers and update the driver. I'm not sure what it is, if it's not that.

Thanks.

Hope it works...let me know.

[aidan80 9]

Video drivers, settings, web cam drivers.. OS... what OS are you running?

[Teacher Mark 53]

The dreaded Vista. This would be the video card right?

Video

* Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce Go 7000M

Driver Detective says it's up to date.

Here's the specs:

Acer Aspire 4520-5582 - Turion 64 X2 TL-52 1.6 GHz - 14.1" TFT

General

* Built-in Devices Stereo speakers , Wireless LAN antenna

* Width 13.5 in

* Depth 9.7 in

* Height 1.5 in

* Weight 5.5 lbs

* Localization United States

* Notebook type Thin-and-light (4-6 lbs.) , Budget

* Screen type High-gloss/Anti-glare screen , Wide-screen

* Wireless capabilities 802.11g , 802.11b

Processor

* Processor AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology TL-52 / 1.6 GHz

* Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core

* 64-bit processor Yes

* Chipset type NVIDIA GeForce 7000M / nForce 610M

Cache Memory

* Type L2 cache

* Cache size 1.0 MB

RAM

* Installed Size 1.0 GB / 4.0 GB (max)

* Technology DDR2 SDRAM

* RAM configuration features 2 x 512 MB

Storage

* Floppy Drive None

* Hard Drive 120.0 GB

* Storage Removable None

* Hard drive type Portable

Optical Storage

* Type DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM - Integrated

* CD / DVD read speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)

* CD / DVD write speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL)

* CD / DVD rewrite speed 10x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)

Optical Storage (2nd)

* 2nd optical storage type None

Card Reader

* Card reader type 5 in 1 card reader

* Supported flash memory cards MultiMediaCard , XD-Picture Card , Memory Stick , SD Memory Card , Memory Stick Pro

Display

* Display Type 14.1 in TFT active matrix

* Max Resolution 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )

* Widescreen Display Yes

* Color Support 24-bit (16.7 million colors)

* Features CrystalBrite

Video

* Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce Go 7000M

Audio

* Audio output type Sound card

* Audio output compliant standards DirectSound , Dolby Home Theater

* Audio Input Microphone

Notebook Camera

* Camera Type Integrated

Multimedia Functionality

* TV Tuner Type None

Input Device(s)

* Input device type Touchpad , 4-way scroll button , Keyboard

Telecom

* Modem Fax / modem

* Max transfer rate 56.0 Kbps

* Protocols & Specifications ITU V.92

Networking

* Networking Network adapter

* Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes

* Wireless NIC Acer InviLink 802.11b/g

* Data link protocol IEEE 802.11g , Gigabit Ethernet , Ethernet , IEEE 802.11b , Fast Ethernet

* Networking features Acer SignalUp

* Networking standards IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g

Expansion / Connectivity

* Expansion Bays None

* Expansion Slots Total (Free) 2.0 ( 0.0 ) x Memory , 1.0 ( 1.0 ) x ExpressCard/54

* Interfaces 1.0 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11 , 1.0 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 , 1.0 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) , 1.0 x Audio - SPDIF output/headphones/line-out - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , 1.0 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm , 1.0 x Audio - Line-in - Mini-phone 3.5 mm , 1.0 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) , 4.0 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A

Power

* Power device form factor External

* Voltage Required AC 120/230 V

Battery

* Technology 6-cell Lithium ion

* Installed Qty 1.0

* Mfr estimated battery life 2.5 hour(s)

Operating System / Software

* OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

* Software Acer Empowering Technology , Acer GameZone , Acer GridVista , Norton Internet Security (OEM) , CyberLink PowerProducer (OEM) , Adobe Acrobat Reader , Acer Launch Manager , Acer Arcade , Acer Crystal Eye , NTI CD-Maker (OEM)

[Shad and Dani 3]

What software are you using with the webcam? Skype? Yahoo? or something else? The webcam has nothing to do with your video card.

[Teacher Mark 53]

What software are you using with the webcam? Skype? Yahoo? or something else? The webcam has nothing to do with your video card.

Yahoo and Meebo. The pic is better on Meebo with the old one. Both are great when I use it with the new one

Everything appears to be working right. My Brother has an XP disc he said I could have when I get home. I'm going to ditch Vista and run XP instead. Maybe it'll all come out good in the end.

[NickD 203]

Nice not having to use a webcam to look at my wife, did that for a couple of years if I wasn't down there or she up here. Our major problem was securing a good internet connection, that wide bandwidth tends to bump us off. Ha, when she came up here and learned I was doing screen savings of her, said she was going to sue me for saving shots without her permission, but she was pleased I was doing that.

Webcam is back in the box it came out of and been there ever since, that is one solution to solve webcam problems if you are webcaming your sweetheart, get married and bring her here.

It took MS four years to square up XP only to go backwards with Vista.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Nice not having to use a webcam to look at my wife, did that for a couple of years if I wasn't down there or she up here. Our major problem was securing a good internet connection, that wide bandwidth tends to bump us off. Ha, when she came up here and learned I was doing screen savings of her, said she was going to sue me for saving shots without her permission, but she was pleased I was doing that.

Webcam is back in the box it came out of and been there ever since, that is one solution to solve webcam problems if you are webcaming your sweetheart, get married and bring her here.

It took MS four years to square up XP only to go backwards with Vista.

Now why didn't I think of that?

We'll be together again for a while at the end of the month.

P.S. They're getting a washer if I have to charter the S.S. Minnow to bring one in.

[Shad and Dani 3]

Nice not having to use a webcam to look at my wife, did that for a couple of years if I wasn't down there or she up here. Our major problem was securing a good internet connection, that wide bandwidth tends to bump us off. Ha, when she came up here and learned I was doing screen savings of her, said she was going to sue me for saving shots without her permission, but she was pleased I was doing that.

Webcam is back in the box it came out of and been there ever since, that is one solution to solve webcam problems if you are webcaming your sweetheart, get married and bring her here.

It took MS four years to square up XP only to go backwards with Vista.

I told my finacee we should put the webcams in a sack and step on them at our wedding...

What software are you using with the webcam? Skype? Yahoo? or something else? The webcam has nothing to do with your video card.

Yahoo and Meebo. The pic is better on Meebo with the old one. Both are great when I use it with the new one

Everything appears to be working right. My Brother has an XP disc he said I could have when I get home. I'm going to ditch Vista and run XP instead. Maybe it'll all come out good in the end.

I would have ditched Vista a long time ago. I suggest checking your Yahoo settings first, then if the driver has a GUI check settings there. Hope this helps.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It could be a conflict with the video card and Vista, or something within Vista itself.

I just had a nightmare of a time trying to get my printer to work again - after Vista inexplicably "swallowed" the settings.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'm leaving it alone until I get home in a few weeks. I'll just install XP and hope for the best.

[luckytxn 2,265]

On this laptop I am now I have never had probs with the built in cam but my last one I started to after time. I fixed mine by finding the maker of the built in cam and they happened to have a update and did that and it improved. I noticed that you only have 1.0 GB of memory also. After a computer gets updates and other programs get on the computer that 1.0 GB of memory starts to get used up fast. Vista is a memory hog. When I got my last laptop and it had Vista I disabled about everything so much so that it was almost like having XP.

While the computer is running and the built in cam is running go in and look at how much of the memory is being used. I am betting it is being maxed out and if so runs slower. This could be the culprit especially if the computer is getting a year old or more. Of course I use mine so much I doubled my last laptop from 2..0 GB to 4.0 but it costs money to do so.

Also I am sure you have done so and all but at least weekly dump all your cache and do a thoroughly scan.

Edited February 5, 2009 by luckytxn

[Teacher Mark 53]

On this laptop I am now I have never had probs with the built in cam but my last one I started to after time. I fixed mine by finding the maker of the built in cam and they happened to have a update and did that and it improved. I noticed that you only have 1.0 GB of memory also. After a computer gets updates and other programs get on the computer that 1.0 GB of memory starts to get used up fast. Vista is a memory hog. When I got my last laptop and it had Vista I disabled about everything so much so that it was almost like having XP.

While the computer is running and the built in cam is running go in and look at how much of the memory is being used. I am betting it is being maxed out and if so runs slower. This could be the culprit especially if the computer is getting a year old or more.

Yeah the memory could be an issue. I have an external drive that I'm storing a lot of files on though. I'll probably just clean this one out, install XP and give it to my Wife. The desktop I bought her last year is turning into a real piece of junk ($400). I was naive enough to think they would be cheaper there. She may get this new one though, because it's sort of bulky. The 4520 is compact and fits perfectly on my steering wheel. I'm trying to find out now if the broadband she has is through the phone line. I'm pretty sure it is. If that is the case the new one won't do because it doesn't have a modem.

Edited February 5, 2009 by Joe Six-Pack