Faulty internal webcam

FlipperThePriest

Hi,

I have a Sony Vaio with internal webcam. The last few days, I have started hearing the sound that windows makes when a USB port connects/disconnects (ding dong, dong ding). It's the webcam and very time i shake or move the screen lightly it goes...so maybe there's a loose connection or something. It's very annoying and I don't even use the webcam. I tried updating drivers, and then uninstalling device, but then it just reinstalls as it haphazardly reconnects! I think there is an option to simply dissable the sound associated usb activity but I would rather get to the core of the problem as I wouldn't like to think that this activity is constantly using up cpu time or whatever by connecting and reconnecting,

Any advice?

R3al

If you are technically minded you could get a teardown sheet for your laptop and dismantle the screen casing to remove/fix/replace the webcam, otherwise you could get a professional to have a look at it

FlipperThePriest

R3al wrote: »

If you are technically minded you could get a teardown sheet for your laptop and dismantle the screen casing to remove/fix/replace the webcam, otherwise you could get a professional to have a look at it

This is the closest model I could find, looks like a serious amount of messing
http://home.comcast.net/~nw_systems/vgnFE.pdf
Also that model doesnt have the webcam, mine's a vgn-fe880E.
Not sure if it would be worth the risk (and it probably wouldn't be with me involved.) Would there be any quicker fix?

kippy

You may be able to disable the device in the laptops BIOS (if you dont use the device at all)
You may also be able to disable the device in device manager (instead of uninstalling it)

Either of these should stop the "found new hardware" wizards, sounds etc.
Better still if you machine is still under warranty call the manufacturer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8z-2UXexSk

(You'll find another video on there for Vista/7)

FlipperThePriest

Thanks. I've tried disabling from the device manager and even afterwards it still connects and disconnects. I might try from BIOS.

kippy

zippy84 wrote: »

Thanks. I've tried disabling from the device manager and even afterwards it still connects and disconnects. I might try from BIOS.

Are you sure you tried the disable option? In your OP I think you mentioned you uninstalled it, disable is a different keg of lager altogether.....
Also, you could disable the plug and play service which I believe would stop the device being discovered - but that would effect the discovery of other devices you plug in as well.

FlipperThePriest

Yep, I uninstalled it, then disabled the hardware for webcam, then dissabled the USB composite that controls it...