Problems with Dell Webcam Central

I'm having problems with Dell Webcam Central. My M4600 came with 1.40.28, which updated to 1.40.38, which updated to 1.40.42. I selected the anti-motion blur setting, which seems to have broken the software. The cam no longer works with Yahoo Messenger, and I can't unselect the anti-motion blur setting because it's gone.

I was on the phone with technical support and they suggested reinstalling the software. They provided version 1.40.05. which updates to 1.40.35. This software is not compatible with the webcam on the M4600. I found 1.40.42 in the update cache and reinstalled it, but the problem is still there.

It appears that the uninstaller does not clean out the entries in the registry, so now my computer has junk in the registry from two versions of the software, neither of which work. I'm wondering if I should delete the registry entries (CLSID records and other records). I really do not want to have to reinstall the OS for this problem, which is caused by buggy software and poorly written uninstaller.

Anyone experience this problem and find a way to work around it?

 

I think I've got the exact same issue as you. I too updated the webcam central software and now I've got a webcam that is stuck in a strange unusable mode unable to make any adjustments.

Been searching the last hour for the 1.40.28 version of the software but can't find it anywhere. Even read a thread where someone on the phone with a Dell tech couldn't find it. Would love to avoid reimaging my machine after spending 2 days getting it how I like.

Can anyone advise on a fix?

Thanks

 

If your computer originally had 1.40.28, then it's the same version as on my M4600. Dell was never able to as never able to locate that version of software for me. They provided a different version of software, version 1.40.05, which updates to 1.40.35, which did not seem to be compatible with the webcam on my M4600. (I say that because the webcam didn't work properly with that software.) I never found the original version of software, but I did find newer versions in C:\Program Files (x86)\Creative\Software Update\cache. Check there to see if there are any new versions in the folders and try installing them.

FYI, I just ran Dell Webcam Central and checked for an update. There is one so I will try installing it.

I sent a PM to Dell-Mano_G to let him know that Dell Support is doing a poor job of providing support for this software.

 

The version I currently have (and which I guess you are updating to) is "Dell Webcam Central (Business) 1.40.52" - I'd avoid it...

It is absent the motion blur setting and none of the controls seem to make any difference at all to the resulting video. My video now is stuck being very dark with a sort of "artistic" look to it.

It might be ok if you leave that motion blur setting alone. But it seems that after I turned it on and off a couple of times it dissapeared. I've just tried reinstalling the same version over the top. It doesn't seem to have 'reset' the program and restored the motion blur setting/control bars. Maybe there are registry settings that we could manually edit to restore the broken controls? I'm not really proficient enough though to figure something like that out.

If anyone has a setup file for ANY ealier version of the webcam that I can try that would be really useful. This current one is useless to me.

Thanks for the location of the creative update cache. I wonder if the software is removed, and the driver removed - whether windows 7 will identify the webcam and allow you to use it with skype? Is there such a thing as built in cam controls with windows?

Hopefully a solution will be forthcoming.

 

Too late. I already updated to the latest version. There is something really effed up regarding the anti-motion blur setting. I clicked it once. It not only broke the webcam, but the setting disappeared and I could not bring it back. Dell deinstalled the software, installed different and incompatible version which did not work either. I removed that version (now there is junk in the registry from both) and then reinstalled the proper version from the update cache. The anti-motion blur setting was back and it was turned off. The cam is working again now.

One thing you might want to try is deinstalling the software and deleting the driver from the device manager. That might be what cleared the anti-motion blur setting, but I'm not sure. YMMV.

I have no idea if the cam will work without the application, but my guess is not.

Dell is doing really poor job of supporting this.

 

Well today I woke up, switched on the machine and looked at the webcam. To my amazement the "anti motion blur" checkbox has reappeared and the other controls have an effect on the picture! Version listed in "about" is 1.40.52

Good times. I don't dare touch the anti motion blur setting.

I see that a white light beside the lens comes on with the webcam. Is that light controllable? Can its intensity be changed, or switched off entirely?

Would be really curious to know how the motion blur checkbox came to reappear. I'd still be interested in people sending me earlier versions of the webcam install program. If the earlier version is more stable, I'd think about reverting to it.

EDIT: One thing that is really strange, is that the picture looks reasonable - but if I double click to go full screen, the picture suddenly gets very dark. I've not tested this out with actual software - skype etc, but it seems like very strange behaviour. Do other m4600 owners have this issue?

2nd EDIT: Now, after another restart, and without me clicking the "motion blur" checkbox - the option has now dissappeared and I'm stuck in unusuable mode again. So frustrating.

 

Thankfully, for me, once the setting turned off and re-appeared, the cam started working reliably again. I have no idea exactly what caused it. I suggest you contact Dell technical support. If enough people report this, maybe they will get off their a**es and do something about it.