What is the best way to disable web cam in R4?

I want to completely disable the webcam and audio mic. So I wanted to know if anyone else has and how to do it. Is there a single cable for each you can unplug? Any tear down process?

Thanks!

 

Pretty sure if you remove the keyboard there is a power cable for the webcam that you can disconnect.

Documentation

 

what about built in mic?

 

I think it will power down both.

 

worse come to worse i can test it and if mic still works than back to the drawing board ^^....i dont want people recording me while i talk to myself and read articles ^^ I swear my grandma rubbed off on me when i was a kid seeing her always talk to herself like someone was there lol......not really but i am kinda like JD -_- from scrubs

 

you can always use the function key to turn it off, if won't even show up in device manager.

 

it can still get reenabled by malware or the gov i think....i thought i disabled it completely but it still worked when i got hammered by the java security hole (before it was made public #$&#$&&) ransomware got my beard face looking dumb reading an article lol. Long ordeal lol...there was a thread on it

 

What if simply uninstall the drivers also selecting to delete the accompanying software? There is no way to use the hardware without a driver. You should no longer see them in your device manager.

 

Internet glitch. How do I delete double post?

 

report button ^^ but couldn't drivers still be installed and updated remotely though? If hacker/gov gets remote access they can reinstall...the damn ransomware for me re-enabled it....my naive butt didn't think about them just having the program reenable the became -_- live and learn :/ hence why i want a permanent fix.

 

Where did i put my foil hat?

 

Well, there are very slim chances anybody creating a driver for you webcam and mic since it has to be device specific. Just think how much time it takes for professionals to create new drivers, which are published on Dell website - months, years. Nobody would bother to do that. You can remotely enable the device if the driver is installed, but if it is not, you would need to have admin access to start the installation of the driver, again load the correct one.
To feel safer you can disable remote access to you computer : in start menu type services and disable 'Remote registry'; then right click on computer, select Properties, remote settings, remote and mark 'don't allow remote connections to this computer'; have a proper internet security software with firewall (kaspersky internet security 2013, bit defenter internet security 2013 (total security version has a glitch right now and only costs $9.67 for 3 pc licenses), norton 360 etc).

If you are still concerned, take a look at some disassembly videos available


You would need to remove 2 screws, then the service door slides off. Under there do not remove any parts at all, just some screws, which are holding the keyboard. Dell are publishing outstanding service manuals, which are easy to follow through. When keyboard is lifted off, you should have the access to webcam cable and mic cable. Now I do not remember which cables to disconnect, but everything will be in the manual. Read it before doing anything tough as some notebooks have LCD/webcam cable as one cable and you would need to disconnect the other side then, which goes into the webcam itself. I would not do that in R4 as it is a lot easier to lift the keyboard and even the top case then trying to disassemble the screen pack. I have replaced my DVD drive with a blu ray reader last week but did not take notice about the rest of the cables at that time.

R4 service manual can be found here (owner's manual):
Manualsand Documents for Alienware M17x R4 | Dell US

 

hardly the malware that came through the java breach used my web cam and snapped a photo....not paranoia a common threat. Look at this...after i got infected i did some much needed education on viruses and malware and malware can easily hijack anything in your computer from I/O devices to your data.

Trojan horse (computing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

@mariussx...i had norton didn't do anything to stop malware from java security hole...using kaspersky now. Nortan was blocking access to my computer for 7 days and catch several malware but never poped up a notification for almost a whole week ! I spent 3 days with other people on this forum trying to beat the malware but even with using nortan and kapersky (kaspersky on another computer doing scan on hardrive through USB adapter) and 5 malware tools it would still some how come back after being 100% clean so i nuked it. Don't know how after cleaning and getting java to update succesfully and having all 7 scans showing 100% clean in 24 hours of not using computer it had zero access and other stuff again -_- So after 3 days wasted nuked it. As prix stated software helps but not complete plus not paranoia they can access anything so i rather go over board than underboard.

 

This is just my opinion and I might be wrong, you can disagree with it too, but I believe malware is aimed at masses and not individuals. Why there are so much more Windows malware than OS X - because there are simply more Windows OS users. I believe whoever creates malware is either after profit or recognition - one must put so much time and effort in creating a virus, without fulfilling either of these goals why bother? Hacker could be recognised if he takes control of a PC belonging to a president or somebody famous, but not a random citizen. Nobody from other skilled hackers would care about somebody taking down random pc as they could do the same thing.

I agree that highly skilled hacker could get past standard firewalls/antivirus software. However I do not think anybody would put time and effort if the pay-off is not guaranteed.

As I mentioned before if drivers are not installed you can not use the hardware. One would need to create unique malware to try and install those drivers to be able to use the hardware. Again, this is just my personal opinion and I might be wrong, but I would not worry past this point.

 

i agree with you the most part i just dont know what each does you know? For all i know once a malware gains control it sends a signal to the creator and he signs in to the malware and fittles with my PC or it does some special search for various file names to auto upload or something. Most of my important stuff is off named for that reason minus one....was lazy and haven't made a code name for the file yet lol.

 

I have no useful data that a hacker could really get into on my laptop. So let them or the government go through it if they really want to, they aren't gonna find anything extraordinary, unless they enjoy reading really boring english papers hehe.

with that being said, the more protection and security you have, the better.