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    Somehow disabled my M1330 webcam, please help

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by JonnyWeir, Mar 1, 2011.

  1. JonnyWeir

    JonnyWeir Notebook Geek

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    Hey guys and girl,

    Somehow, I've disabled my XPS M1330's webcam. You probably gleaned as much from the thread title. I remember a year ago I disabled it through a method now unknown to me because the blue LED would occasionally flick on and I was worried it was collecting photos of me while I was in compromising positions. When will I ever need a webcam, I said to myself. It's probably spying on me.

    But now my girlfriend's overseas for a few months and I need the webcam back for Skype and probably hours of virtual (haha, it censored the word that rhymes with hex). Problem is, I can't remember what the hell I did to disable my webcam.

    I can't even find it in device manager, despite having downloaded and installed the latest drivers + dell webcam centre. I can't find any BIOS settings to disable or enable the camera, and that's basically the limit of my knowledge.

    Does anybody have any idea what I've done and how I can fix it? The hardware is still connected, btw.

    Thanks,

    Jon
     
    JonnyWeir, Mar 1, 2011
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  2. hiodie

    hiodie Notebook Enthusiast

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    I would need to check at home on my wife's pc, but there is a setting in the BIOS from what I can remember, maybe under Onboard Devices? If its not in the Device Manager (after clicking Scan for New Hardware), then it is probably disabled in the BIOS. If no one else chimes in I will check tonight.
     
    hiodie, Mar 1, 2011
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  3. JonnyWeir

    JonnyWeir Notebook Geek

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    Thanks for the reply,

    I checked the BIOS and there's no setting in Onboard Devices for webcam. Also tried scanning for new hardware in device manager with no success.

    Can anyone help?
     
    JonnyWeir, Mar 3, 2011
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  4. LordRasta

    LordRasta Notebook Consultant

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    So when you go into device manager you don't see Imaging devices at all? Have you ever taken your laptop apart? Lots of people have tried to do what you somehow did...disable the camera totally.
     
    LordRasta, Mar 3, 2011
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  5. JonnyWeir

    JonnyWeir Notebook Geek

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    I dont see any Imaging Devices in Device Manager. It goes from IEEE 1394 to Keyboards. I have previously taken my computer apart, but I've never actually taken the bezel off - just the underside, and I was very careful (coppermod).

    Two things I've thought of.

    It's a clean install of Windows 7 with no Dell programs on it - could that have something to do with it?

    Under USB I've got an Unknown Device with a yellow triangle indicating it's not working properly. Could that be my camera?

    Thanks guys.
     
    JonnyWeir, Mar 4, 2011
    #5