Is my Sony Z Camera broken?

I've got a UK Sony Z (VGN-Z11VN). I've got a dual boot Vista/7 setup that has been working fine. I used my motion eye camera about 1 month ago in 7 with no probs. Recently it's no longer there. By that I mean no camera installed, no devices in device manager (identified or not). I've not changed anything recently. I booted Vista (not used for months) and it's also absent from there!
There are no options in the bios that I can see to disable to camera, so I'm not sure what's happening.
As it's failed in BOTH vista and 7, and I knew previously it worked I'm assuming there's a hardware failure. Could it somehow be software?

I don't know of any way to be sure without fully re-installing, which I've not got the stomach for just now. Is there a linux live distro on usb or cd/dvd that I could boot from to check if the camera hardware is still present. Alternatively is there any way I can install windows on an external drive (usb/firewire) - I think not, as I don't want to mess with my existing install as I'm pretty busy.

Please reply if you can. Thanks.

 

i can reply
however only to say that a linux live cd probably wouldnt help you, check out the z launchpad page i think it takes a kernel rebuild to get it working.

i really am not sure whats going on with that, but i am having the same problem. unless its one of the unknown devices i currently have in the device manager. shouldnt it be under imaging devices?
i had home premium 64 installed and now i have server 2008 and i couldnt find any trace of it. can anyone help?

 

Thanks for the Linux info, I won't bother wasting any time in that direction.

From what I remember that's where it was. On my wife's Sony TZ that's certainly where it is.

 

This is really funny, buddy ...I've posted most probably the exact same issue on the forum already: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=417408
Noone has answered so far, I've tried digging myself here & there, you know probably yourself, too...Anyways, basically if the camera isn't listed under imaging devices in device manager, there's a high chance it has disconnected itself somehow (did you do any harsh movements recently with your vaio maybe?). I tried to go back to original factory settings (used the set of 3 DVD's provided), but hell no change at all, no matter WHAT OS (32 or 64bit) I've installed, the damn camera just doesn't appear there, dammit
Oh, and I tried latest stable Ubuntu as well with the help of handy wubi app
but that distro doesn't even fully support Vaio's functions (FN keys and issues with switch button for graphic card), but that's another story...
Honestly, I'm glad not to be the only one with this problem (of course it's sad to find out, you're one of the guys )

Good luck with getting it repaired (hardware issue most probably
Is there any chance you might remember how exactly was your camera listed previously in device manager? Trying to fin out at least something...

 

Thanks for the reply versager. I'm also glad to know I'm not alone. Your experience certainly seems to confirm what I had come to think - a hardware failure. I can't recall any significant knocks though.
Sadly I don't know exactly how the camera originally appeared. I could tell you about how it appears on my wife's TZ, but that's not particularly comparable.

I've got a 3 yr warranty on mine, so I'll probably wait until my official Win 7 DVD arrives and then try that. If still no camera I'll get on the phone to Sony for a repair.
Good luck with getting yours fixed. Keep me posted? I'll do the same.

 

Well, if you've got a 3 years warranty, there's still at least as a very last possibility for you to get it fixed after all...
IMHO I'm not that sure if installing Windows 7 will be your saviour, like I posted before (well still MY case only, right?) I tried different OS: Vista Ultimate 64bit,
Vista Business 32bit, WIndows XP Pro SP3 32bit and NO SUCCESS with that camera issue. I have the Windows 7 installed but only as a virtual machine on my Z, however it can be barely used for checking quality of camera.
At this point I'm more or less giving up
But it's not the end of the world, they say

I'll post on this forum, if I get this issue resolved (hardware or software fix, whatever)

See ya 'round

 

Well this issue has had me very confused.

I restored the C drive from the recovery partition (Vista Business) to double check the camera. It was no surprise to find the camera was absent. I concluded the problem was hardware and sent the unit back for repair as there was also an unrelated screen problem.

Just had the machine back. They say the webcam issue was software related and they have wiped the HDD and reinstalled.

Sure enough the camera now works! I have subsequently re-formatted myself and put W7 back on. The camera continues to work!
For the most part I did this in the first place without success, so I'm not clear where the problem was.
I guess it doesn't matter as it's all working again now.

 

Hello Sigma957

I'm glad to here you've managed to get the camera back to work condition again after all. I've reinstalled my operation system recently as well, however after a clean install to Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit, the issue with missing camera driver in device manager still appears there
My 2 questions to you are:
1) how exactly is your camera listed in device manager? can you provide me all the details you can see there? (meaning driver details)
2) what exactly did they do to your sony vaio Z in repair center? did they exchange the whole hard drive completely or did they just reformat it?
Reformating my hard drive hasn't resolved the camera issue, apparently...

thank you

 

I don't know exactly what they did. They didn't call when they had completed the repair, they just sent it back. On the note included they wrote:
1. LCD Replaced
2. Webcam problem software related - computer reset to factory settings (though they left me with the latest bios that I had already installed)

I had a few of the pressure bruises on the screen and that's why they swapped out the LCD.

As far as I know they formatted and reinstalled the drive. They did not state they physically replaced it. I remain adamant that the problem was hardware. I wonder if in swapping out the screen they reseated a loose camera cable (the camera is in the lid) without noticing. I used to build desktop computers and the symptoms of our problems only make sense to me as hardware.

So, you asked about the appearance in the device manager.
I've taken a screen shot. Let me know if you want any specific details from within the details tag.

 

Hi sigma957

thanks for the quick response, I appreciate it. From what you wrote, my suggestion is that the LCD replacement must have been the solution for your camera issue...I mean, it's almost hard to believe it was in some bizarre way hard drive related
Thanks for the pic provided, would you mind to upload another pic with the driver's details (right next to driver button)? However, I'm almost 100% sure, the camera cable in my LCD screen must be loose somehow and eventually I'll provide my laptop to a service center of Sony soon to have this confirmed for me

P.S. it's quite funny to hear that official statement - a sofware issue?!
honestly, I'm not technically skilled myself, but after hard drive format everything software related should be buried immediately

Anyways, thanks again...

 

Hi Versager
I saw a technical manual of the Z floating around this forum. If you were feeling brave (or stupid?) you could see if you could work out how to open the screen casing and see if there is anything loose. All this is assuming you no longer have any warranty left.
For what it's worth here is the screenshot you requested.

Good luck getting yours sorted

 

versager, if you happen to be still subscribed or see this:
i dont think theres any good reason to think that its FOR SURE the hardware.
if the driver is not installed and the operating system really has no idea what it is, then its not going to show up anywhere.
and also, i think i might have had this same issue, im not really sure, however you should try an OpenSUSE live cd. its been confirmed to work out of box. and if you like it, might as well get everything else working too http://www.basyskom.org/~eva/log_installation_vaio_z21vnx.html

 

So what software accesses the camera? I have no idea if mine works or not.