SZ Webcam not working with Vista Ultimate

Hi,

I've seen some mention of SZ users not being able to get their webcams working with Vista. I was running Vista Business and the webcam was working fine, but then I upgraded to Vista Ultimate and now the webcam displays a blank screen in MSN Messenger, Skype etc. Strangely, however, it works fine in the VAIO Camera Capture Utility. That's no good to me though! When I'm using Skype etc the little yellow light comes on for the webcam alright, but just a gray or black still image is displayed.

This is driving me mad, I actually use that webcam quite often.

I also noticed a fault with the soundcard when I upgraded from Business to Ultimate (audio seems much louder even when volume is set atlowest level). Would this have anything to do with it?

I've tried uninstalling the webcam device driver, using the original XP driver that I have on disc, allowing Vista to pick the best driver etc but always with the same result. I have an SZ3VP. Can anyone help? Thanks

 

http://support.vaio.sony.co.uk/down...ons&category=0&serie=VGN-SZ&m=2382&os=7&osl=1

Thats all I really know. Doesn't look like theres a direct driver for the Camera.

 

Yeah I've tried all those drivers but with no luck. What I can't understand is why the Vaio Capture Utility can use it fine but no other application can.

 

My webcam did not operate once I installed the Sony Vista drivers for it. I reverted to the XP drivers and it is working fine.

 

got a japanese model sz73b/b. made a clean install of vista ultimate, but unfortunately can't find the cam drivers nowhere!! the only thing i know is that it's the vcc5 model. can anyone support me with these drivers??

 

This is the driver that I had been using up until the webcam mysteriously stopped working. Its the original XP version, as far as I can tell. In fact, I recall that my webcam was working just before I installed the new version of iTunes.... then when I tried to use it with Windows Live Messenger a few hours later it wasn't working. Coincidence surely?? I can't see why iTunes or Quicktime would prevent the webcam from working.

Let me know if that driver works for you.

 

I have seen the firmware update of camera which upgrades the VCC2 to VCC5. It was really pain to update the firmware since you have to boot in DOS which is not something you could easily do these days. With this update, the camera was working fine on Vista Ultimate.

I hope Sony distribute this update with their Vista Express upgrade.

 

shows me ur driver installed correctly (vcc2 driver on vcc5 camera). but still no recognition in any application, including sony capture utility!!

 

Thats kinda what happens with me. But it actually works ok in Camera Capture Utility, and it seems to be at a fairly high resolution. But no joy in any other capture progra, or Skype or Live Messenger etc.

I'm intrigued by this firmware upgrade... hopefully that will become available.

Vista is starting to be more trouble than its worth.. lets hope the final Sony drivers and utilities will sort everything out!

 

i have the same problem with my AR350E,

i installed ultimate right when i bought it. about a week after all the fun installing of adobe / studio applications i decided to wind down and video chat with some friends of mine.

well for some reason now all it wants to say is that its unable to start.

i uninstalled the driver and reinstalled ----- started working again!

HOWEVER, it seems to quit working again when i use any program (webcam supported) except the capture utility.

so basicly, im trapped in a loop of if i wanna use it for skype or msn.... i have to reinstall it afterward to use it ever again.

sony support was of course NO help.... pointed me to useless articles that i already did or had nothing to do with the situation.

anywho, i would believe there would be nothing diff about premium and ultimate except like some apps and what not, im wondering if i bite the bullet and restore back to factory if i will have my cam back to working order... or i could just say DANG YOU SONY! and buy a logitech laptop cam.

 

The only thing that I use mine for is Windows Live Messenger and at first the camera didn't work with my SZ with Vista Business so I went to Device manager and uninstalled it and then hit "Action" and "scan for hardware changes" and it picked it up and now it works.

Edit: My camera is the Sony Visual Communication Camera VGP-VCC5 so it may be newer and may be the reason that it's working.

Jerz

 

So I uninstalled and reinstalled the thing about a dozen times over the last week or so, and it still wasn't working. A few days later however and now it seems to be magically working again.. I didn't make any signifcant changes to the drivers / utilities / software installed on my SZ. I'm happy out but not in the least bit confident that it'll remain this way...

As far as I can recall, the last time I reinstalled a driver I was using the original XP driver (the same one I attached to another post in this thread). Let me know if it doesn't work for you, but for now it seems to work for me ok.

Dave

 

Do you know where I can get this firmware update? Thanks!

AF

 

the more i think about it i really dont wanna blame sony.

we all can recall when XP came out and how it had the exact same issues - (applications not working due to them thinking it was NT, drivers wouldnt install or run properly.)

if i wanna have a finger pointing war i guess i wanna aim it at microsoft.

MICROSOFT!!!! ERRRRR! lol

just my 2 cents!

 

actually i made some progress i forgot to mention, i called sony and finally got somewere!

the higher up support teams are actually aware and they are currently working on a fix for some drivers.

they think it has to do with Ultimate vista, i personally think its how the driver was wrote and ultimate must have another way of handling driver information than (home/premium/business).

i wouldnt be suprised due to business and home versions do have a minor driver difference so i would only assume ultimate has a universal way of handling that doesnt really agree with all drivers.

who knows.... all i care is that my built-in cam works right and that sony is working on it.