Vaio Camera not initializing

Hi,
I just got a SZ 440 and was playing around with the vaio camera capture utility. After taking couple of pictures i get this message:
"An attempt to initialize camera failed
please check to see if other software is using the camera"
i cant see anything else using the camera of taskmgr. Any ideas?

 

I have sz460N. Have been experiencing the same problem as well. It seems to be intermittent. Uninstalling the camera device in the device manager and redetecting it would make the capturing utility work. But after I reboot a few times, eventually i'll run into camera not initializing problem again.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931812/en-us

There is a hotfix for it. But its not publicly available for download. If anybody has gotten it, can they share it?

 

http://hotfix.xable.net/download/index.php?dir=Language Neutral/Vista/

Download the Windows6.0-KB931812-v2-x86.msu file.

 

I tired the hotfix above, but it is not working. Sony support chat sucks! This is after less than a week of owning the laptop. I will try calling them tommrow and see if i can get any help. Here is the error i am getting now when opening camera capture utility:
Smart capture utility maynot be available, please restart your computer.
Any ideas?

 

Sony support really really sucks ass. I have the same problem with my camera. I emailed them, told them right away that I installed the VAIO Camera Utility update on the site. I also told them that it happens right when I start my laptop up, so there's definitely nothing else using the program, and I checked the Task Manager too.
They did NOT read my entire email. They told me to install the Camera Utility update.
Emailed back, repeating what I wrote before.
They write back, telling me to check to see if I have any other programs using the camera.
Emailed back, slightly annoyed now.
Their reply: There's a Camera Utility update available, try installing it.

That went on for a bit. I've given up now. Sony sucks.

 

I get the same problem. I.e. working with Messenger Webcam, and the next minute I try again it comes up with the message.

I just restarted my laptop and fixed it! Hope this works for you?

 

Getting the same problem on a brand new TZ11 with Vista. Any ideas?

 

This is getting stupid now. I raised the same query in a post yesterday. Mine worked then stopped with the same problem. So many people experiencing this and Sony still don't release a patch or anything? Takes the absolute mick... restarting, enabling/disabling, etc. None of it has worked for me.

 

This has appeared to work for me:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931812/en-us

I have re-booted 4 times and the camera works every time.

Before it worked about 40% of the time.

 

Need to get that hotfix... do you have to pay for it? Thing is.. at the moment... everytime i reboot it NEVER comes on... just don't understand.. why would it work perfect on the first day then not on the secod... weird.

 

Mine does work when it reboots but that article on M$ sounds quite good. Question is, how the hell do you get the hotfix?!

 

The hotfix related to this problem can be downloaded here or here. You might also want to update your VCCU to the latest version (uninstall existing version first), available here for Vista or here for XP. Since these updates may be locked to certain VAIO models, you might have to use Universal Extractor to extract the installation files out of the model verifier.

 

thank a lot