Help with webcam

[DoahMonty]

First off, apologies if this is the wrong forum, I didn't see a specific forum for laptop hardware. Anyway, I have an Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi laptop. It comes with an Acer Orbicam. My orbicam is not working, and when I try to open it, I get the following message:

"Camera is in use by another applicaton."

I think the problem may have started when I plugged in a digital camera (canon). Since then, it seems as if the USB drivers are still looking for the Canon, rather than the Orbicam. I tried uninstalling/reinstalling the orbicam, and system restore isn't an option because this was over six months ago and I would lose too much.

BTW, Windows XP Pro.

Any feedback is very much appreciated... Please please please don't make me have to call Acer tech support... =]

 

[PRPhx]

Did the Canon webcam install any software? Open the control panel, then open the add/remove programs and see if there is any canon webcam software listed. If there is, delete it. You may need to reboot the laptop. If that doesn't work, you may be able to delete the canon webcam thru right click on my computer->click manage. Delete the webcam if it is still there. You may also have to delete the USB port. Rebooting should then find the USB port w/o the camera.

 

[DoahMonty]

Tried all you said. Nothing listed in add/remove programs, and webcam is not listed in comp management. Deleted ALL usb ports, restarted, and let them all reinstall. No luck. We even tried uninstalling/reinstalling drivers/software for the orbicam itself. Lost at this point...

 

[PRPhx]

IF you feel comfortable enough, you can try searching the system registry (back it up first!!!!!) for canon or for the model of camera you have. Delete each entry you find.

 

[Lemon13]

in device manager, go to view and choose show hidden devices (donno if hidden is the right expression, in german its "ausgeblendete geräte"
there should be the canon camera listed, delete or disable it

 

[DoahMonty]

PRPhx - ok, nothing listed in the Registry, and Lemon13 - nothing listed under hidden devices... Both excellent suggestions, but maybe the canon stuff isn't the problem. EIther way, the problem remains. There is some app using my camera in the background, and causing it not to work. I've disabled all startup items, and I'm lost lost lost... Thanks for all help to this point..

 

[vacunita]

Something here maybe:

http://www.theacerguy.com/2007/06/12/an-apology-and-a-solution-for-the-orbicam-problem/

or here:

Are there any pictures in your My Pictures Folder?

http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/laptop-support/265387-acer-orbicam-won-t-start.html

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[PRPhx]

Are there any entries in the event log as to what may be causing the problem????

 

[DoahMonty]

vacunita - I read theacerguy threads. They have solutions there for acer aspire's only. Looks like Acer hasn't released a patch for the travelmate's. Aspires use a bison camera, and the TravelMate's use Logitechs. I tried taking all my pictures out of My Pictures to no avail. It's a real annoying problem. Part of me is just thinking about buying a cheap webcam and seeing where that gets me, but it's only a bandaid really, I like fixing things... haha...

 

[DoahMonty]

PRPhx - sorry, missed your post. Nope, nothing in event log even remotely close to orbicam, logitech, or anything else that would apply.