Windows 7 and Cyberlink YouCam [ Edited ]

[Tech_Head]

Cherylg, try reading the description fo the "driver" you posted...here let me paste it.

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This package contains the Webcam driver and firmware for the supported notebook
models and Microsoft Windows Vista Operating Systems. This driver enables the
built-in camera module.

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the firmware installs it without any checking to see if it is an applicable piece of hardware.  The updated firmware changes the device ID and manu ID so the MSFT driver no longer recognizes it and it does not work.  I see this on almost a daily basis.  The issue is a common one and almost completely contributable to technicians using "workarounds" without knowing waht they are doing or by individuals downloading the incorrect files and corrupting something.  To RdB1987: this is not a driver issue so purchasing yet another piece of software designed to download drivers will not help. 

Message Edited by Tech_Head on 05-19-2009 10:03 AM

Message Edited by Tech_Head on 05-19-2009 10:03 AM

[ABerri]

I didn't download the file that Cherylg recommended in an earlier post. The only thing I installed was SOFTPAQ NUMBER 34746 which itself is an HP Pavilion Webcam Driver version 1.00.1.1 Rev. A (Dated Jan 31st, 2007)

It's not what shows up in my Device Manager so that's why I think it didn't even install to begin with. I just went ahead and deleted the "sp34746" folder in SwSetup folder.

Besides, I think I will just have to wait until Windows Update releases a fix and hopefully that is in the near future because I use Windows Live 2009 a lot to chat with my friends overseas. Oh well.

[SWY]

I have no problems with the web cam in my DV4-1287cl running the Windows 7 x64 RC. How did you install Windows 7: upgrade, clean install, or clean install with reformat?  If you just did an upgrade or a clean install without reformatting, and your laptop uses Recovery Manager, try using it to reinstall the original driver and software.  I have found that the original drivers for all the devices in my laptop work under Windows 7 whereas some of the more recent upgrades do not. If this is an option though, go into swsetup (or whatever folder houses all the updates on your drive) first and delete any webcam softpaq updates you may have tried to install.  Recovery Manager will try to install the upgrade if present, even if you are telling it to reinstall the original.   You can then create a loop where you think you are fixing it but it is only reinstalling the one that doesn't work....

Stephen

[ABerri]

Stephen,

Basically what I did was burn the ISO Image file onto a DVD and installed Windows 7 from Windows Vista that I had running on my machine. I did a clean install. Even though before installing Windows 7 I was presented with the option of doing an upgrade or a clean install, I still chose clean install because that's what I thought I had to do. I thought the upgrade option was only for those who were already in Windows 7 Beta. Maybe I was wrong and had I did the upgrade option, I wouldn't have had to go through all the hassles of reinstalling everything all over again. Oh well, better luck next time.

As far as whether my system was reformatted, I'm not sure. All I can say is when I did the clean install, after it was done, everything was gone from my desktop and all my programs were gone as well. Everything was put into the "Windows.old" folder for backup purposes so does this mean it also reformatted my C Drive?

Not sure how to work with Recovery Manager but I'll play around with it right now and see what I can do. I'm trying to resolve an issue where after downloading and installing Google Earth, all my icons for most of my desktop shortcuts and program files in start menu went to a default "no image" icon and when I right click on them to change icon, that option is grayed out. So I did a system restore yesterday to the point before installing google earth and they came back. I never bother reinstalling google earth anymore. Today after turning my computer on since it was shut down, my icon image problem returned and it's frustrating me because I can't seem to figure out why this is happening. If I click on the icons they work, but what happened to their correct images??

I would love to upload and image to show you all but don't know how to get an image in here. If someone can help me with that I will put an image later. Thanks!

Abe

[CherylG]

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Tech_Head wrote:

Cherylg, try reading the description fo the "driver" you posted...here let me paste it.

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Tech_Head ,thank you, but I have read the descrption numerous times. I and many others have also used that driver_even when downgrading to XP.

If you had read closer you would see that he was getting the message 'Cannot connect to this video device' even before doing anything. AND he did not use the one I suggested that has you in such a state.

[SWY]

The fact that you have a Windows.old directory means that all of your pre-update drivers and software are preserved in that location - you will find under it Windows, Program Files, etc..  Nothing there is functional in that location, but (at least on the drivers front) all is accessible. With my laptop, Windows 7 loaded a minimalist driver for the hard drive controller.  I then however, pointed the upgrade driver function in Device Manager to windows.old\windows\system32\drivers\ and it picked up the (much better and newer) Vista driver.  For a few others, I picked them up by going to device manager, right clicking on the hardware item, selecting update driver, and choosing swsetup\drivers as the location -  that included the driver for my Webcam.

With respect to Recovery Manager (if your machine ran it), look for a folder called sminst under windows.old\program files or windows.old\program files (x86).  I provided some feedback on how to then use in the following thread:  http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/message?board.id=OS&message.id=9073#M9073.  That is how I got the actual working Webcam software to go along with the driver.   Hopefully some of this will help - I know that using the methods in my post in the thread I referenced, yielded me the few things Windows 7 did not originally install correctly. 

BTW, one thing I noticed about Recovery Manager though is that for certain drivers and software I had to run the install twice.   The first time, it said it was finished (and required a reboot) but it had only finished uninstalling the bad install.  After rebooting, I then ran the install for the same program a second time and it then installed the software.  The other thing is that if there are sps under the swsetup folder for what you are trying to install, it grabs them instead of the original.  I backed up the swsetup folder and deleted the sp for a webcam upgrade and Recovery Manager then installed the original.  As long as you have a backup of the folder, you can always put it back.

If something doesn't make sense, or you need further feedback, drop me a note.  There are also a couple other work arounds out there.  Most Vista drivers and apps run on Windows 7 - no surprise there since Windows 7 is an upgrade to Vista.  It is just a matter of finding the original drivers (and installers) on your machine.

Of course, the very last comment is, always create a restore point before doing any of the above.  It is very easy to do in Windows 7 - right click on the Computer Icon if it is on the desktop or the Computer Menu on the Start Menu and choose Properties, then System Protection, and then Create.  That way you have a point to which you can move back if something doesn't work as expected....

Stephen

Message Edited by SWY on 05-20-2009 03:20 AM

[ABerri]

SWY:

I did what you told me to do in device manager under imaging devices for HP Webcam Driver, I went to upgrade the driver and pointed it to that folder you told me about. (SwSetup/Drivers) and it told me that the latest drivers were already installed.

I found the SMINST folder under C:/Windows.old/Windows rather than C:/Windows.old/ProgramFiles(X86) and I do run a 64-bit Sytem. Just a little curious why I found the SMINST folder in a different location than what you mentioned. Also what exactly is the wording of this "Recovery Manager" app because I didn't know exactly which one it was. Then you said when I find this file, I can copy it to the identical location under Windows 7. Problem is I can't seem to find the SMINST folder in C drive under Windows 7. Am I supposed to find an SMINST folder or is that just part of Windows.old?

Also how does one use the "Recovery" application in Control Panel to reinstall a variety of apps? When you click on it, all it asks is what point would you like to restore your computer to.

And as for drivers, I basically reinstalled many of them by downloading them from HP's Support page for my laptop model. Now I wish I didn't after reading that you never tried doing this and got the current ones from Windows 7 itself or through the saved Vista folder (windows.old).

I'm thinking maybe I should reinstall Windows 7 and start all over again. I really don't wanna do this because I will have to reinstall so much stuff all over again. I'm still extremely annoyed with why all my icons went away as well.

Thanks for your help Stephen I really appreciate it. You have been extremely helpful and I've been learning a lot from you and many others here in this thread and forum.

[CherylG]

Copy the folder SMINST and place it in C:\Windows.Copy the folder SwSetup and place it in C:\. Now go to the new location of SMINST, find Restore7. Right click and create a shortcut..to place on desktop. Clicking it should start Recovery Manager,choose Advanced Options to see choices.... to install original drivers,software,etc  stored in C:\SwSetup.

There may not be an HP Wecam driver,since Vista/Win 7 is supposed to have a working driver.Many other things there you may want to reinstall though.

Message Edited by CherylG on 05-20-2009 11:49 PM

[ABerri]

Cherylg,

Thanks for that tip. I now have the shortcut to Restore7 on my desktop and honestly the only thing I ended up doing was reinstalling "My HP Games" application. In the advanced tab, when I clicked the option for hardware driver reinstallation, nothing was there in regards to the webcam and when I clicked the button that said "the driver is not in the list" and click Next, it just gives me instructions to use Device manager and in the tab "General" for the pertaining hardware, click Troubleshoot button but there is no troubleshoot button. Anyways I know that wouldn't do anything.

Btw, in the Windows.old folder under the following directory:

C:\Windows.old\Windows\System32\drivers

This is where my Vista version of usbvideo.sys is located and its version 6.0.6001.18000 versus the current one I have which is 6.1.7100.0

I guess I was trying to use the driver update and pointing the folder to the older one but it wouldn't update cos it kept saying I have the latest.

Thanks Cherylg...again like I mentioned before, I may give up and reinstall Windows 7 fresh but I highly doubt I will do this because reinstalling everything is a bi*ch, lol.

[CherylG]

I know what you mean_I just spent about 6 hrs re-installing XP along with Office and other stuff for a co-worker,argh.Second time in 6 months..teens on her pc. This time I did get smart and created an Image of her hdd.

If you do re-install Win 7, remember to copy the folders( SMINST & SwSetup) to usb flash drive or something to put back on.Then start with your Chipset first then other drivers.A fresh install with a formatting of the hdd might sort some of the problems.