webcam woes

RiddickRiddick Malaysia Icrontian
edited January 2007 in Hardware
hey guys,

i just purchased a microsoft lifecam vx-1000 and its working pretty well except for the fact that everytime i turn off the PC, the webcam has to be replugged in to the USB port for it to function the next time the PC is turned on. my USB powered scanner doesnt seem to have this issue as it is redetected every startup (ive tried removing the scanner and having the webcam alone still no go) any ideas?

thanks

Comments

  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    Hey Riddick,
    Is the cam plugged into an USB Hub?
    If so, is the hub powered? (does it have an A/C adapter connected?)
    If you are connecting it through a hub w/ no A/C power to the hub, there may not be enough power for it. Try connecting it to an USB port on the computer, instead.
  • RiddickRiddick Malaysia Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    its directly connected to the computer. tried several (but not all) USB ports but still doesnt detect during startup
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    Riddick wrote:
    its directly connected to the computer. tried several (but not all) USB ports but still doesnt detect during startup
    Hi again Riddick
    Well I've been doing some searching around and couldn't really come up w/ anything substantial re: the cam itself. So, I switched to researching USB detection issues instead. Following are some of the references I found.

    Microsoft's LifeCam Solutions Center May be useful info. to have but I didn't find anything here re: your issue.

    Exerpt from next link...
    Important information about Legacy USB Support
    Most USB problems in Windows can be resolved by disabling USB Legacy Support in the BIOS. Your USB keyboard or mouse must have USB Legacy Support enabled in the BIOS to work with MS-DOS-based utilities and non-Windows modes. Before using the following steps make sure you have a PS/2 mouse and keyboard plugged in to the PC. (You can find the steps mentioned above in the next link...)

    HP and Compaq PCs - USB Device Troubleshooting
    (these methods are not confined to HP & Compaq PCs)

    Though I still "feel" like this might somehow be a power issue, it might be a good idea to update your chipset (and BIOS while you're at it) drivers.

    Finally, do you have another computer you can set the cam up on to see if the issue follows the cam?
  • RiddickRiddick Malaysia Icrontian
    edited January 2007
    thanks so much pterocarpous for the information. looking at some of the references, i think your hunch may be right. during startups the cam appears as an unknown device under USB controllers in device manager which according to your references are caused by a lack of power.

    also, i was just charging my mp3 player with my pc and tried the replugging in of the webcam. it took 2 tries before it could work, and there was a longer delay in initializing the webcam than usual.

    perhaps my PSU is rating is too low (420w) and it doesnt have the extra mobo power connector which my mobo supports (forgot how many pins)

    will try disabling USB legacy and removing USB hubs from device manager
  • PterocarpousPterocarpous Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
    edited January 2007
    Hi Riddick. First of all - you're certainly welcome.

    That's telling. I didn't know you were getting the "unknown device" in Device Manager, too.

    I'd get a powered USB 2.0 hub and connect the cam to it. See if that cures the ills. I agree, however, this could be a symptom of a problem w/ power supplied to your USB ports. In that event, the powered hub would be just a bandaid. IOW, it wouldn't address the source of the problem.

    A quality power supply can make a significant difference in your computer's overall performance. Wattage isn't the only thing to consider, when choosing one though. Following are a couple of links re: how to choose a PSU for your computer. There are many such references on the Internet. These are just two I found (and liked).:
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