Oct312012

Why has the webcam on my HP Pavilion DV6 stopped working?

Kera Pingree-Warren asks:

My 6-month old has just started rocking back and forth on her hands and knees! I wanted to capture this on video but my webcam is malfunctioning. I left my HP Pavilion DV6 on overnight because of the hurricane and today it seems to be wigging out. When I go to the “Cyberlink Youcam” software I use with my webcam, the screen stays blue and no image comes up.

The first time I did it this morning, the image was really choppy and the light next to my webcam blinked for a second, then it stopped and the image was gone. I tried going on Facebook to see if it was just my webcam app that was screwing up, but no image comes up, just the sound. Can anyone help? I have already looked for it in “Devices” in My Computer but it isn’t in there.

“My Computer” has a little yellow exclamation point next to it so I right clicked and it said “Troubleshoot.” I did and it said “Unknown Device” was having a problem. It said it was a USB but I have nothing connected via USB and haven’t for as long as I can remember. This is really frustrating! I want to show my little girl’s dad how close she is to crawling!

Thanks for any help!


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System: Windows
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8 Answers -

0 votes

Bruce Epper

October 31, 2012

Your webcam is probably a USB device (most are) and since it is connected internally, you just don’t see that connection. You can try to remove the Unknown Device from device manage (and any drivers it uses, if prompted to), then restart the computer to try to have it redetect the camera. It should automatically download and install the correct drivers for your camera again. You could also look on the HP Support website for drivers for your webcam to reinstall them yourself. I’d give you a link to it but I’d need the specific model number (not just the series provided above) which is normally on a label on the bottom of the laptop (dv6-xxxxxx) since HP regularly has dozens (sometimes over a hundred) submodels of a particular device.

0 votes

Jim Chambers

October 31, 2012

The webcam is a USB device. In Device Manager right click on unknown device and deleate it. Download newest webcam driver for your laptop and OS from HP and install it.

0 votes

ha14

October 31, 2012

Webcam Troubleshooting (Windows 7)
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02452221&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en

Select the appropriate Cyberlink YouCam Software OR MediaSmart Webcam Software and install
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/siteHome?cc=us&lc=en

can be the cable disconnected from inside. see page 61 in this guide
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01758220.pdf

0 votes

Ahmed Khalil

October 31, 2012

same this question is asked before, you can find the answer in old posts

0 votes

susendeep dutta

October 31, 2012
0 votes

dhanunjayarao chunduri

November 1, 2012

uninstall the web cam drivers from the device manager and re install the all drivers and then restart your system then open the cam software.

0 votes

Jim Chambers

November 3, 2012

If all else fails, buy a webcam for less than $20.00 and install it on your laptop.