How to use built-in Webcam with Windows 8?

I've upgraded my laptop to Windows 8 and almost everything is working great.

The one notable exception is the built-in webcam, while it works perfectly from a number of Windows 7 applications (including Skype), no Metro/Windows 8 application can see it.

What do I need for the Webcam to be available to Windows 8 apps?
I'd like to try out the new Skype app, but without webcam support, that's a non-starter.

I have an HP Probook 6550b, but I suspect the problem isn't specific to this model. After all, drivers are installed and the webcam does work - just not from Metro apps.

Update

I've been running Windows 8 RTM since mid August, this isn't a recent installation. Driver updates for other devices (including video drivers) have come through Windows Update - there were several just prior to retail availability of Windows 8; I was hoping HP would release Windows 8 specific drivers around the same time, but haven't seen anything on the HP website yet.

Bevan

Posted 2012-11-05T08:49:28.033

Reputation: 1 162

restart your computer? – Sue Villa – 2012-11-05T08:57:53.990

It should "just work" - it might be worth testing with Microsoft's "camera" app as a baseline, and perhaps after a reboot if you haven't already done so since installing the drivers. – Rowland Shaw – 2012-11-05T12:41:09.250

Answers

Found the answer, and posting it here for others to find.

The HP driver being used for my webcam wasn't compatible with Windows 8. But, the generic webcam driver that came "in the box" from Microsoft works just fine.

Here's what I did.

Go to the Device Manager (the old school desktop one, from the System control panel).
Find the webcam - mine was listed under "Imaging devices"
Right-click and choose uninstall from the menu.
Make sure to mark the checkbox to delete the driver from the machine, press Ok.
The webcam should disappear from the list
Refresh the list (F5) and it should appear again, this time using the in-box drivers.

After this, the Camera Metro app worked perfectly, as did the new Windows 8 Skype application.

Bevan

Posted 2012-11-05T08:49:28.033

Reputation: 1 162

If you recently installed Windows 8 on a computer that had a different operating system on it and you can get your webcam to work on the desktop side of Windows 8 but not in the Metro side of Windows 8, this may solve your issue.

Follow these steps to get your webcam working in both desktop and metro sides of Windows 8.

Go Settings/Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Devices and Printers/Device Manager
Go to the Imaging Devices and Disable the webcam
Go to Control Panel/Program and find your webcam's DRIVER and uninstall the DRIVER, not the webcam.
Shut down your computer; wait 30 seconds and turn it back on. Login and go back to the Device Manager (see steps 1 and 2above) and then ENABLE the webcam.

This worked like a charm for me on my Fujitsu T5010 built-in webcam. I hope it works for you too.

Onlymy2Cents1

Posted 2012-11-05T08:49:28.033

Reputation: 1

What technical reason is there to wait 30 seconds before restarting? The shutdown event is a certain power state, which despite waiting 30 seconds or 1 second would result in the same behavior. – Ramhound – 2013-10-07T16:42:28.827