How to identify your webcam (and then find its driver)

just a couple quick comments till i have a chance to look at it further

1) No need driver installation under system Win Vista and XP-SP2
> Your cam is absolutely using a non-generic (i.e. non-Microsoft) driver installed
> So i can only speculate this driver gets found my Windows Update so it can be automatically downloaded online for install
2) Installing our software, it will support Vista, XP and Win2000, with functions inside
> I also saw that's what they say
> An interesting quick observation: Vista was released in early 2007 (i think Jan)
> The driver was last modified Oct, 2005. The comments in the driver installation file header
Code:
;==========================================================================
; USB PC Camera Plus (SN9C102P/105/110/120) INF (for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP)
; Copyright(c) 2002-2004
; File version: 1.2.0.9
; Last modified: 2005-10-14
;==========================================================================

/* edit */
On your XP machine, why don't you connect the web cam and then look for the driver in Device Manager (again with a yellow icon). Rt click Update Driver. Does it find the driver by itself?
 
Many mysteries makes for quite a quandry

Not the least of which is how the V-Gear driver for this webcam got installed on your Vista machine. Are you sure you don't recall installing any software that came with it? Referring back to their website they state
REMARK;
1) No need driver installation under system Win Vista and XP-SP2
2) Installing our software ,it will support Vista, XP and Win2000, with functions inside. Such as Face Tracking, Special effect, photo frame (under 320X240 to choose).
1) I question whether their driver is really Vista compatible (we'll get to that in a bit)
2) "Installing software" implies installing an application they provide. And i'm guessing the driver comes packed in with the application install!
3) Is possible the driver came as part of a Windows Update but few drivers do (and seems to only be very common drivers vs. one for a web cam

Regardless of above, could you try the following on your XP computer
  1. On your XP machine, rt click the device in Device Manager. rt click Update Driver and let's see if Windows finds any driver
  2. I did, in fact, find i think a driver for this web cam. It looks like it would work under XP (let's prove that) before we attempt Vista install (and pls wait for my instructions before trying it on Vista) So just do XP first
  3. Download file at this link V-Gear_TalkCam_Messenger_Pro_V5.12.1.5_Windows.lok . Save it on your desktop
  4. Rename the file to a .exe extension (i had to create it as .lok so i could save it on esnips for you)
  5. Rt click My Computer, click Properties. Click Hardware, then Driver Signing button
    > Then click Warn
    > Check box Make this action system default
    > Click OK then OK
  6. Now run the downloaded file
  7. Does it prompt you warning this driver has not passed Windows testing? If so, click Continue with Installation (and tell me if it asked or not)
  8. Now test the web cam (if needed, also reboot)
 
JOY!!

:grinthumb

Wooohoo! Thank you success! on my xp computer.

Did exactly as you said, got the warning driver has not passed windows testing, continued, tested the cam but no joy. I actually tried the driver you supplied me before as well....

HOWEVER what I didn't do when I had tried downloading and installing it then and now was the reboot!

I re booted, windows hardware wizard started, created a restore point and then proceeded to install (or link driver to device). When it was finished tried webcam and VOILA!!! Success, thank you so so much!!

Now what should I do to try this on my new Vista machine? Easy step by step instructions would be most appreciated. :)

Very happy thanks!
 
I actually tried the driver you supplied me before as well....
Ah-HAH! J'accuse! (just kidding, LOL) But that would explain how it is i found a V-Gear driver in your Vista registry! :approve:

Moving on to Vista... let me explain the issues

First, some info about Driver Signing
MS added "digital signatures" during XP. These are encrypted certificates used to guarantee the identity of the signature. They're used for many things. One thing is to create "signed drivers"
> A signed driver is a driver which meets MS testing standards and has been granted a digital signature

Remember my instructions in prior post when i had you check the Warn option?

In XP you can Allow, Block, or be Warned (as you choose) whether or not you want to install an unsigned driver. And clearly the driver you just installed is unsigned since you saw a Warning.

While signed drivers were an option in XP, they are required starting with Vista. Meaning if you install that same driver in Vista it won't work cause it's not signed.

Now I have read of Vista hacks to turn off Vista's signed driver requirement but i've never used them myself so proceed at your own risk
1) Since I've never tried doing it myself, i can't tell you how well they work or if it can cause other problems (e.g. will it then allow you to install drivers (or malware) that otherwise couldn't/shouldn't get installed
2) You must leave it off if you want the driver to work
3) But just fyi. and at your own risk.. some links/info below (tho IMHO i'd probably just buy another cam for Vista and see my footnote below)
> A tool you could use
> To find more info and hacks google: unsigned drivers vista

Footnote:
In all fairness to Fametech i'll add the following..
The V-Gear cam and your Fametech cam are 2 different cameras. BUT they both happen to use the same video chip inside (which is why the V-Gear driver happens to also work with the Fametech)
> If Fametech actually provides their own application and driver, i couldn't find anything on any English websites
> There were some references on Chinese sites but i didn't want to try downloading from any of them (if only in part as i couldn't read what i was really downloading.. aside from worries about malware
> But if they're selling cams with claims of no driver sounds cagey to me. At minimum (from their site) they are providing a program to use the cam and i'm 99% sure that program includes the driver (the user just doesn't realize it)
> And why the site claims they have an "application" that works with the cam yet you say your cam arrived with no software of any kind is a good question!

** edit **
btw.. i wouldn't be surprised if, in fact, the software offered by Fametech turned out to be the same as V-Gear (often happens when two cams which look different actually use the same video chip inside)
 
Hi aadiflux! :wave:

Thank you much for the kind remarks! btw.. have ya gotten a new cam yet? (and i hope it works!)
 
Hi,

Can you help me alos find a driver for my webcam?

Here is the Hardware ID: USB\VID_093A&PID_2460\5&C4240CA&0&1

The model is TOUCHMATE TM-CAM110.

Thanks in advance as I am really having a hard time looking for a driver that will make it run with other pc!
 
Hi,

Can you help me alos find a driver for my webcam?

Here is the Hardware ID: USB\VID_093A&PID_2460\5&C4240CA&0&1

The model is TOUCHMATE TM-CAM110.

Thanks in advance as I am really having a hard time looking for a driver that will make it run with other pc!
 
Thanks for your prompt reply!

But I tried the two and they don't work. It's weird because the cam works with my friend's IBM laptop and I checked the driver that it is using on the said laptop and look for it on the web but still does not work with other PCs... btw the driver is PIXART - PCF027.SYS... I feel hopeless, any other suggestions...
 
You just need to run a Driver Backup on the working computer
Then save the driver to a USB Flash Drive
Then take it to your computer - All done :)

Hmm, there's literally thousands of these "driver backup" free tools, this is the first one I found at a Google search: http://sourceforge.net/projects/drvback/
But just search Google for free driver backup software, they all work (maybe someone will post the best one they know of)
 
How quickly we forget... Though it was awhile back ;) See kimsland's post last Sept, 2008 [post=666774](click here)[/post]

And, of course, using a driver backup tool is still another good idea!

But one question, are you running XP? If yes, you shouldn't have a problem. If you're running Vista or Windows 7, these drivers may not work
 
Oh: 093a&PID_2460
There it is :) Thanks LookinAround, too many posts in this thread and others similar

For others searching for their webcam, always read the entire thread first
 
Rather then reading the whole thread (or for searching, in general) here's the trick:

This is the ID the OP posted USB\VID_093A&PID_2460\5&C4240CA&0&1
> The first part of the string USB\VID_093A&PID_2460 is the Hardware ID
> The complete string is the Device Instance ID

The Device Instance ID is unique to the computer. (That's why Windows adds all those characters at the end)

The Hardware ID is what identifies the cam.
> So one should go searching for Hardware ID
> It's far, far less likely one will find matches for a Device Instance ID

p.s. As for reason and why need a Hardware ID vs a Device Instance ID, think of the case of attaching 2 identical web cams to the same computer. Windows must create a unique ID for each cam in order to differentiate between the two
 
Oh I get it, like this then:

314b29z.jpg


Members should search for Hardware ID
 
Yes! That's the idea. (and great graphics :approve:)

Though for complete technical accuracy....

1) What you refer to as "connection" is actually called the "device enumerator" (or simply "enumerator", for short)
> Windows "enumerates" all the devices it finds on its PCI bus or USB bus (those being just 2 types of device enumeration)
2) The Hardware ID includes the enumerator
3) Tho for searching purposes i've found it worthwhile to search for the Harware ID both with and without the enumerator included
 
OH. And one more technical tidbit as this might help one visualize the concept...

If you'd like to see all the device enumerations on your computer
> Click Start->Run, enter regedit
> Then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum

You'll see a list of the enumerators and a subkey for each device enumerated
> Here's a view of my computer and a partial list of my PCI enumerated devices
enumerators.png
 
Hi,

sorry but i CANNOT find the driver for this camera can someone please help me.

the Hardware ID is : USB\Vid_0ac8&Pid_305b&Rev_0100
USB\Vid_0ac8&Pid_305b
i tried both yahoo and google please help
 
It appears to be a VIMICRO web cam and it was difficult to find a download site that still had an active download for it. I did find one active download that I uploaded for you to esnips. Click here

Give it a shot. If you still have a problem, also tell me which version of Windows are using?
 
i extracted it but i dont know how to install it. My OS is win xp

EDIT: well i just figured out that in the found new hardware wizard i can specify the folder that i extracted to and it installs it. So i did it and my OOVOO finds the camera but it doesnt show a picture but the MIC on it works.
 
Oh. Try this
> In Device Manager, rt click the web cam device, select Update Driver
> Check No, not this time. Click Next
> Check Install from a list or specific location. Click Next
> Check Don't Search. I will choose Click Next
> Click Have Disk button
> Browse to that extracted files. Select usbvm305.inf Click Open then OK then Next

Then see if it installs OK
 
Does that mean that it is OK in Device Manager? (i.e. no yellow icon). You can right click Properties and the General tab says Working Properly?

If driver is OK, then try running some of the apps in the folder
> Sti305.exe
> amcap.exe
 
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