How to get my webcam working
March 14, 2010 3:25 PM   Subscribe

Can you help me make my webcam work? I today bought an Advent webcam, but I can't get the stupid CD that came with it to work. It doesn't help that I am really not good with computers. Is there somewhere I can download the driver?

The box informs me that I have bought an advent 2MP Auto focus webcam. The model number is A20BAWC09 and I'm running Vista, if that makes a difference.

The software that is supposed to come with the CD is Arcsoft WebCam Compainon 3.0 and Arcsoft Magic-i. I already tried downloading the Companion from http://www.topshareware.com/WebCam-Companion-transfer-70022.htm but it tells me I need to pay for it instead of working.

Feeling confused and unhappy. Please help! Thank you.
posted by marmaduke_yaverland to Technology (2 answers total)
 
I've Googled around and it turns out that Advent webcams - or at least, the tech that drives them - is manufactured by Sonix. Whether their model numbers are any reflection of one another is up for debate, and you are possibly out of luck as Sonix's "video/image controllers" driver page only goes back as far as model C101. But you could give that one a whirl.

That said, if I were you I would take this piece-of-shit webcam back to the place that you bought it and ask for a refund, or swap it for a Logitech or something. You should never have to hunt for a driver for anything. As a last resort, try copying the contents of the CD that came with it to a folder on your hard drive, and try running the setup software from there.
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:00 PM on March 14, 2010


Usually devices like this that can take some wrangling to work properly have a big thing in the box that says DO NOT TAKE THIS BACK TO THE STORE -- CALL OUR INSTALLATION HELP DESK FIRST with an 800 number. The store returns are expensive for them and can result in customers like Best Buy discontinuing their brand, so they don't want that. Make sure you've tried what they suggest first.

You're not clear about what you mean by the CD not working. It won't install? It won't read? It installs but doesn't work? You get discernible error messages? Etc.
posted by dhartung at 6:31 PM on March 14, 2010


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