Windows 7 usb camera device shows up in device mananger but not my computer

[ballaratcastle]

Greetings from NZ.
Have recently purchased a small usb inspection snake camera with led light and when testing it plugged it into two desktops computers (one xp pro not sure of the other as it was a network work computer) It automatically loaded the drivers and brought up a screen automatically with the realtime image.(no driver disc came with it). However plugging into my windows 7 64bit sony laptop it signals a connection beep, loaded drivers automatically but wouldn't open or show up on my computer disc manager as an external usb source to click on. It does however show up on device manager as a usb camera and when I unplug and replug in it disappears and reappears so I know I have the right camera (not the lap top webcam inbuilt one that shows USB 2 Camera). Have tried updating drivers automatically and uninstalling it etc. Need it to work on the lap top so it can act as the movable screen for it

 

[danny2000]

What is the name and model of the USB cam?
do you have any programs that you can use to test it on Windows 7?
In Device Manager, are there any yellow marks next it?

 

[ballaratcastle]

Hi it is a generic one made in china but under the label in device manager for brand it says microsoft. There are no warnings on device manager. As mentioned I have tested it on two stand alones and it works great automatically but this is the first windows 7 system I have tested it on and not sure how to if nothing shows up on my computer. cheers

 

[danny2000]

If you didn't install any software for using it, you will have to test it with something like Windows Live Messenger to see if video is displayed from the cam.

 

[ballaratcastle]

Hi Danny

I have had it running on two other computers but they were stand alones. Plugged it in and it downloaded drivers immediately and then showed up on My computer with a little camera icon. I clicked on that and it configured the device and opened a window showing the real time view from the camera. Neither computer were windows 7 however.

It did the same thing plugging it into the lap top in that it searched for a driver automatically and loaded it. The usb recognises it and powers up the built in led light.

There is no fault with the usb as I tried the other one and same thing. A data stick works in both and shows up in my computer with a drive letter, but the interesting thing is when moved from 1 usb to the other it assigns the same letter. So one isn't permanently H and one G.

The only thing it doesn't do is show up on my computer with an icon. After googling the problem I looked in Device manager and it was there. As mentioned I unplugged and saw it disappear from device manager and re appear when replugged in. I also uninstalled it and reinstalled it and it again looked for drivers, somehow if I could get the icon showing it could then configure itself.

When I clicked the other icon show printers and devices under control panel it was slow to load and just hung not opening. Googling this it is another common problem with windows 7 that has lots of different opinions on how to solve but I am not experienced enough to muck around with registry key settings.

 

[danny2000]

Hi Danny

I have had it running on two other computers but they were stand alones. Plugged it in and it downloaded drivers immediately and then showed up on My computer with a little camera icon. I clicked on that and it configured the device and opened a window showing the real time view from the camera. Neither computer were windows 7 however.

It did the same thing plugging it into the lap top in that it searched for a driver automatically and loaded it. The usb recognises it and powers up the built in led light.

There is no fault with the usb as I tried the other one and same thing. A data stick works in both and shows up in my computer with a drive letter, but the interesting thing is when moved from 1 usb to the other it assigns the same letter. So one isn't permanently H and one G.

The only thing it doesn't do is show up on my computer with an icon. After googling the problem I looked in Device manager and it was there. As mentioned I unplugged and saw it disappear from device manager and re appear when replugged in. I also uninstalled it and reinstalled it and it again looked for drivers, somehow if I could get the icon showing it could then configure itself.

When I clicked the other icon show printers and devices under control panel it was slow to load and just hung not opening. Googling this it is another common problem with windows 7 that has lots of different opinions on how to solve but I am not experienced enough to muck around with registry key settings.

Okay ballaratcastle, I think that I understand that you are looking for it show-up as a drive letter in My Computer? Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[ballaratcastle]

That is correct.
Excuse my limited computer knowledge but if I can't click on it in my computer I can't get it to run at all. Clicking on it in device manager where it shows up and also devices and printers where it shows up as a web cam icon I click on it but it only opens settings does not actually initialise and run it.

I have tried to follow some instructions from similar threads however under Computer then manage computer it just doesn't show up to assign a drive letter either.
Unfortunately I need it to work on the laptop as my portable screen to go hunting my missing alarm siren wire in the wall and the lead isn't long enough (5m) to reach from the stand a lone computer where it works fine.
Is it to do with windows 7.

Cheers Steve

 

[danny2000]

It most likely is that there needs to be an updated driver for it, from whoever made the cam.

If you can't see it anywhere in Disk Management to assign a drive letter manually, then yes, it is because Windows does not have the updated driver from the manufacturer (sometimes companies don't make updated drivers for their hardware).


See if the device has any stickers or imprints that might show the model number and name.



Also you can check what it shows up as in Device Manager in the two computers that it does work in, to try and track down the company that made it, and maybe get a Windows 7 driver for it.

 

[ballaratcastle]

Thanks.
When plugged into my Stand alone PC with XP pro it shows up as manufactured my microsoft (yeah right!) and comes up as USB Camera only. I know it is chinese made

When checking in device manager in my Windos 7 laptop it shows the smae thing (microsoft) and doing an updated driver load etc it says up to date.

I will keep trawling the net for an answer but will also try it on an older lap top with either vista or xp so it will definitely tell me it is related to the later windows 7 program.

cheers

Steve

 

[danny2000]

Have you tried the cam with any video conferencing program at all on Windows 7?

Try downloading the Windows Lifecam software from Microsoft.

 

[danny2000]

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/downloads

 

[ballaratcastle]

Hi again I downloaded one of the 17 Lifecam drivers but no luck.
Under device manager and camera properties window the model and manufacture shows as unknown.
Under the driver file details for the device it shows 3
Windows\system32\DRIVERS\ArcSoftKsUFilter.sys
Windows\system32\drivers\ksthunk.sys
Windows\system32\drivers\usbvideo.sys
Provider Microsoft
File version 6.1.7600.16543(win7_gdr.100303-1505

 

[danny2000]

Hi again I downloaded one of the 17 Lifecam drivers but no luck.
Under device manager and camera properties window the model and manufacture shows as unknown.
Under the driver file details for the device it shows 3
Windows\system32\DRIVERS\ArcSoftKsUFilter.sys
Windows\system32\drivers\ksthunk.sys
Windows\system32\drivers\usbvideo.sys
Provider Microsoft
File version 6.1.7600.16543(win7_gdr.100303-1505

did any of them look like your cam? Most of them show pictures on the microsoft site.

 

[ballaratcastle]

No all the photos are of microsoft branded web cams. Mine is a small waterproof inspection camera on a 5m lead to a usb plug has 4 small led lights round the camera used for looking in walls, drains engine bores etc.
I thought I would try one of the web cam programs and when I clicked on it with my camera plugged in it said it couldn't find the webcam so unfortunately drivers must be specific to the the microsoft camera.

 

[danny2000]

Without knowing what the device is, and the model number, etc. I would suggest that you contact Microsoft online support via chat or phone since you've said that it says Microsoft on the cam:



http://support.microsoft.com/contactus?ln=en-us

 

[danny2000]

They can even remote into your computer.

 

[ballaratcastle]

It is definately not a microsoft camera. I have e-mailed the company in China direct as they have a help desk support for their products.. you can see it on www.tomtop.com
Haven't found another lap top to test it on so far.
Cheers

 

[danny2000]

Yeah I looked at the site but the link just pointed me to their site, and not to the product itself.

If it says Microsoft on it, Microsoft made it or had someone make it for them; They do make things.

 

[ballaratcastle]

Hi here is the correct link. http://www.tomtop.com/usb-endoscope-waterproof-inspection-camera-borescope-5m.html

It does not have microsoft written on it and I can guarantee it is not a microsoft branded product.

 

[danny2000]

Sorry, I thought that you had stated it had "Microsoft" on the plate; I checked in your previous posts, and realized that you stated that it said that in Device Manager, and not on the product itself.

Do you have the CD disk that it came with? In the details section of the device, it says that it comes with a CD installation disk. If you can find that, it should have the drivers for the device, or at least lead you in the direction for the company that made it to get a Windows 7 driver for it. Microsoft only puts in drivers into their o/s DVD that companies have sent them to Microsoft; They don't go around searching for every bit of hardware ever made.

Package including:
1 * USB Endoscope
1 * Software CD
1 * User Manual

 

[ballaratcastle]

Yes it does have a burnable DVD which only has saved pictures on it showing uses for the device in the automotive industry. Very odd. This I will be questioning with the supplier (when I get a reply from their IT dept)
The only thing is it has loaded automatically on two other computers now and they have found drivers automatically for it and my Windows 7 laptop also says it has found drivers. Other people have complained of other devices from datasticks to I phones not showing up in My Computer as well but showing up on device manager and they are all windows 7 computers.

 

[danny2000]

Yes it does have a burnable DVD which only has saved pictures on it showing uses for the device in the automotive industry. Very odd. This I will be questioning with the supplier (when I get a reply from their IT dept)
The only thing is it has loaded automatically on two other computers now and they have found drivers automatically for it and my Windows 7 laptop also says it has found drivers. Other people have complained of other devices from datasticks to I phones not showing up in My Computer as well but showing up on device manager and they are all windows 7 computers.

Windows will try and and find a suitable driver, but that driver may or may not actually work for the device.

Did you actually view the DVD in Windows Explorer to see if there are any setup.exe files there, or install.exe, or cam.exe or some other .exe file?

 

[ballaratcastle]

Hi
The disc does have a .exe file which appears to be video capture hardware
desc: RsCap
company. Realtek Semiconductor Corp
version 1.0.1.0
created 10/July/2011

Also has a .wps file my Xp computer wont recognise
13 x .jpg files (photos) labels come up as squares due to chinese characters probably
1 x .mov file (Quick time)
1 x 3gpp file (Qick time logo)
1 x .doc that wont open either
1 x .xls that contains photos on a spreadsheet.

I will try and manually search for drivers on the lap top and click on the .exe file and see what happens.

 

[danny2000]

Hi
The disc does have a .exe file which appears to be video capture hardware
desc: RsCap
company. Realtek Semiconductor Corp
version 1.0.1.0
created 10/July/2011

Also has a .wps file my Xp computer wont recognise
13 x .jpg files (photos) labels come up as squares due to chinese characters probably
1 x .mov file (Quick time)
1 x 3gpp file (Qick time logo)
1 x .doc that wont open either
1 x .xls that contains photos on a spreadsheet.

I will try and manually search for drivers on the lap top and click on the .exe file and see what happens.

I would try installing that software via the .exe file
because it might contain the correct driver.

The .wps file should be able to be openend in MS Word or even Wordpad.

If the .exe file won't let you install it or gives you an error, you can right-click on the .exe file and select "Compatiblity mode" for XP to install it on Windows 7.

 

[ballaratcastle]

Best answer selected by ballaratcastle.