Vista Home Premium, SP2, WLM 14.0.0726

Not sure which newsgroup to post this :
I intend to install a webcam on my laptop in order to keep in touch with my
sister far away.
What do I need to know ? Do I have to activate another program i.e.
messenger ?
When I installed my WLM, I did not install Messenger and other related
programs.
I need to know enough to tell my sister who knows even less.
Thank you.

t-4-2

Hi, t-4-2.

My only webcam was simply a digital camera - one of the first, nearly 10
years ago. And I've never had a laptop.

But I'm surprised that you need to do more than "plug it in" to a laptop
running Vista.

You help a lot of users here, so I'm sure you know the questions that I'm
about to ask, and I'm surprised that you didn't include the information in
your original post:
WHICH laptop? Make and model. I won't recognize it, but many users here
probably will.
WHICH webcam? Ditto.
WHICH interface? USB? FireWire? Something else?

My understanding of today's webcams is that most use USB and simply plugging
them in to an available USB port provides basic functionality. Most webcam
vendors include "full-featured" software in the box (on a CD?), but software
included in Vista enables most functions.

If you have a specific question, please ask it. "What do I need to know ?"
is so vague and open-ended that we really don't know what to tell you. :^{

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
[email]rc@grandecom.net[/email]
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64

"t-4-2" <dhuang1@cogeco.ca> wrote in message
news:OALQzhGRKHA.1876@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Vista Home Premium, SP2, WLM 14.0.0726
>
> Not sure which newsgroup to post this :
> I intend to install a webcam on my laptop in order to keep in touch with
> my
> sister far away.
> What do I need to know ? Do I have to activate another program i.e.
> messenger ?
> When I installed my WLM, I did not install Messenger and other related
> programs.
> I need to know enough to tell my sister who knows even less.
> Thank you.
>
> t-4-2[/color]

The easy way:
Install your web cam. You and your sister then install Skype and set up
accounts. Email each other your Skype addresses.
Voila.
You can see and talk around the world for "free" as long as you have an
internet connection. The only technical glitch is that sometimes the OS and
Skype do not agree that your webcam microphone is your default microphone
but this is easily corrected in control panel.

On Oct 3, 9:31*pm, "t-4-2" <dhua...@cogeco.ca> wrote:[color=blue]
> Vista Home Premium, SP2, WLM 14.0.0726
>
> Not sure which newsgroup to post this :
> I intend to install a webcam on my laptop in order to keep in touch with my
> sister far away.
> What do I need to know ? Do I have to activate another program i.e.
> messenger ?
> When I installed my WLM, I did not install Messenger and other related
> programs.
> I need to know enough to tell my sister who knows even less.
> Thank you.
>
> t-4-2[/color]

When you buy the webcam, you normally get a CD in the kit. With this
CD, you first start the instal of the drivers and when prompted,
connect the webcam. Then, everything should work for the webcam.
Once the webcam is working, you then need to configure the webcam in
the software you use. Follow the direction in the software or in the
"Help" section.