x201 webcam doesn't have drivers for XP or 7

[excal32]

X201 is my main laptop, at home and away.

I have searched time and time again for webcam drivers, but they are nowhere to be found. The best advice found online is to install Communications Utility and then supposedly you will see the camera option in there when you press Fn+F6. There isn't any, only audio setings.

Supposedly the drivers are baked into Windows 8, but I really do not want to install Windows 8 over my current 7 install just to see if the camera will work since I am not so enthusiatic about upgrading to 8.

I know the camera isn't broken or disconnected, I have gotten it to work once in Linux and never in windows before or since then.

I guess I'm asking if anyone knows if Win 8 provides the necessary drivers?

[dr_st]

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds001073
?

[RealBlackStuff]

W7 drivers here: http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/product ... nkpad-x201
Look for Camera and Card Reader

[Tisha Anna]

If you cannot find driver from official website, you can try download drivers through device manager.

Step 1
Click Start, then right-click "My Computer" (or "Computer") and click "Manage".

Step 2
In the Computer Management window, on the left, click "Device Manager".

Step 3
Click the "+" sign in front of Mouse and other pointing devices.

Step 4
Right-click the device listed below Mouse and other pointing devices and select Uninstall.

Step 5
Click OK to confirm removal of the device.

Step 6
Restart the system. Windows will detect and automatically install the driver.

[GomJabbar]

I can't speak specifically for your model, but I would think the communications utility should work. However note caveat:

The following functions are provided:

Integrated camera settings (only for some integrated camera models)
Audio settings

To use the Communications Utility, make sure you install the other required companion software packages. As a rule of thumb: install the Hotkey Features software package last.

NOTES

- To enable ThinkVantage Communications Utility, it is also required to install
the following software:

- Hotkey Features Integration for Windows 7/Vista/XP
version 3.10 or higher
- Integrated camera driver
version varies on ThinkPad models
- Integrated audio driver
version varies on ThinkPad models.

INTEGRATED CAMERA DRIVER FOR WINDOWS 7 (32-BIT, 64-BIT), VISTA (32-BIT, 64-BIT), XP (32-BIT, 64-BIT) - THINKPAD

ThinkPad X201 - Downloads

[tarvoke]

this is rather strange, for win7 you shouldn't "need" the communications utility (although it has some usefulness), nor to download an extra driver...

recent thinkpads with cameras are (most?)all using USB video (aka generic UVC, which works fine in linux, as you've noticed) - http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Integrated_camera

just 2 days ago I did a fresh install of win7 on x200t and the camera worked immediately - the generic usb driver is already in Windows 7. XP maybe a different story, but then you would probably see it in Lenovo Update tool.

my particular camera hardware sez: 17ef:480c - maybe different from what is on your X201 - but that really shouldn't make a difference - it's always going to be the same usb driver for any UVC device, regardless.

before installing extra drivers or utils, I'd try what Tisha Anna suggested - delete the camera from Device Manager and then either refresh and see if it detects it, or do a full reboot.

if you don't see the camera (broken icon or not) in Device Manager, it might well have a flaky connection.

also, it IS possible for the camera to be disabled in BIOS - check the Security section.