Webcam Not Working on a Dell xps 17  

Hey all,
First of all I know this problem is rather specific to Dell XPS 17 (L702x), but I keep having problems with my webcam. I've tried quite a lot of things, and I am running out of ideas.

Now, what I have tried doing:
1. Uninstall and install driver,
2. Uninstall and reinstall Dell Webcam Central
(both from Dell website)
3. switching off computer, taking battery out, holding the power button for half a minute, then on again
4. I have disconnected the camera and connected it again
5. I have manually checked connections, (seemed ok)
6. I have tried installing and uninstalling, in all combinations that I could think of, safe mode, run as admin, nothing worked.
I have however found something. No matter how i try updating the driver, i always have the one from 2006, version 6.1.7601.18208
As far as I've seen the one on dell website is from 2011.
I am guessing this is the problem and I am actually not updating the driver. I have also unintalled old driver, updated new one, then restart. After it restarts i get the "found new hardware" message and install the old driver for the webcam (2006). So I do not know how to make windows not to install the driver automatically.
I must also mention that this happens once every 3-4 months, and before I managed to solve it with reinstallation of driver, now nothing.

Also, my mic is on the same board as the webcam, (on top of the screen). Since on skype the mic works well, but the camera not, I suspect it is only a software issue, not a hardware. At least I hope so.

I would appreciate if anybody could help me. I've been trying for a week now to solve this.

Every time I open my Webcam, it asks for updates. Every single time. It almost acts as if it's doing the same update over and over again. I don't use it a lot anyways.

Hey,

First thanks for the replies.

I have downoaded the latest driver version from dell, but the problem si that I cannot install it. Everytime I try after I still have the one from 2006.

I have tried uninstalling old one, then installing the other one then restart
I have also tried unintall, restart, but when I start up my computer it automatically installs before i have the chance to install the new one.

I have tried something though, any driver should have a .inf file which i opened both from the one I have already installed. (in C/Windows/System32/DriverStore/FileRepository and then in the folder for the webcam) and the one I have downloaded. Those two files are exactly identical, they describe the same driver, same driver version, same date. but the date is 2010 not 2006 as in the device manager, so I am not sure if I am actually installing a new one(even though I am getting it from dell website.

As for that link, I have tried every single thing, that's where I got most of the things to try.

Do you guys think it might be a hardware issue? Btw I do see it in Device Manager.

Oh and also, it does not work with any application, neither with Dell Webcam Central, nor with Skype, both saying that there is another app that is using it

I have just tried to update the Intel HM67 Chipset Driver, I downloaded it from dell and when installing I got that the one I already have is newer than the one I am trying to install.

I have checked the connection to the camera which seemed ok, from there there is a cable running on the back of the screen. I admit i did not check the connection to the motherboard. But yet again for the mic it is the same cable, and the mic works.

Hey all,

First of all sorry for late updates,
Secondly, I have talked with dell representatives meantime and they've reached the conclusion that the camera has failed and I need to change it...so I am waiting now for a new one. Maybe it has been faulty from the beginning since I kept having this problem, but usually a driver reinstall was enough.

Anyway, thanks to all for the help