by Marilyn M

Question by chrissy: How come my windows 7 laptop won’t run the YouCam?
So I just got a new laptop me and my sister both. They’re nearly the same mine is just a little bigger with a different front cover and we both have windows 7 home premium but for some reason hers has the YouCam installed with it and mine doesn’t. when I search it i just get this document called: ManualOrder_Gadget

Please help I was really looking forward to being able to take picutres on the camera but now it’s not working!! And yes there is a camera on the top screen I checked. Please help!! Is it broken or something?? Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by Frank Leonard
You didn’t bother to mention the make & model of both laptops.
Having Windows 7 has no connection to the applications you can run on the computer. It has something to do with the programs installed in it & if your laptop has the necessary components installed inside that supports the feature.

If your computer is of a different make, then don’t expect it to have the YouCam that is pre-installed in your sister’s laptop. The Toshiba I gave my wife has a different webcam application than what I have on my HP laptop.

It’s better that you call the 800 toll-free hotline number of your computer’s manufacturer & have their tech support experts assist you in pulling up your webcam & how to take photos with it.

You might want to buy this to protect your screen:

watch the video: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834997730
Protect your screen from cracks, get a COOLER MASTER U2 Notebook Cooler w/c has dual purposes. Cool thing about it is, you can position the fans on the right spot for better ventialation.
When travelling, detach the easily detacheable dual fan, then use the aluminum frame as a protection for your laptop’s screen when inside the bag. I got mine from MicroCenter.com for $ 15, 48% cheaper than the regular $ 25 tag (FRYS.com SKU#: 6344931).
click to buy: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0317850

Additional info, read on:

I used to work for a big name computer company & usually received a lot of calls regarding battery issues.
A brand new computer’s battery comes w/ a Standard 1yr Limited Warranty w/c means the expected life time of battery is only 1 year. Same thing goes for the charger.
So, if you don’t know how to take care of it, it will die out on you sooner than than expected.

FYI: I always tell my customers, a laptop’s battery is similar to a cell phone’s. You charge it when it’s depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to just remove the battery if they plan to use the computer for long hours straight (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life.
ONLY USE THE BATTERY FOR PORTABILITY, if you’re on a trip, at McDonalds or Starbucks.
If you’re not after its portability, use it plugged into the wall socket all the time.

For chargers, make sure you don’t stretch out the cable too much that the one by the power jack that you plug into the side of the computer gets bent. Make sure this part is always straight or else the copper wires inside will break & you’ll have the problem of the charger not working anymore like what happened to some of my callers.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!