I have an Aspire E15- ES1- Start Laptop (2006) and I am having problems with my Webcam disconnecting

TechNerd
TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
edited January 2022 in Aspire Laptops
I have a Aspire E 15 - ES1-512-C9QM and although my drivers say they are up to date on the Webcam on my laptop, I suspect that maybe the Realtec Driver may need updating as my webcam keeps breaking up the picture and cutting off my communication at the receiving end of the phone call.    The person on the other end can't see or hear me but I can hear and see them though the picture is pixellating at my end.   Can anyone help me with advice on what to do to check the webcam is working and if not how to repair it?

(​//Edited the content to add model name)
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Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    You can try a charge reset. Shut the machine off. Unplug charger. Insert paperclip into reset pinhole on the bottom for about a minute. Plug  charger back in. Wait for battery charge LED to turn steady blue. The turn it on and test the camera again. Make sure internal or external mic is turned on in sound settings.



    Jack E/NJ

  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    I will have to give it a try.
  • Easwar
    Easwar Member Posts: 6,727 Guru
    Hi @TechNerd,

    1. Check the Driver. A corrupted or outdated driver may be causing the issue with your camera. ...
    2. Disable/Enable the Webcam. ...
    3. Allow the Apps to Use Your Webcam. ...
    4. Make Sure You're Not Using More Than One App. ...
    5. Reinstall the Programs or Apps.
  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    Unfortunately I am a complete tech nerd and not savvy enoughto be able to undertake the steps above apart from checking the drivers to see if they were outdated and it only searches for drivers already loaded on the computer which is why I thought may be the driver had been updated since my computer is about 12 yrs old.   I did try a website which checks your web cam for you and it seemed to be working OK so I have no idea what the problem is as it does work for about 5-10 minutes then sometimes cuts off or pixellates the picture coming from the other person and I can hear the other person but they can't hear or see me but today I used facebook to speak to my daughter in spain for over 1/2 hr and it was fine which was an exception ! :/
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>> my computer is about 12 yrs old. >>>>>>today I used facebook to speak to my daughter in spain for over 1/2 hr and it was fine which was an exception ! >>>

    Are we talking about the ES1-512 that was introduced in 2014? Intermittent issues like this suggest the LCD/Cam video cable  may need to be released from wear and tear in the hinge area from opening and closing the lid too much.The cable is fairly inexpensive but require opening the bottom cover and screen lid and bezel.

    Jack E/NJ

  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    Actually yes we are and I think I put the wrong age down.    I presume this work needs to be done by a computer tech person as I wouldn't have a clue how to do it?
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    edited January 2022
    Yes, if the cable is actually the problem, probably a 2hr job plus parts (about $25usd) for a laptop technician at whatever rates are charged in your location. Probably best to get a confirmation evaluation and estimate from a local repair shop. This is a low end 8 yo machine so it might be more practical to remove the HDD and connect it to the USB port of a new laptop to get at your personal data that's on it.

    Jack E/NJ

  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    I will have to have a think about that.   Why do I need to connect to a new laptop to get at my personal data?   Can't I just get it repaired and get my old laptop back?
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    Sure. If tech rates aren't too high where you're located. They typically run between $50-75/hr in the US. A couple hrs work plus parts and the costs can quickly add up trying to fix an 8yo older tech generation laptop that originally sold for about $200 new. What I'm trying to say is that, unless you try to fix it yourself, a much faster newer generation laptop might not cost that much more than getting the old one fixed.  

    Jack E/NJ

  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    edited January 2022
    An equivalent spec laptop to replace mine would cost between £500 and £600 here at the moment!    I am a pensioner living on £380 per month basic state pension (without my husband's slightly higher pension we would starve! ), and with our cost of living spiralling out of control I will have to wait and save up after things here settle back down! :cold_sweat:
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>>An equivalent spec laptop to replace mine would cost between £500 and £600 here at the moment!  >>>

    Sorry, there are no direct equivalents because the technologies have improved. Even higher much faster spec laptops should NOT cost that much!!!! Where are you looking? What models are you looking at that you think are equivalent? You might want to take a look at some of the bigger online retailers  in your neighborhood before you commit to paying too much for a local shop to repair your old laptop.



     

    Jack E/NJ

  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    When I said equivalent, I meant equal specs such as size, I wouldn't buy less than a 15" screen, DVD compartment, and at least a similar size memory, Processor etc.   I opened that link and the first laptop at the top was £500.   I have looked at lots of laptops to compare prices and sizes etc and found that in the spec I am looking for they are between £500 and £600.   I also don't like silver keyboards.   It may sound picky but I would rather wait until I can get what I want rather than settling for an inferior unit.    I will have to wait for my birthday to come up and ask my family for the money instead of gifts!
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    edited January 2022
    Shop some other sites and other Currys offering. Hundreds of models from Asus, Dell, Acer, HP etc. They all have 15" and even slightly bigger 15.6" models with better faster newer generation RAM memory and CPU/GPU processors than your old unit. They are all have superior, not inferior, performance compared to your 8yo machine. I still suggest that you take your machine a local laptop repair shop for an evaluation and estimate before you make any file decisions. 

    Jack E/NJ

  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    Will do, thanks for all your advice ! :)
  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @TechNerd

    Don't know if Aspire A515-46-R14K is available in your area. I bought this low price one about half year ago and loved it basically:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VKNVDDR/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_PCLTMC_2c1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=73KF1FYY3G1DVDKR2ABS&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=71c09aa1-6fa5-4e17-ad06-590adb8c818e&pf_rd_i=565108

    The price of this laptop is just like the stock market, changes between USD $360-$530 from time to time.

    I have no doubt this laptop will outperform your 8 year old one in almost all aspects except no DVD drive. This is unimportant at all, as you can just get an USB external DVD drive for about USD $20. If you want another 4 GB RAM, it is just USD $17 away. Want more data storage? Just get 1 TB external USB HDD for about USD $40.

    I can guarantee this laptop is way, way faster than your old laptop because of the technology advancement in the past 8 years, using M.2 NVMe SSD, which is like 30 times faster than traditional, spinning HDD.
  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    How do you rate this one :  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RF1XD36/?tag=bestviewsre0e-20&th=1

    Worth buying ?
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    Yes. Apparently a popular model. So priced accordingly a bit on the high side. Just a while ago, Currys and a few other retailers sold a similar A515-43 submodel model NX.HGWEK.002 but with a bigger SSD for about £250 . Best to shop around and check if they've been restocked.





    Jack E/NJ

  • ttttt
    ttttt Member Posts: 1,947 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    @TechNerd

    The last link given by you is the A515-43-R19L, with R3-3200U CPU. I consider it be a prior year model of the A515-46-R14K and almost bought it two years ago. I delayed my purchase because the R3 3200U CPU was considered rather weak and it got no USB  Type -C  port and no finger print reader. I am glad I did not buy it. If you check on the link about the A515-46-R14K, this A515-43-R19L model is lumped together in the reviews and you can see a lot of negative reviews are for this R3 3200u model, mostly problems with reliability. Some people complained that the hinge broke in about one year, this is too important a defect to be ignored.

    The A515-46-R14K seemed to be an improved model with a more decent processor, more features and less complaints.

    In another link you showed one laptop with a R3 5300u CPU, this CPU is very competent, much faster than both the R3 3200u and R3 3350u, thus a higher price but worth it.

    As for DVD drive, people nowadays almost totally abandon it, because all its functions can be covered and even better (higher storage capacities and faster speed) with USB flash drives. The only time people still use DVD drive is probably to load/read old programs from DVD disc. Almost all laptop manufacturers do not include DVD drive now in favor of a lighter weight and lower cost.
  • TechNerd
    TechNerd Member Posts: 98 Troubleshooter
    I see what you are saying and I will endeavour to wait until I can afford the more superior model.   Thanks for the advice.