Is it possible to use an old "Labtec webcam plus" (Labtec is now Logitech) on Windows 10 (both 32bit and 64bit)?

Question

This is how it looks:

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-961399-0403-Labtec-Webcam-Plus/dp/B0009N53ZA

• Labtec was bought by Logitech in 2001.

• When plugged in, the device is understood as "Camera", but I cannot get the driver automatically. The name is USB\VID_046D&PID_092B\5&2cbeefac&0&3.

• The last driver I accidentally see during short research is for Windows ME (and probably not available anymore, and offered on strange driver websites which I would rather not use at all). The most recent and last driver that still worked on Windows ME was probably "Labtec WebCam 10.5.1", see https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/using-a-labtec-webcam-with-windows-10/cfdb600c-d024-4446-bf01-d8bf827e2c8b, which would be based on Windows 98 ;))))

• I have risked a download of "Labtec WebCam 10.5.1" from https://labtec-webcam.soft32.com/free-download/?nc&dm=2, it is clean according to Windows Defender, and the installation menu plausibly refers to Logitech. I got the message that the driver is not compatible with my current system. I use Windows 64bit.

Could it be that newer Logitech drivers can also be used, or is there any other workaround? I am interested in a solution for both Windows 10 32bit and 64bit.

Solution 1

EDIT2 (by the asker): The old <=2001 Labtec camera can be used on both Windows 32bit and 64bit in any program

• For 64bit, get the 64bit program from http://deviceinbox.com/drivers/1262-labtec-webcam-driver.html and see the documentation in the second part of this answer.
• For 32bit, installing the 32bit program of http://deviceinbox.com/drivers/1262-labtec-webcam-driver.html is already enough. If your camera is not found then, you need to add update the driver in the device manager using the small additional driver file of the same linke as well. This is not needed in 64bit installation.

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You may try alternative drivers. You would have to identify the chipset your Webcam uses.

As an example, I have two old webcams (different brands) which use the chipset OV511. The latest drivers available are for Win XP, so I was out of luck. There are drivers for Linux, though, so there is still some possible use for them.

While looking for an answer to my issue, I came across a post from someone who had an old webcam with OV519 (too bad it was not OV511), for which there were no supported drivers. Nevertheless, he found drivers for other webcams, with the same chipset, that worked under Win 7. Quite a few people acknowledge in the comments below the post that the procedure resuscitated their old webcams.

It requires some digging.

Useful? : http://deviceinbox.com/drivers/1262-labtec-webcam-driver.html

EDIT: Maybe some of this, or similar Google searches, help you.

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/winprog64/running-32-bit-applications

• https://www.howtogeek.com/228689/how-to-make-old-programs-work-on-windows-10/

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EDIT2 (by the asker): Though I have asked the question, it is best to report inside this accepted answer and add some screenshots. I used the help of the second link, the results are OK, it is worth the effort (!) and real "Arcade" fun (!!).

(I imagine that this could also be fun for children to play with, calling myself was already weird / surreal fun)

Perhaps calling in a serious meeting adds some fun as well without a high resolution cam. You even look younger and better, seriously :), because everything is smoothened and friendly. And you do not feel so much exposed in any detail anymore. This low level quality could even be better than high resolution for privacy reasons, it adds easiness. Some users might not like being recorded by a high-resolution camera for hours, and this is a funny workaround.

The steps:

Install the 64bit program. In the end, it says that the setup is not compatible with the system, but at that point, the program is already extraced with all needed files to C:\Program Files (x86)\Labtec\WebCamWebInstall

After right-click on the setup.exe, in Properties, change to:

Only the compatibility mode of Windows Vista worked. Windows 98 / ME, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows XP did not work. Surprisingly, Vista is the bridge between "old and new 64bit world".

Then you install the program by running setup.exe. You will not need any extra driver file or driver installation, it is all done by the program.

The program supports some selected programs.

Luckily, you can also use the camera outside of this selection, the zoom test meeting worked, https://zoom.us/test, inviting myself on my mobile phone, sound and video working fine (after configuring my micro with Boost microphone input, as a side-remark).

The old Labtec camera zooms in quite strongly, which is needed to reduce the effects of a too low resolution, the rest is OK. For the following picture, the lenses of the mobile phone and of the Labtec camera were right next to each other, this is a screenshot of my iPhone.

Result: Taking quite some time here has paid off for the community, hopefully more people will find out about this, many thanks to @sancho.sReinstateMonicaCellio. Happy playing!

Solution 2

There is no workaround.
There are many vendors that made webcams back in the day based on the same (or very similar) chipset. They all used the same basic drivers, rebranded for whatever brand sold the camera.
(I used to work for one of those back then.)

The Windows 95/98/Me drivers were very low quality and often unstable.
They used all sort of software shortcuts that "sort of" worked in Windows 9x but that were not possible in Windows NT based operating systems.

By the time Windows XP (the first widely adopted consumer OS based on Windows NT) was released (2001/2002) newer camera chipsets were already available that had better video quality/resolution and decent XP support straight from the chipset vendor.
It just wasn't economical for the vendors (of chipsets and cameras) to develop new XP drivers for their already obsolete products.

Even if there was a driver: Image quality is awful.
The resolution at 352x288 maximum is tiny on a modern computer. (The 640x480 still image is software generated by the driver and isn't "live" video.)
And the color quality is quite bad too. That didn't really matter back then when most people used a 14"or 15" CRT screen as monitor, but with todays LCD screens it will give you a headache just looking at it.
To give you an idea: The quality is comparable (at best, often worse) than looking at a 40 year old VHS video-tape on a modern TV.

Comments

[Ramhound]

You would only be able to use newer Logitech drivers, if those driver's .inf files, specifically called out your device. If that is not the case then what you want will not be possible.

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

The bad quality would add a little bit of fun as well, like the old pixel graphics revival :). I was just curious. I let it open for a while, waiting for other answers, e.g. perhaps the Logitech support might add something here as I have asked for some feedback. But I guess you are right anyway.

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

I have installed the 32bit program of your link first, "webcam1051enu.exe", which is the same program that was offered at the link that I stated in the question. Your link offered the actual driver! "Labtec_Webcam_Plus_v8.4.3.1005 32bit v.8.4.3.1005" was accepted by the device manager. I cannot use the webcam in the Windows Camera program, only in the Labtec program (perhaps because my laptop has it built-in). You can choose 320x240 and VGA 640x480 for a bigger picture, still small on my netbook and much worse quality than VGA on my laptop camera (@Tonny software generated: probably yes :)))

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

Yes, the quality is really bad, yet it is not totally useless, you can still play around and see mimics and gestics. The VGA mode is probably really software generated, because the small picture VGA mode looks worse than built-in VGA mode on my netbook fullscreen (~11 inch). I must also state, appreciating you answer of course, that there was a workaround in the end, surprisingly. This was also something a Logitech support user had suggested in the chat, that it might be possible, she actually wanted to answer here, not needed anymore :). She might read this, thanks for the advice.

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

I cannot use the 32bit driver on Windows 10 64bit, which was my actual aim, but the support on Windows 10 32bit is already more than expected. Thank you for your input. For anyone who is searching for a similar camera, the Hardware ID "USB\VID_046D&PID_092B\5&2cbeefac&0&3" was directly mentioned in the driver link above as supported webcam with "USB\VID_046D&PID_092B". You can find the Hardware ID in "Device Manager">Camera>Preferences>Events>"Information textbox".

[sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio]

Tonny, I guess the answer discourages trying a solution while there may be some. Resolution may be bad, but that that is a separate issue, and likely known by whoever tries to use an old webcam.

[sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio]

@Lorenz - See edited answer. You may have some way of using the 32-bit program in Win 10 64-bit.

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

@Tonny, the answer "There is no workaround." turns out to be wrong, surprisingly even on 64bit Windows 10. I do not downvote because you mention Windows 98/ME and XP that both would not support the driver development. With the "compatibility mode trick", only Windows Vista solves it, which is not against any of your details.

[Tonny]

@Lorenz Working on 32-bit Windows only, in XP compatiblility mode and not as a general solution, but only with matching software. Great that there actually exists (good find!) a driver, but still of limited usefulness.

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

@Tonny, the miracle is that it now also works on 64Bit, only installation needs vista (not xp) compatibility mode, afterwards everything runs fine and can be used In any program. The answer was edited, it is still in the queue, I have changed it some hours ago, you could not know this, misunderstanding. Your points added to understand the steps. Clear upvote for me even when your final answer is wrong. Not just “good find”, now it is a “great find“ :)

[sancho.s ReinstateMonicaCellio]

@Lorenz - Very detailed EDIT, hopefully somebody finds it useful...

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

Yes, it is "emberassingly" too much of it :). I was just too surprised that it worked in the end. This is a success story of this community. Hopefully it will help quite a few users, and the tricks can be applied to other old driver problems as well, thinking of an old scanner running only on xp aso.

[questionto42standswithUkraine]

This is still working on Windows 10 Home Insider Preview 64 bit Version 2004; build 21292.1010; Windows Feature Experience Pack 220.35104.0.3. I had the impression that the Vista Service Pack 2 compatibility mode was selected automatically, and that the drivers have somehow been updated on that site accordingly.