Webcam Errors in Yahoo! Messenger 9

This article will address what steps to take if you are getting webcam errors in Yahoo! Messenger 9.

If you are getting errors when using your webcam please verify the information below:

• If you have an external webcam, check to see if it has become accidentally unplugged from your computer.
• Perhaps another program is using your webcam. Close other programs and try accessing your webcam again.
• If another program has crashed for some reason, it might not have released your webcam successfully. Try closing all programs and restarting your computer.
• If you have an external webcam, it might not have installed correctly. Try reinstalling your webcam software program according to the manufacturer's instructions. For more information, go to How do I reinstall my webcam?
• Perhaps Yahoo! Messenger is using the incorrect camera device on your computer. Try changing the camera source. For more information, go to How do I change my camera source?
• Your webcam might not be configured correctly. Try reconfiguring your webcam according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Your camera might not be not compatible with Yahoo! Messenger you can verify this by using the webcam compatibility test. To try the webcam compatibility test, go to How can I tell if my webcam will work with Yahoo! Messenger?

We recently developed an alternative webcam technology, called "video calling," which may work better for you than using the traditional webcam technology. It's available on the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger: Yahoo! Messenger 10.

Download the latest version.

To find out about the differences between video calling and webcam sharing, read the help article Comparing Video Calling to Webcam Sharing