In many instances improper installation of the webcam driver, or even an out-of-date webcam driver can cause Yahoo! Messenger to be unable to interact with your webcam device properly.

Please try to uninstall and reinstall your webcam device. Manufacturer instructions vary for recommended installation, so you may want to refer to your webcam documentation for clarification on their exact process. You can use the following steps for guidelines, but please verify proper installation methods with the manufacturer or your webcam documentation:

1. Uninstall any existing camera installations by selecting the "Start" menu.
2. Select "Settings."
3. Select "Control Panel."
4. Click "Add/Remove Programs."
5. Unplug the camera's USB cord from the computer.
6. Reboot your computer.
7. Insert your camera's setup/installation CD into the CD-ROM drive (If the setup program doesn't start automatically within a few seconds, type d:\setup in the Start -> Run menu at the bottom of your screen. Replace d:\ with your CD-ROM drive)

- If you've downloaded the most recent software for your webcam device from the manufacturer, run the installation program now.

8. Follow the instructions described by the camera setup program, and plug in your camera only when prompted. This is usually done after rebooting your computer.
9. Check with your manufacturer to make sure you've installed the latest drivers for your webcam device. In many instances, you can download updated device drivers from the manufacturer's website through their Downloads or Support section.