How to Configure a Webcam

Webcams facilitate visual and audio communication.

Use a webcam to talk face-to-face with friends or relatives on the other side of the country, see newborn children the day after they are born without being there, or gaze at that special somebody who is out of town. Webcams are set up in the privacy of your own home and allow you to broadcast a real-time visual of yourself to anyone else with a connection around the world. Webcams come in a variety of styles, qualities and models, but most are relatively simple to set up.

Instructions

1. Turn on your computer and wait for the Windows screen to load.

2. Insert the CD software that came with the webcam into you computer's CD/DVD drive. Follow the on-screen instructions for installing the driver for your webcam. When the driver is installed, reboot or restart your computer and wait for the start page to load.

3. Plug the webcam into an available USB port. Look for the icon in the lower-right hand corner that says that a device has been encountered. Make sure it recognizes the device as the webcam and finds the right driver for it.

4. Download and install a program from the Internet that supports webcam chatting, such as Skype, AOL or Yahoo Messenger. For for you to communicate with another using your webcam, he will have to have the same program downloaded on his computer.

References

• Cowboy Frank: How to Set up a Webcam
• Creative Support: Configuring a Creative Webcam and Microphone in MSN Messenger