Webcam Revisited
Want to use your hacked OTU camcorder as a webcam? Have a second computer you can install the webcam drivers on? Here's an easy way to do it. First, you'll need a way to keep the camcorder from shutting off after being unlocked by your computer which has a copy of OPS on it. This is accomplished by building a "powered USB adapter", as pictured below. Secondly, you'll need to download a copy of the Aiptek Webcam Drivers. To make things easier, I've already modified the INF files to have the proper PID for the PureDigital OTU camcorder. Steps: 1. Plug camcorder into powered USB adapter, it will turn on. 2. Connect USB cable from computer which OPS is installed, into powered USB adapter. 3. Run OPS, click "Open Camcorder", then click "Unlock". 4. Disconnect USB cable from computer which OPS is installed, from powered USB adapter. 5. Connect USB cable from computer which will be used for webcam use, into powered USB adapter. 6. When prompted, install webcam drivers. If webcam drivers have already been installed, camcorder can now be used as a webcam at this point.

What works (without needing power) is just after unlocking the camera, switch the PC to the webcam drivers, no need for two PCs. I used to be able to do this without rebooting but I reinstalled windows and now I need a reboot. You think having the camera on a USB hub (self powered) and it being the only item on there. I think that might keep the thing powered on. If not I could just use the wall wort from the USB hub (it's 5v). Very nice how-to though. Maybe my drivers are poop-tastic. I'll try yours. Edit: Do any of the programing gods of the site know how to possibly switch drivers for the camera from a program? Making a simple little program to unlock the cam, then switch the drivers would be neat.

I didn't mind switching drivers (I didn't do it often). What fighting did you do to get it working? I don't have a USB port in my camera (palm cable). I just miss using this thing as a webcam. 30fps out of a webcam is nice for video confrence.

Haha. When it DID work for me it worked flawlessly (no troubles) so it wasn't a hassle for me, but I bet it was if it didn't want to work out.

Installing Third-Party Drivers Without Rebooting This section provides guidelines for designing drivers, INFs, and custom installation applications to install drivers without rebooting the system. Vendors should examine all installation routines to make sure they do not attempt to replace certain files with new files that have the same names, such as the following: • Protected system files. System-file protection prevents system files from being copied over during installation of applications and drivers. Vendors should make sure they are appropriately addressing issues related to system-protected files under Windows 2000. • Shared, in-use DLLs. Shared, in-use DLLs that cannot be halted will not be updated until after the next reboot. Vendors should not replace such DLLs, or should use side-by-side components wherever possible. • Class installers and coinstallers. A class installer or coinstaller cannot be replaced with a file that has the same name. Vendors should use different file names when updating or replacing class installers or coinstallers, and should not update any system-supplied class installers. Top of pageTop of page Driver INF Files Driver INF files should not include a Reboot= or Restart= directive and should avoid setting certain flags in CopyFiles= directives, as described in this section. Reboot= or Restart= directive. A section in an INF file for a Plug and Play device should not include a Reboot= or Restart= directive. These directives are provided for compatibility with Windows 95/98 and should not be used for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and later versions of the operating system. If one of these entries is present, the operating system is forced to reboot when the device is installed, whether the reboot is necessary. Let the Plug and Play Manager determine whether the system needs to be rebooted rather than specifying these directives. CopyFiles= directive. A CopyFiles= directive can use hexadecimal flags to control how (or whether) a particular source file is copied to the destination. The following flags influence whether the system prompts for a reboot as a result of copying the file: • 0x00000008 (COPYFLG_FORCE_FILE_IN_USE) This flag prohibits copying over an existing file of the same name if it is currently open. Instead, it copies the given source file with a temporary name so that it can be renamed and used when the next reboot occurs. If this flag is set, the user is prompted to reboot if the file is in use. • 0x00001000 (COPYFLG_REPLACE_BOOT_FILE) This flag should be used only for files that are required by the system loader. The system will always prompt the user to reboot the system when replacing a boot file. For information about these and other INF directives, see "INF File Sections and Directives" in the Windows DDK. That's what MS said...I'm gonna try this out to see if it can be done without the need for a reboot. Linky: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pnppwr/pnp/no_reboot.mspx EDIT: I've got MCE2005, but I think any XP install should have this little proggie: C:\WINDOWS\system32\amcap504.exe Works with webcams pretty well, allows for video cap, images, fancy things like that.

I was reading that today as well, to try and see if I could fix the problem. Unfortunately for me, I don't have the inf's to edit. On xp pro, I don't have amcap504.exe. Can anyone else confirm this?

It might be a SP2 thing...I dunno. http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=video Second one down has a modified version or something I dunno, but appears to have the same functionability.

I have that program! It came with my ratshack thumb digicam. However, after reading the documentation on the one from the link, it seems as though that version is based upon the one I have, but with modifications to the original source. I would say it adds more functionality (Compare them side-by-side). Kudos on the great link find. However, as the site says, one can also use Windows Movie Maker, which I do recall having even in Windows ME.

it works, all i did was put 0x00000008 (COPYFLG_FORCE_FILE_IN_USE) in the "copyfiles = "in each .inf file. I know it may of not been required, but it will let me swap drivers without the need for a reboot. Now, if there were a way to have software automatically swap drivers... Is this even possible?

I don't think it's possible for software to switch drivers. It might, but I bet without doing some real serious programming it might be done with some win32 API, which would just use the little windows driver wizard...which might still be handy, but not great. Do you wanna post up your drivers for use? I think you need to install the regular ones first, so the files actually get in to your system32 folder, but once they're there, you can just use the modified ones with the "0x00000008 (COPYFLG_FORCE_FILE_IN_USE) " in it and it won't replace any files. That or use those, and then copy the rest of the stuff by hand and pray it works.

I just realized this...but the drivers in alot of the webcam posts refrence the DV5700, not 6800, or are they basically the same cam and get similar results? EDIT: Well another night of fiddling, and another night of no results. Guess my laptop is stupid, I might try another machine to see if I get better results (somehow).

got a place to that i can upload to? i'll be more than happy to share my edited drivers

E-Mail them to me and I'll upload them somewhere and post a linky. adam <at> laurasteele.net