How to check which apps are using the webcam. How to find out which application is using the webcam in Windows How to find out which application is using the camera

Some of the software listed in the collection can be downloaded for free; for expanding the functionality in certain utilities, you will need to purchase a license. Depending on the software you choose, using a webcam, you will have the opportunity to realize your plans, be it a fun shooting for your friends from VK or purposeful tracking of CCTV cameras by IP address.

ManyCam will help you conduct a colorful live broadcast, webinar or productive communication session on Skype... The utility edits video and audio online at a professional level, but it is not devoid of presets and "chips" for amateurs. It tightly integrates with popular platforms, works quickly even on a weak PC. We recommend trying at least the free version.

Xeoma is considered one of the most advanced tools in its category, allowing even inexperienced users to conduct professional video surveillance. The program is distributed free of charge, but if you want to expand its functions, you should think about buying the Pro version, which can be called one of the most optimal price and quality options. IP Camera Viewer will help to build a simple and convenient monitoring system without delving into the detailed settings of certain configurations.

Movavi Video Suite combines the best qualities of the other programs described, generously seasoning them with the functions of a high-quality video editor, video editing application, format converter and viewer. Record, cut, add effects, enhance and create entire films in one program. With their conversion and uploading to Youtube there will be no questions either. Everything is done within the Movavi Video Suite menu!

WebcamXP fans of remote control will like it, because it allows you to monitor what is happening both from remote computers and from mobile devices. The official website of the developer provides not only the usual modification, perfect for home, but also Pro, which, although it costs $ 99, will allow you to manage several streams simultaneously broadcast to the network at once.

WebCam Monitor It stands out from the competition with a well-thought-out task planner and is considered a professional tool. The disadvantage may be the absence of the Russian menu language, but the clear advantage will be the exclusive ability to send SMS to your cell or smartphone in case of motion detection in the frame.

CyberLink YouCam will appeal to fans of presentations and video tutorials, as well as supporters of high-quality protection of their PC from prying eyes. It knows how to change your appearance, but from the point of view of an entertainment nature, it will cope better with such a function WebcamMax, which is recommended to download for everyone who wants to laugh heartily while communicating with friends in popular online services. But the simplest means of photographing yourself will be Webcam Toy, created specifically for the purpose of further posting the processed photo in social networks.

Hello everyone! Today's article will focus on webcam security. We already once spoke in detail about all the methods. If you haven't read it yet, I advise you to read it.

Today, in pursuit of that article, I decided to write about how to find out which program is using the Webcam. This can be useful in some cases. And not only in situations associated with viruses and malware, but also with device conflicts in the operating system. For example, quite often such conflicts occur when using the Skype program.

Windows 10 controls webcam usage by apps using a native feature. It's in the "Options" -> "Privacy" -> "Camera" section.

This is a pretty useful thing for controlling application access to a webcam. If you are using Windows 10, then in terms of security, I strongly advise you to disable everything unnecessary there that can use the webcam.

If the webcam is not used at all, then move the "Allow applications to use ..." slider to the off position. If you intend to use the webcam with certain applications, then only unnecessary applications should be disabled.

All this is of course good. But there is one thing ... You understand that no normal malware on this list will be visible. Such programs are good at disguising themselves and hiding their presence in the system.

What to do in such a situation? How to determine which program is using the Webcam?

Very simple. We will search for a webcam in running processes by the physical name of the device using the small and free Process Explorer program from Microsoft. This utility will greatly simplify and speed up the search for a device. The presented method works on Windows 10, 8, 8.1, 7 operating systems.

So friends, let's move on to the instructions themselves.

Which program uses the Webcam

Let's start the "Device Manager". To do this, use the Win + R key combination to open the "Run" window.

In which you need to enter the command "devmgmt.msc" and click "Ok".

After that, in the appeared window "Task Manager" in the drop-down menu "Image processing devices" we will find the webcam. In case you have multiple webcams installed on your system, follow these steps for all.

Double click on the device will open the settings window. The General tab will open by default, but we need the Details tab.

On the tab "Information" in the drop-down menu "Properties" we will find the item "Name of the physical object ...". And in the "Value" field, right-click to copy its name.

Now you need to download a small free application Process Explorer. By the way, a very useful program. It can be useful to you in different situations. I recommend mastering it. In many of our instructions, we will use it or other similar programs that replace the standard Windows Task Manager.

After installation, run the program and use the Ctrl + F key combination to open the search, in which we will paste the device name copied to the clipboard. Click on the search button and wait for the end of the process.

If after the end of the search no results are found, then this can only mean that the webcam is not being used by any application at this particular moment.

But there may be another picture. As you can see in the screenshot above, in my case the webcam is occupied by the Google Chrome browser.

What can this talk about?

The first is that one of the open sites is currently using a webcam. Typically, to enable the user's Webcam, the site asks for permission using the browser. As a rule, such a window appears on all kinds of online video chats, but this is if the site is white and clean.

If this is a fraudulent site or simply hacked into which exploits were uploaded, there will be no window. An attacker will be able to launch your webcam without your confirmation. In this case, try closing all browser tabs and searching again.

In more severe cases, this may also indicate that some one was injected into the Google Chrome process. Yes, that often happens. In this case, you should reinstall your browser and continue searching for the Trojan on your computer.

I promise to tell you how to find malware on your computer in the next article, so if you don’t want to miss it, you can follow us on social networks.

That's all. Now you know how to find out which application the webcam is using. By the way, in this way you can determine the use of other devices on the computer.

It usually starts like this: you want to make a video call or receive an incoming call. But it was not there: Skype says that the camera is busy with another application... Of course, the interlocutor cannot see anything, only the voice from the microphone is heard.

Causes of the problem

This can lead to paranoid thoughts. After all, if the webcam is busy with another application, and Skype has nothing to do with it, then perhaps they are spying on you right now?

Exhale and relax. This is a fairly common system problem in Windows, which can be dealt with using available methods. It is not necessary to stick tape on the camera or put foil on the head.

In the bad habit of intercepting the camera, a variety of applications can be noticed: antivirus, graphics packages, game streaming services. This may be a wrong system setting. Let's try to figure out how to calm down uninvited applicants for video communication.

Elimination

There are several options for how the camera is blocked for use in Skype:

If you are using Kaspersky Antivirus, then you may have to accept its "what is not allowed is forbidden" logic. Open its window, select the section from the menu "Confidentiality", there is a tab "Camera" and allow Skype to use it. This should solve everything.
If your camera is not built-in, but is connected via a USB connector, try reconnecting it physically.
Try booting Windows in "clean" mode. After that, launch one application after another and try video calling in Skype after launching each of them. It's troublesome enough. But if the problem persists, this is the only way to solve it completely.

There is no Kaspersky on your computer, and there is no one to blame? Then reset all settings using system methods. Everything is done like this:

Reinstall the camcorder driver cleanly. For this:

If you are worried that someone is spying on you, and especially if you are not using your webcam, you can turn off your webcam altogether... Webcam spying is very real and caution is never too much of a problem.

But, if you are worried about turning on the webcam, and you want to know which application is using it. To do this, you need the free Microsoft Explorer tool. As part of a line Sysinternals tools, it is a much more advanced application with powerful features not available in the regular Windows Task Manager.

Find the device name of your webcam

First, you need to find the object name of your webcam device. This information is available in Device Manager.

To start Device Manager in Windows 8 or 10, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. In Windows 7 press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box and press Enter.

Find your webcam in the list of devices connected to your computer. You will probably find it in the Sound, Game and Video Products category. Right-click it and select Properties.

Click the Details tab to view more detailed hardware information. Click the Property field and select Physical Device Object Name from the list.

Right-click the device object name displayed in the Value field and select Copy to copy it to the clipboard.

Determine which processes are using the webcam

Now you need to launch the Process Explorer application downloaded from Microsoft.

In the Process Explorer window, press Ctrl + F or select Find → Find Handle or DLL.

Right-click inside the Handle or DLL Substring field and select Paste to paste the device object name that you copied from Device Manager.

Click the Search button. Process Explorer will search for all of your running processes and show you a list of all processes currently used by your webcam.

This will only show the processes that are currently using the webcam when doing searches. If a process was used by the webcam five seconds ago, but was not used when performing a search, it will not appear in the list.

If you need to view more information about a process, find it in the list of running processes, right-click and select Properties. Here we can see that RtkNGUI64.exe is part of the Realtek HD Manager. You may need to do an online lookup for the process name if you are not sure what it is.

If you don't know what the process is and it looks suspicious, you can right-click it in this list and click “Kill Process” to temporarily stop it.

However, if your computer is infected with malware, you need to remove the malware from your computer to stop it permanently.

Having trouble making calls on Skype? Most likely, this is the fault of the Internet connection of you or your interlocutor. Low Internet connection can result in remote call connections, latency, and poor audio and video quality. In addition, if there is a problem, you will see a call quality indicator. Use the following tips.

Check your computer and internet connection.
Poor connections can result in disconnected connections, unclear or stuck video, and poor audio quality. If your connection quality is poor, you may receive the following notification: Bad network connection.

In addition, the following can affect call quality:

Make sure you have good wifi signal or if possible use a wired connection.

If your Internet connection deteriorates during a call, Skype may disconnect some video streams in group calls. When the connection is back to normal, Skype will automatically turn the video back on.

If you are having connection problems in Windows, you can troubleshoot the problem as described in Solve network connection problems.

Close all applications that may negatively affect call quality. File sharing apps, streaming audio or video, and even an open browser can all take up bandwidth.

If you are using Skype on a laptop that is in low power mode, try plugging it in or switching to peak performance mode.

Checking your system's privacy permissions... For Mac OSX Mojave (10.14 or later) and Skype for Windows 10 (version 14) users, make sure to grant permission for Skype to use microphone and cameras.
- Mac OSX Mojave (10.14 or higher):
  -Go to the Mac section System preferences>security and privacy> tab Confidentiality > Microphone or camera and providing access to Skype.
- Skype for Windows 10 (version 14):
  -Go to Start and then select Parameters gears> confidentiality> select cameras or microphone... In the section, make sure Skype is being replaced on the... Restart Skype and go to your Skype audio and video Parameters to check the correct device selected in Skype.
Check your webcam. Make sure it is turned on, directed at you, and not obstructed by anything. In Skype for desktop, select your avatar > Audio and video settings and in the section Video check what the webcam is showing in the preview window.
Note... Skype for Windows 10 requires your webcam to meet the minimum requirements for Microsoft Store apps.
on Skype. During such a call, you will be prompted to record a message, which will then be played back. This is the easiest way to check your audio settings. In Skype on the desktop, select your avatar>Audio and video settings >Make a free trial call.
Check the sound
... The range of available devices is vast, and there are a number of possible causes of functional impairment. Each brand has its own characteristics, so we always recommend that you check the manufacturer's website to view the user manual or get troubleshooting help.

Below are some of the steps you can follow.

Check your microphone, speakers or headphones... Make sure they are connected and not muted. If it's a Bluetooth device, make sure it's connected as well.
Check your webcam. Make sure it is turned on, directed at you, and not obstructed by anything.
Make a free test call on Skype. During such a call, you will be prompted to record a message, which will then be played back. This is the easiest way to check your audio settings.
Can you hear the echo of your voice? There may be a problem with the other person's device. Ask him to decrease the volume of the audio playback.
Check the sound... Try playing a song or using another sound app to check the volume. If you hear sound, the other person may be the problem. Ask him to follow the same steps.
Refer to the manufacturer's website... The range of available devices is vast, and there are a number of possible causes of functional impairment. Each brand is different, so we always recommend that you check the manufacturer's website to view the user manual or get troubleshooting help.

You can find out which programs or applications are using a connected webcam on Windows using Microsoft's Process Explorer utility. We present detailed instructions on how to do this.

If you have already noticed the activity of the webcam by the burning LED when you were not using it, then you probably use stickers to glue it. Some malware that hacks webcams can turn off the LED, so you might mistakenly think that the camera is not working.

If you see the LED lit while you are not using the camera, then first of all you need to close it. After that, it's important to figure out which app has gained control of the webcam and how to restore your privacy.

How to download Process Explorer

Microsoft offers a small utility called Process Explorer, which is an extended version of Task Manager. The program allows you to search across devices to control which processes are using them. Microsoft explains the purpose of the utility: “Process Explorer shows information about active and loaded processes and DLLs”.

After starting Process Explorer, you need to find the name of the webcam to check which applications are controlling it. To do this, you can use the Task Manager.

Right click on the Start button.
Select "Device Manager".
Expand the "Imaging Devices" section.
Right click on the camera name in the list.
Select Properties.
Click the Details tab at the top of the window.
Open the drop-down list “Property”.
Select Physical Device Object Name.
Right click on the contents of the “Value” field.
Click “Copy”.

How to find out which app is using your webcam

Process Explorer must be running and minimized, and the device name must be copied to the clipboard. Now let's look at how to find out which application is controlling the camera.

Click Process Explorer on the taskbar.
Click the “Find” main menu item.
Select the option “Find Handle or DLL ...” (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F)
Right click in the Handle or DLL substring field.
Click "Insert".
Click the “Search” button. A list of processes that are using the webcam should appear. If the list is empty, then try searching again and make sure to run Process Explorer as an administrator.

Find the corresponding process in the list of the main Process Explorer window.
Right click on the unknown process.
Click “Properties”. In our example, only the Skype plugin uses the camera. If a suspicious process has access to your camera, it is best to terminate it.

Click “Kill Process”.
Click OK.

How to run a Windows Defender scan

If an unknown suspicious process has access to your webcam, then there is a chance that your computer is infected. In this case, you should start the Windows Defender Scanner.

Launch Windows Defender Security Center.
Under Virus & Threat Protection> Advanced Scan, select Full Scan.
Click Scan Now.

Windows Defender will then start scanning your computer. You can also use third-party or free antiviruses for additional scanning of your computer.

We kindly ask all forum participants: treat each other with understanding and respect, and also observe. We are all human, each of us has the right to his own opinion.

For cooperation, please contact us or by correspondence. Help with infections and technical problems is provided on the forum, while you need to create a new topic in the appropriate section.

Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer ... because it teaches you how to think. (C) Steve Jobs

Any point on the map can be the center of the world. He is neither bad nor good. He just is. There is no virtue or dishonor here. There is only you alone with your conscience. And so on until the race ends, until the end comes, until we turn into ghosts that we seemed to ourselves. (c) movie "Legend"

Go to your download folder.
Right click on the Process Explorer archive.
Select "Extract All".
Click “Extract”.
Right click on the application (if using a 64-bit system, use the 64-bit version of the application).
Select "Run as administrator".
Click “Yes”.
Click the "Minimize" button in the upper-right corner of the window.

After starting Process Explorer, you need to find the name of the webcam to check which applications are controlling it. To do this, you can use the Task Manager.

Right click on the Start button.
Select "Device Manager".
Expand the "Imaging Devices" section.
Right click on the camera name in the list.
Select Properties.
Click the Details tab at the top of the window.
Open the drop-down list “Property”.
Select Physical Device Object Name.
Right click on the contents of the “Value” field.
Click “Copy”.

How to find out which app is using your webcam

Process Explorer must be running and minimized, and the device name must be copied to the clipboard. Now let's look at how to find out which application is controlling the camera.

Click Process Explorer on the taskbar.
Click the “Find” main menu item.
Select the option “Find Handle or DLL ...” (you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + F)
Right click in the Handle or DLL substring field.
Click "Insert".
Click the “Search” button. A list of processes that are using the webcam should appear. If the list is empty, then try searching again and make sure to run Process Explorer as an administrator.

Find the corresponding process in the list of the main Process Explorer window.
Right click on the unknown process.
Click “Properties”. In our example, only the Skype plugin uses the camera. If a suspicious process has access to your camera, it is best to terminate it.

Many have encountered problems with the webcam during Skype calls. Most often it happens like this: the user starts the messenger, selects the right person from the contact list and tries to make a video call, but instead of the face of a friend or relative, he sees an error message on the screen. It tells you that you cannot start video streaming and asks you to close other programs that might be using the camera.

When trying to follow the advice of the application, the user usually finds that no third-party programs are running. In this case, the call is in progress, just the interlocutor of the user does not see or hear it.

Installing your webcam correctly!

Usually this problem in Skype occurs immediately after installing the webcam and means that an error occurred during the connection of the device. That is, the camera does not work initially. Let's take a look at how this procedure should take place in order for the video to be broadcast without problems:

If the camera came with a software disc, first install the programs from the disc, and only then connect the device. If you have already broken this sequence earlier, remove the installed programs and do it all over again in the correct order.
If there is no disc in the kit, but you install the webcam on a Windows computer, the operating system will start searching for drivers the first time the device is connected. You just have to wait for their installation.
If Windows cannot find drivers, look at the webcam manufacturer and visit their website, there should be a free link to download drivers for your camera model. In addition, the site always contains the latest drivers, which fix bugs that worried users in previous versions. But be careful with Logitech cameras - the drivers that come with them are usually much better than those posted on the site. By installing new ones, you run the risk of causing system crashes - blue screen and slowdown of your computer.

Checking webcam drivers in Windows

On Windows computers, you can check if the drivers are installed correctly. Go to "Device Manager" (in older versions of Windows), in Windows 7 - "Devices and Printers", and find the camera. It is usually located in the "Imaging Devices" section. There should not be any extra symbols near the camera icon, for example, an exclamation mark. It signals a malfunction, that is, something is wrong either with the camera or with the drivers for it.

To make sure everything works fine, right-click on the camera icon and select Troubleshoot.

The system will start searching for errors. If errors are found, she will suggest solutions. If there are no errors, it will display a message that there are no problems.

After that, you need to check the image that the camera produces. It's easy to do this on a Windows XP computer: the camera is located right in the My Computer folder. To run it, double-click on the icon. If after that you see yourself on the screen, then the camera is working.

If the OS is newer, for example, Vista or Windows 7, you need to open any program that will help you get an image from a webcam. This is easily done through the standard Paint program. You need to start the program, open the main menu and select the "From Scanner or Camera" item in it. Then a list of devices should open, in which you need to select your webcam, and then click on the "Remove" button in the window that appears. A normally functioning camera should produce an image as a result.

Checking a spare webcam

To figure out exactly what the problem is, a second webcam will help.

Try to connect another working camera to the computer (it is advisable to first check it on another computer). If it does not give an image, then the problem is most likely not in the camera drivers, but in the video drivers of your computer or in Skype itself. If the camera works fine, try using it for a video call. If the call is successful, then you need to replace the webcam, otherwise choose another solution from the ones suggested below.

The camera is working, but Skype cannot start video streaming?

Sometimes, even after the system has notified the user that there are no problems with the webcam, the message that Skype cannot start video broadcasting continues to bother. Then one of the following may help:

1. Call your interlocutor.

2. Close Skype and reopen it, that is, restart the program.

3.A webcam can really only broadcast video to one program, so look for and close all other programs that could "intercept" the camera. This is usually done by Steam, Mail-agent or IP-telephony programs.

4. If the camera is removable, remove it from the USB connector and reinsert it. If that doesn't help, connect it via a different USB port.

5. Restart your computer.

6. Check which camera the messenger is using. To do this, go to the "Calls" menu, select "Video" in the submenu, and in it - "Video settings".

Now check if you have a drop-down arrow next to your webcam model. If there is, click on it and from the list of devices that Skype takes for a webcam, select the correct one.

7. Check which version of Skype is installed on the device and if there are updates. If yes, then update the program to the latest version. To do this, you need to go to the "Help" menu and select the check for updates there.

If a new version is out, you will be prompted to download it.

To do this, you need to click on the "Download" button and wait for Skype to update.

8. Update or reinstall the video drivers on your computer.

9. Update or try reinstalling the drivers on the webcam.

If all these options did not help, reinstall the messenger itself: uninstall it and reinstall it.

To uninstall the messenger, you can use the standard uninstallation of programs in the Start menu or any program that removes unnecessary data from your computer (for example, CCleaner or RevoUninstaller).

After deleting, check if there are any folders containing the word Skype left on your computer. To do this, type it into the search and manually delete all the folders that the system detects.

Then go to the official Skype website, download the application and install it.

One of these methods should help deal with the problem. However, if the error has not been resolved, please contact Skype technical support on the official website of the application.