Tuesday, March 3. 2009

Microsoft LifeCam Webcam - Drivers Only

I own a Microsoft LifeCam VX-1000 webcam, which is nothing special, but absolutely okay for its price. The only thing that bothered me is that the driver is not available as a standalone download: You need to download a 50MB installer, which then downloads another 150MB: DirectX, the .NET framework and other components required for the (useless) software. Without network connection, you cannot install the driver. Also, (of course) you're forced to install the software, too.

So, I extracted the driver files from the setup. The ZIP file includes drivers for the NX-6000, the VX-1000, VX-3000 and VX-6000. They're working fine without the software.

LifeCam drivers for Windows XP 32bit (extracted from LifeCam 2.04 installer, 8 MB)
LifeCam drivers for Windows Vista/Windows 7 64bit (from LifeCam 3.20 installer, 3 MB)

On some Win7 installations, an installer will open and try to download the software, but you can safely cancel the dialog.

Update 20.04.2010: Win7 drivers from v3.20.

Defined tags for this entry: drivers, lifecam, microsoft, webcam, windows

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Comments

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thank you

#1 aneededdriver on 2009-03-19 09:29 (Reply)

You rock! Thank you for your efforts!

#2 Jeremy on 2009-03-25 23:50 (Reply)

Thx man, you fckin made my day!

#3 Beka on 2009-04-12 15:20 (Reply)

Thnaks so much 2 hours of wasted time untill I found your page.

#4 john on 2009-04-16 10:30 (Reply)

thanks man

#5 dude on 2009-05-02 12:05 (Reply)

Can you give some hints on how you extracted the drivers. Because the lastest version for Windows 7, v 2.91, comes in the same bulking format.

#6 Nick Berardi (Homepage) on 2009-05-03 05:01 (Reply)

I have updated the post with a download link for 64bit drivers extracted from the new 2.91 installer. They work for both Windows Vista and Windows 7.

I'll add a post about how I extracted the driver to my blog tomorrow.

#6.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2009-05-04 01:48 (Reply)

Would really love to see that how-to on extracting the files from the installer.

#6.1.1 Simon on 2009-07-21 07:28 (Reply)

Sorry that it took so long. You can find the tutorial here.

#6.1.1.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2009-07-29 09:57 (Reply)

Thank you!
This is exactly what i'm searchin' for...

#7 Erich on 2009-05-15 17:33 (Reply)

Thank you thank you, you awesome person! Congrats on being the only person on the net to offer this.

-Tracy

#8 Tracy (Homepage) on 2009-05-24 02:22 (Reply)

which one is the appication?

#9 Kevin on 2009-05-25 17:41 (Reply)

None! I have removed the application on purpose, as it is not needed for the Webcam to work with any software that supports Webcams. Just install the driver for the hardware manually, by selecting the directory to where you have extracted the ZIP from this page within the hardware wizard.

#9.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2009-05-25 19:46 (Reply)

Thanks man!
I can't even locate the driver download page on Microsoft's own download center main page or their own search engine.

#10 hklf on 2009-06-02 02:33 (Reply)

Thanks a ton dude..... Wasted whole night yesterday downloading..installing and uninstalling some stupid softwares going by this name.....
Thanks a ton again dude...

#11 Sai on 2009-06-16 15:17 (Reply)

Thank you so much!
It took me forever to find it

#12 Jen on 2009-06-19 08:10 (Reply)

Thanx, but still not working for me..

I'm running windows 7 RC build 7232 and the drivers are blocked due to "known compatibility issue", by OS is as a solution proposed to install this same version.. Haven't found any solution yet

#13 Traviss on 2009-06-20 20:02 (Reply)

I have the same probler with windows 7 RC build 7232

#13.1 Stas on 2009-07-04 11:28 (Reply)

Microsoft didn't release a new driver yet, judging from their Windows 7 Beta Drivers website. Could you try and install the software from there?

#13.1.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2009-07-04 11:55 (Reply)

Not even Beta Drivers from Microsoft page were working, but now with v3.0 out is everything allright! Hopefully..

#13.1.1.1 Traviss on 2009-08-25 22:36 (Reply)

Thank you very much for the driver!

#14 Tristan Ng on 2009-08-01 11:25 (Reply)

Yeah, so not a computer tech at all. And not sure what drivers and all that stuff is. Read the other post and still not sure what i need to do to make this webcam work.... I've extracted everything and got a bunch of folders and pictures....not sure what to click on or save or how to get this thing work. Could ya help??

#15 nick on 2009-08-25 05:50 (Reply)

The exact steps depend on your Windows version. These are drivers, no installer, nothing to "click on". When you connect your webcam, Windows will try to install it itself, but fail because it doesn't ship with the necessary drivers. You can then point it to the location of the extracted files.
Two links from the top of Google:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/35565/how_to_install_computer_drivers_manually.html
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/how-to-install-hardware-or-device-drivers-manually-in-windows-vista/

#15.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2009-08-25 10:18 (Reply)

thanks man, this is the only driver that works

#16 na on 2009-09-04 03:56 (Reply)

you are a life saver, THANKS(:

#17 Naomi on 2009-09-22 21:13 (Reply)

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was so fuming at MS for not providing this. I just needed a one time video skype usage for this one computer. Cheers!

#18 Laurent on 2009-10-18 22:37 (Reply)

How do I install it? Do I put it in a folder? I have VX-3000

#19 Mark on 2009-11-22 04:35 (Reply)

this was of great help. I too had spent many wasted hours and following the advice and the download available from this blog solved the problem. Many thanks

#20 Stephen on 2009-12-05 15:17 (Reply)

What a hero!!!! You'll never get a job for Microsoft - you're too helpful!
By the way the Windows 7 and vista 64 bit works for XP64 as well unlike any of the Microsoft packages.

#21 Fritzybabe on 2010-01-28 13:04 (Reply)

im comfused! witch ones the one for lifecam VX-3000?
plz tall me

#22 ali pali on 2010-02-18 19:53 (Reply)

There is one archive for Windows XP and one for Win7, each contains all LifeCam drivers.

#22.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2010-02-18 19:56 (Reply)

Thank you SOO much. There is nothing I hate more than having to download 150MB for a single driver. Saved me so much time. PS the google search that got me here was "microsoft lifecam vx 1000 stand alone drivers". Top notch

#23 Joel on 2010-03-27 00:09 (Reply)

excellent the driver with out the bloat you are the man to bad MS is to dam stupid to figure this stiff out.

#24 Jack Handy on 2010-03-30 05:25 (Reply)

I didn't have to download the 115MB file for my camera driver all thanks to you. Love you man. No gay.

#25 Jovan on 2010-04-06 08:35 (Reply)

thanks a lot. I cannot believe that Microsoft is providing a CD without drivers, death penalty for stupidity should be applied to the MS developpers of this camera.

#26 volo on 2010-04-12 18:58 (Reply)

Sadly there is no Win7 32Bit Version of the Drivers only package, i tried to extract them myself from the LifeCam3.21 Software Package, but it looks like they are not included in that Pack.

#27 LEECH666 on 2010-04-20 11:50 (Reply)

The Microsoft installer downloads drivers for the current system. I don't have a system with Win7 32bit.
For an explanation on how I did the extraction, see this post.

If you manage to extract the 32bit drivers send them to me and I'll add them here.

#27.1 Moritz (Homepage) on 2010-04-20 12:02 (Reply)

Ok, so I managed to retrieve the files from the Win7-x86 Installer.
Again there were drivers for multiple cams included.

Here they are:
http://www.multiupload.com/V0NF1N54HU

I follwed the naming convention of Moritz files.

Anyway I don't know why I didn't think of this way to extract the files from the installer. Normally I know how to do this, but when I wrote my first comment here it didn't cross my mind to look into the tempdir. :-/

Now all is left is uninstalling the bloat

L666

#27.1.1 LEECH666 on 2010-05-03 17:02 (Reply)

You are awesome for doing this -- I was dreading installing all that crap just for a webcam. This is excellent. Thanks!

#28 iisan7 on 2010-06-15 22:43 (Reply)

You are awesome!!! All works from first attempt!

#29 теоретег on 2010-06-28 19:08 (Reply)

Awesome, thanks so much for doing this. For some reason the Microsoft download would not work on my computer, but yours did. ^_^

#30 Micala on 2010-08-14 06:00 (Reply)

Thank you so much Moritz and L666, it worked like a charm, you made my day !!!

#31 Heckie on 2010-09-13 08:00 (Reply)

Much appreciated, Thank yous!

#32 khoacalacan on 2010-10-06 03:25 (Reply)

Thank!

#33 Lee on 2010-10-11 12:22 (Reply)

Thank you man!

#34 Gabriel on 2010-12-01 18:05 (Reply)

As I am currently in the process of setting up Windows 7 (x64) on my game pc I thought I'd share the latest drivers for the 64-bit branch of Win 7 with you guys.

So here is the most recent version (v3.22) of the Lifecam drivers.

http://www.multiupload.com/AXABST37O3

Enjoy,
L666

#35 LEECH666 on 2010-12-03 20:54 (Reply)

Great, thanx for avoiding collecting all the crap.

#36 Rajendra on 2011-02-27 12:04 (Reply)

i lost my cd driver for microsoft web cam vx1000 can anyone help

#37 roger on 2011-04-10 12:27 (Reply)

Thank you for doing the job that Microsoft should have, but ultimately failed to do. Thank you a million million times sir.

#38 Brad Wolfe on 2011-07-13 03:47 (Reply)

Thank you!

#39 Alex on 2011-08-30 14:38 (Reply)

Thanks, that makes life easier..

#40 Rob on 2011-09-10 02:31 (Reply)

THENKA

#41 fer on 2011-09-13 21:15 (Reply)

Excellent work, I really cannot understand why they cannot provide driver only option!

I have extracted drivers before, but cannot seem to get them from the LifeCam package successfully, could you do a extraction guide, so we can DIY from the latest package??

Again awesome work.

#42 Tom on 2011-10-14 16:22 (Reply)

Does this help?

http://moblog.wiredwings.com/archives/20090729/How-to-Extract-DriversFiles-from-Installers.html

#42.1 Moritz on 2011-10-14 18:50 (Reply)

Thanks very much. Spent too much time tryin to download it on slow eircom broandband connection.

#43 bn on 2011-11-09 21:35 (Reply)

Dude, you rock!!!

#44 JUlz on 2011-11-17 17:26 (Reply)

Thanks man, Saved me lots of time!!!

#45 MAd on 2011-12-12 13:27 (Reply)

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