Vaio Product Name: SVF1521C2EW Web Cam not in Device Manager

[scopio]

My friend has a Vaio Product Name: SVF1521C2EW which I updated from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 and replaced the HDD to a SSD two or three years ago. Every thing works as normal except that he has now tried to use the web cam but there it is not showing in Device Manager!

Now with the COVID-19 lockdown he needs to use Zoom but is unable to with the laptop because of the web cam not showing.

Where can I download the web cam driver and any other web cam utility to be able to use the laptop camera?

Device Manager below;

Any help will be most appreciated.

[Blencogo]

Hi scopio

I believe the camera uses generic Windows drivers so I don’t think it is a straightforward driver issue.

If you could give details of the hardware IDs of the two unknown devices in Device Manager, that may give a clue.

The commonly omitted driver when a hdd and OS has been replaced is the ‘Sony Firmware Extension Parser’ abbreviated to SFEP driver. You could try installing the most recent version from the Sony Support page for that model. SFEP is Not OS dependant so just try the latest available here:-

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/laptop-pc-svf-series/svf1521c2e/downloads

[scopio]

Thanks @Blencogo for your reply.

There are three ‘Sony Firmware Extension Parser’ as shown below so my question is which one of these should I download and install?

‘Sony Firmware Extension Parser’ Windows 8 64 bit 20/6/2013
‘Sony Firmware Extension Parser’ Windows 8.1 64 bit 25/10/13
‘Sony Firmware Extension Parser’ Windows 7 64 bit 21/3/14

By the way the Device Manager does not show a web cam in Imaging Devices and only one unknown device.

[Blencogo]

Hi @scopio 

I'd probably pick the Windows 8.1 driver. They say it is independent of the Win version but .......

It may be installed already - mine shows up in HID Devices but my Vaio is an older model.

My camera appears as 'USB 2.0 Camera' in Imaging Devices and uses the generic Windows video system drivers. We have seen this problem with the camera before but I am not aware of a reliable solution.

[scopio]

Hi @Blencogo I have downloaded the Sony Firmware Extension Parser (Windows 8.1 64bit) installed it, or so I think as it just extracted EP0000600937.exe for a second and nothing else showed, restarted the pc but nothing shows in Device Manager for the camera or the unknown device.

The unknown device hardware ID is as shown below;

In the HID there is no entry for the camera;

Don't know what else to do to solve this issue.

[scopio]

HI @Blencogo 

I have downloaded the ‘Sony Firmware Extension Parser’ Windows 8.1 64 bit 25/10/13 EP0000600937.exe saved it to the desktop, double clicked it and it extracted but I do not know how to proceed from here. Could you please tell me a step by step to install the driver for the unknown device assuming that the SFEP is the correct one.

Thank you.

[Blencogo]

The good news is that the unknown driver is definitely the SFEP driver. SNY5001 is the hardware ID for this driver.

I’m not at home and can’t get to a PC at the moment. I’ll look this evening.

From memory there are two different ways to install this driver depending on the Vaio model. The simple way is to download the driver to a download folder and then run the .exe file as an administrator. The second way is more complex and requires installation from inside Device Manager, and installing the driver for the unknown device and choosing ‘Have Disc’ and pointing to the downloaded file location. I’ll need to check this when at home.

[scopio]

OK @Blencogo  thanks.

[Blencogo]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hYhY6qt3ALI

If it doesn’t work we will need to try another one of the drivers or alternatively, find a SFEP for Win 10.

I’ll get back later.

[scopio]

I think I have to give up trying to get the camera working as searching for new hardware did not find the camera either.

I have searched the web intensely for the past few days and found no one has a solution!

According to another web forum member he had the same issue saying this;

"

“The Sony website has no webcam driver for Sony Vaio laptop SVF1521ASN/B. So I called Sony India support number and they inform me that the webcam for this laptop does not come with a separate driver! Therefore, they advise me to downgrade to Windows 8, the original OS that came with the laptop so as to get back Imaging Devices in Device Manager and to get the webcam working again!!

This is ridiculous! Sony has no other way/method to get the webcam working in Windows 10.
My laptop is working fine with Windows 10 and I do not want to downgrade to Windows 8. Is there no other way to get the webcam to work?? This is highly frustrating and just shows how Sony does not do anything to resolve such issues/problems!!”