Sony PCG-TR3A Notebook Logo
Posted on Oct 23, 2007

Pcg-tr3a - viao laptop camera issue

The in-built camera is showing black square box - sometimes a line keeps moving - no picture - but the green light indicator is on. Please help, Windows XP - original setup computer - no changes except windows patches up-to-date.

  • 8 more comments 
  • AndreaB Nov 06, 2007

    I have the same problem.

  • tulliot Nov 12, 2007

    I have the same problem

  • Anonymous Nov 12, 2007

    i have that problem on my pcg-tr1a but instead of black the box is pink or purple

  • shawnsavoli Nov 13, 2007

    I have the same problem, it was working fine, I was chatting to a friend using ymsgr, and suddenly the picture went black, now when i start the camera, sometimes a noisy and greenish picture is visible.

  • Anonymous Nov 16, 2007

    Similar problem with TR5MP.
    Have had white screen with black lines horizontal. Then just blank.
    The camera operated and windows states device is operating ok. The picture/s taken shows blanks.

    Suspect some component in camera or wiring is no longer working fully.
    Sounds like an expensive repair for an out of warranty laptop.

    Although can still use a usb cam it not as neat.

    No other steps taken, other than browse web for similar issues.


  • Anonymous Dec 11, 2007

    one day it just stop working, it has a black screen, but the green light its on, when you take a picture its just a black screen too. I see other people have the same problem all around the same time, wonder if it is because of the latest window undates.

  • Anonymous Jan 21, 2008

    Mine broke, same symptoms as everybody else. Green light on, and black screen on. I restore the system using the recovery disks so all is working on factory defaults so I am not sure it is even software related, might be hardware. I call sony support and did all they asked me to several times but no success so they say it needs to be sent for repair. Jus to have them help me out on the phone it is 30USD, I asked for the camera replacement and ti is 147USD. Has anybody fixed this? or sent it to a repair shop? I am afraid I'll send it to a repair shop, spend a lot of money and not achieve anything.

    Hopefully somebody is reading this posts and has fixed things and can share it with the rest of us...PLEASE HELP!

    =)

  • Anonymous Jan 21, 2008

    Mine broke, same symptoms as everybody else. Green light on, and black screen on. I restore the system using the recovery disks so all is working on factory defaults so I am not sure it is even software related, might be hardware. I call sony support and did all they asked me to several times but no success so they say it needs to be sent for repair. Jus to have them help me out on the phone it is 30USD, I asked for the camera replacement and ti is 147USD. Has anybody fixed this? or sent it to a repair shop? I am afraid I'll send it to a repair shop, spend a lot of money and not achieve anything.

    Hopefully somebody is reading this posts and has fixed things and can share it with the rest of us...PLEASE HELP!

    =)

  • Anonymous Feb 07, 2008

    i have the same problem.when i try to use the inbuilt camera in my acer laptop it shows the green light but cant get any images. but the camis wrking when its opened seperatly.

  • Anonymous Feb 10, 2008

    me too same symtoms

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  • Posted on Jan 27, 2008
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Hello guys
There might be a webcam driver issue .. plz download the drivers by clicking on following link:

  1. http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=PCGTR3A&upd_id=935&os_id=7
  2. http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=PCGTR3A&upd_id=1422&os_id=7
please download and install both from above links..

even if the problem persists
adjust the webcam in yahoo messenger
  1. go to preference in yahoo messenger
  2. select webcam
adjust the colour and brightness settings.

please try this and let me know if it works

thank you

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  • Posted on Jan 30, 2008
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None of these solutions will work.

I already did a LOT of research and it is definitely a Hardware problem. The solution is to change the camera. The problem is that it costs 150 USD from sony.

The trick is to use the the 11a model (11 is the internal 11a external but they share the same CCD).

You can find in other blogs step by step procedures to fix it. IT is safe to do.

By the way, moving brightness and installing new drivers are not solutions to this. Thanks for helping though, but if you red the posts you see that we have tried beyond that.

An easy way to check hardware problems is to point a light straight to the camera and see what you get. it will most likely go from black to white (broken).


Thanks and hopefully this will help others.

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