Microsoft Apologizes For Failing To Communicate Windows 10 Anniversary Update Issue With Webcams

[Lucian Armasu]

Microsoft apologized that it failed to communicate that some changes in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update would cause many webcams to stop working unless app makers updated their apps and users upgraded to the new versions.

Microsoft Apologizes For Failing To Communicate Windows 10 Anniversary Update Issue With Webcams : Read more

 

[TechyInAZ]

Well that would explain a lot. I was trying to teach a violin lesson over skype a few days ago and I wasn't able to get my webcam to function at all. Tried lots of things, nothing worked. Thanks a lot...

 

[michalt]

The whole point of windows is that it maintains compatibility, basically forever, with old apps. Breaking changes seem like a poorly thought out plan.

 

[clifftam]

I'm glad I'm still using windows 7. I would think it shouldn't be too hard to release a patch to roll back. But they probably don't want to do that so asking developers to update an app which is based practice.

 

[ravewulf]

"Microsoft Apologizes For Failing To Communicate"
Ironic given that webcams are used to communicate.

This could be worked around if they made an "exclusive mode" like they have for sound cards or if they just split the compressed stream at the OS/driver level.

 

[Virtual_Singularity]

"I'm glad I'm still using windows 7. I"...

Can easily relate to those who've avoided W 10 for various reasons. Though, as it looks now, MS more or less just gave all non 10 users a huge middle finger with their apparent plans come October to provide updates in single monthly rollups. It'll mean not being able to pick and choose which KB's we allow onto our systems anymore, if we choose to update. I'm unsure if there's a way around it or not, but with MS switching to this mode a mere couple of months after their free Win 10 upgrade offer expired, I can't help but wonder if there was any point in avoiding Windows 10 now. How many people might have simply gone with the upgrade or bought Win 10 if they knew MS was planning this, I wonder? And is there anything any individual or business can do about it?

"Windows will release a single Monthly Rollup that addresses both security issues and reliability issues in a single update. The Monthly Rollup will be published to Windows Update (WU), WSUS, SCCM, and the Microsoft Update Catalog". Here's the full article for any who may wish to read it: https://www.askwoody.com/2016/win7-and-8-1-to-get-cumulative-updates/

 

[DannyF]

Cant use Skype desktop App, but can use Skype Preview Windows Store App with my Webcam.... (Wii Your shape camera)

 

[chaz_music]

And, as I understand it, you cannot turn the auto-update off ...

You should listen to the Voice of the Customer, Microsoft ...

 

[alextheblue]

Also, because the stream is now uncompressed, that means more data gets sent from the camera for high resolutions. Because many webcams use USB 2.0 connections, they can’t handle that much uncompressed data, so the video data would now be sent at a lower resolution to the application. Before, developers could get high-resolution compressed videos straight from the camera, so 1080p at 30fps recording was possible even over USB 2.0 connections.

I don't think this is accurate, Lucian. What they're saying is that they take the stream from the camera, decode it, and make the resulting uncompressed stream available to multiple apps. So your USB 2.0 connection will function as well as it did before.

 

[memadmax]

Friends don't let friends run Windblows10....

 

[alextheblue]

This could be worked around if they made an "exclusive mode" like they have for sound cards or if they just split the compressed stream at the OS/driver level.

It generally wouldn't take a lot of work for developers to support the uncompressed video. There is supposedly a registry key you can change to revert it.

http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/windows-10-anniversary-edition-broken-webcams

 

[Jim90]

The idea behind the functionality change - multiple concurrent uses of a single webcam stream - appears sound (I think! - parallel capture known/'unknown'), BUT...

Unbelievable miss-handling and almost certainly arrogance/other pressure on the part of MS. The effects of this 'update' will have been 'known and signed-off' by multiple individuals. Why on earth would they deliberately break Skype, as one example, for the vast majority of users?
To under-communicate and then force all webcam developers to change - and - force all affected end user to update...seems...illogical.

 

[Computers-for-Beginners]

If you simply need your webcam to work with Skype - use the Skype Preview app instead. It won't solve your webcam software from working independently, but your Skype Preview with webcam experience should be fine.

 

[chicofehr]

I might wait another year to get windows 10 now. I'm hoping by then Win 10 will settle down and become more stable. Stability is more important then features for desktop users. I might have to use the enterprise ed to get around these crazy updates if they don't as future hardware wont play well with Win 7.

 

[Deleted member 1353997]

Thousands of our customers can’t use our product now to process their payments by e-banking! We and especially our customers - which are your customers too - are really reliant on MJPEG!!

Wait, why would you need MJPEG to process payments via e-banking?

 

[zackster007]

"...the company made it so that the stream goes uncompressed into the app (rather than having each app decode the same stream). Then, the apps can manipulate the data in a way that won’t impact the streaming performance of other apps."

does this mean we don't have to use 3rd party webcamspliter software to use 2 or more application that uses the camera at the same time?

 

[cITfourU]

Hey, Microsoft....I see an update was applied this morning to fix the webcam issue. Guess what? Still broken. At least I am getting a video now, but the sound is out of sync, your own software that is included with the Life Cam repeats each resolution five times in the drop down list, and the same software no longer applies effects to a photo or video. Oh and it crashes .Net when exiting....Quit screwing around or there will be six computers with Windows 7 reinstalled, permanently.

 

[Guest]

Thousands of our customers can’t use our product now to process their payments by e-banking! We and especially our customers - which are your customers too - are really reliant on MJPEG!!

Wait, why would you need MJPEG to process payments via e-banking?

Yeah, it doesn't make sense. My only guess is that it's a cam-wh*re that can no longer make money because her webcam meter app no longer works, and she is trying to dress it up more respectful.

 

[InvalidError]

Random breakage like this makes me glad that I have the Professional Edition and can still disable automatic updates.

 

[nchall]

This isn't only a webcam issue. Anniversary update also breaks BCM4352 wireless in laptops, and as Broadcom says no support for Windows 10 end users are out of luck.

 

[alextheblue]

"...the company made it so that the stream goes uncompressed into the app (rather than having each app decode the same stream). Then, the apps can manipulate the data in a way that won’t impact the streaming performance of other apps."

does this mean we don't have to use 3rd party webcamspliter software to use 2 or more application that uses the camera at the same time?

As long as the software in question is updated to support the new methodology, then yes, that's one of the benefits. But if they haven't updated it might break things.

This isn't only a webcam issue. Anniversary update also breaks BCM4352 wireless in laptops, and as Broadcom says no support for Windows 10 end users are out of luck.

Broadcom has always been junk, especially their driver support.

 

[thuckabay]

Microsoft keeps screwing its customers with crappy updates and releases. It's time for MS to clean house among it managers who have forgotten that the customer (and customer experience) must come first.