How can you connect your webcam to your computer?

When movies first showed the future with video conferencing, it seemed like a distant dream. Now that technology is available in our daily lives, webcams allow us to see and hear our family, friends and colleagues on the other side of the world in real time. No emoticons are needed, you can see their emotions right there on the screen. If your computer doesn’t have a webcam, or if you bought a new one, it only takes a few moments to install a webcam on your computer. All you need is a webcam, a computer with Microsoft Windows and an internet connection. Learn how to connect a webcam to your computer through Windows in this article.

Many webcams are connected to the computer via a USB port. The webcam you buy comes with a separate USB cable or has a USB cable connected to the camera itself. Plug the USB cable into your computer’s USB port. If the computer is a desktop, the USB port is located on the back and/or front of the system unit.

Automatic detection
Since you have Windows installed on your computer, your computer will automatically detect that a new hardware is connected to your USB port, which in this case is your webcam. A message will appear in the lower right corner of your screen that says Set up a device. A pop-up will then indicate that the device has been installed and configured. If no message appears, press the Start button and select Camera.

If your camera came with software to install on your computer, simply insert the disc that came with your webcam and follow the instructions to download the software. If no disc is included, you can test your webcam with the application Camera, as explained before.

This article was created in collaboration with Logitech