Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

I could be wrong, but don't think it's a physical problem. This seems more like a conflict with drivers and/or services.
Try this:

- Uninstall the software.
- Get a webcam software that works with most webcams... you might try the free one here.

If that program lets you access your webcam and it seems to be operating correctly, then the specific software for your webcam is what's causing the problem, and we can go from there.

If that program (or another one like it) doesn't yield success, you might look into bringing the laptop in to a repair shop.