How to Disable a Webcam
You’ve probably heard about WebcamChatroulette.com, a website that lets you interact with thousands of people via webcam. As the interwebs often shines a light on some corners of society you’d rather not see (or corners you’d rather your children not see), a few clicks of “Next” on Webcam Chatroulette may have you deciding to disable your webcam. We’ve put together a handy step-by-step guide for disabling a webcam.
These screen shots are from a laptop operating on Windows 7.
If you’re a parent, there are a few reasons why you may want to disable your webcam, all of them having to do with safety. Video instant messaging and websites like WebcamChatroulette aren’t always child-friendly, and you may decide disabling your webcam is your best recourse.
Note that these steps are for integrated webcams only. If you have an external webcam, disabling it is easy – unplug the USB cord that connects the camera to the computer, and hide the camera somewhere your kid won’t find it! (Just kidding. You can also use these steps to disable an external webcam, but you’ll probably have better luck simply by removing the device.) To begin, go to the Start menu on your desktop and click on “Control Panel.”
Click on “Hardware and Sound.”
Click on “Device Manager.”
Click on “Imaging Devices” and select your webcam by double-clicking on it.
Click on the “Driver” tab and select “Disable” to disable the webcam.
Click “Yes” when asked if you really want to disable it.
Your webcam is now disabled. Make sure it is done, go to test webcam, if your webcam doesn’t appear it means it’s ok.