How to stop annoying mic popup ?

badcrc · 12 Feb 2020

I have a Logitech C920 USB webcam used with the Windows camera app. It's on my window ledge and I bring up a small window on one of my monitors when I'm expecting a delivery (like a CCTV), so I don't miss the driver.

I don't need sound, so the webcam mic is disabled in the old sound-recording, and in the newer settings panel. This means I get these annoying popups -

how do I stop these popups ?

System is -
Windows 10 Pro (up to date)
i7 4770K
MSI B85M-E45
Realtek onboard sound

ellellell1 · 12 Feb 2020

Hi badcrc

I find that the camera app is only useful for taking pictures or videos.

I would suggest using a different capture software program, such as VLC

You can, once in VLC, click on 'Media' > 'Open capture device'
Under video device name > select the webcam
Under audio device name > select none (so it is manually disabled by the program)

Also if you want to, you can play around in the settings to just have a pop-out window with no borders

badcrc · 13 Feb 2020

The thing that bugged me was the suggestion to go to privacy settings, but a setting of 'disable mic' is 'not allowed' and gives error message.

ellellell1 · 13 Feb 2020

badcrc said:

The thing that bugged me was the suggestion to go to privacy settings, but a setting of 'disable mic' is 'not allowed' and gives error message.

If you want to fix these errors, maybe first try to make sure the camera app is up-to-date (through the microsoft store)
Then only turn off microphone access for the camera app through the modern settings (leave the recording on in control panel)

This should make the camera app only prompt for the first message when in video mode.
So then you could leave the camera app in picture/photo mode...
(which doesn't need the microphone to take a picture, so a message should not appear)

Overall the camera app probably needs to be able to detect a microphone, but doesn't necessarily need to access it.

Alternatively can use VLC which I do recommend, or a 'legacy version' of the camera app called VideoView.exe (included in windows)

VideoView.exe when first started should automatically not use audio and only video (a live video feed only)
Search for VideoView in the taskbar to use it.

Hope this helps

badcrc · 15 Feb 2020

There's nothing on any of my pcs called videoview.exe.

I first noticed the sound being recorded by the camera app as default when recently I was expecting a delivery and had my little CCTV window in the corner of the screen. I happened to see a dodgy looking guy wandering around outside, so I turned on video record. When I played back the video, I could hear my radio in the background - from the webcam mic.

I disabled the mic and started getting error messages.

I usually scoff at people who complain about Windows being intrusive 'whose computer is it etc', but it seems MS don't want me to turn off my mic. I'm starting to wonder if those conspiracy theories about MS listening in to everything you say are true

The camera app works quite well otherwise. I guess I'll just have to put up with the error messages. Thanks for all replies.

ellellell1 · 15 Feb 2020

badcrc said:

There's nothing on any of my pcs called videoview.exe

Hmm, that's weird... I'm pretty sure it's included in every version of Windows 10.

Just to make sure do

+ r (opens a 'Run' window), then type in videoview.exe

badcrc said:

The camera app works quite well otherwise. I guess I'll just have to put up with the error messages. Thanks for all replies.

Someone who has more experience in dealing with Store apps might be able to help with the second error message. However they are probably embedded in the program code itself, so it is unlikely to be able to turn them off manually.

I guess there is always the hope that MS might add the option for a microphone setting, which every other similar capture program has

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