Legacy Tech, Lasting Bonds: Fixing My Sister’s Webcam the Frugal Way

My sister messaged me recently — she was frustrated. Her laptop’s built-in webcam wasn’t working, and she needed it for an upcoming telehealth appointment. The machine is dated by modern standards, still running Windows 7, but we’ve managed to breathe new life into it over the years. I installed an SSD, replaced the battery, and cloned her data so she wouldn’t lose a thing.

Still, Windows 7 is long past its end-of-life. Many applications no longer support it, and finding working drivers is hit-or-miss at best. She was getting a startup message that a USB device had malfunctioned — sure enough, Device Manager showed a camera with a yellow exclamation mark.

I went through the usual steps: remove the device, reboot, scan for changes. I tried uninstalling USB root hubs and letting them reinstall. Nothing worked. The driver simply didn’t exist on Dell’s site anymore, and even removing and re-adding it didn’t help. At that point, I figured it might be a hardware failure — possibly a ribbon cable, the onboard connector, or the camera module itself.

But this is where I lean in.

Rather than give up or suggest a new computer, I offered a workaround: DroidCam, a tool I’ve used myself. It turns your Android phone into a wireless webcam for your PC. The only hitch? Their latest software doesn’t support Windows 7. But I found an older version of the Windows client, installed it, and showed her how to connect.

Initially, it didn’t work — even though her phone’s IP address could be pinged. But when we accessed the camera’s stream through her browser at https://[PhoneIP]:4747, she appeared on screen. Then I tried starting DroidCam again — and there she was.

To test it, we hopped on a quick Google Meet call. Everything worked flawlessly.

She was thrilled — not just because the video worked, but because she didn’t have to fall back on a clunky tablet workaround. A few days later, she messaged me again, worried she’d forgotten the steps. I gave her a quick summary — and seconds later, she replied with a smile:

“It all opened right up 😀”

That moment warmed me. It reminded me why I love what I do — and why I’ll always show up when someone needs help, especially my sister. We’ve been there for each other our whole lives, and as long as we’re both around, that won’t change.

More Than a Fix

Helping someone isn’t just about the tools or the OS or the patch — it’s about presence. It’s about caring enough to try, even when the tech is outdated or the solution isn’t elegant. I didn’t fix the internal camera. But I gave her back the ability to connect, communicate, and feel supported.

And truthfully, that means more than any driver ever could.

This story made me think of something my former coworker Dan once said, a quote he got from someone else:

“If you’re always looking for the bigger, better deal, you’ll never be satisfied.”
That’s stuck with me. It’s part of why I live the way I do. Not every fix needs a new part. Not every solution needs a full upgrade. Sometimes, the best path forward is just making the most of what you already have — and doing it with heart.