Need to test a web cam?

If you have a web cam but not the software that came with it, how can you test it? Here's one place.

I recently reconnected an old webcam that I have, in anticipation of using it for a particular need. I was able to find the driver for the camera on the vendor's web site (and XP seemed to already have it as well, as it turned out) but I couldn't download the software that came with it. I knew that the web-based conferencing tool I would be using supported cameras, but I couldn't easily test how the camera would work until that meeting began. I wanted to know in advance.

I did a little poking around, and I found that this web site at yahoo was set up to help folks using their chat service:

http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/messenger/messenger10/webcam/mstacamtest.html

Whether you use their service or not, it worked like a charm for me to see what the camera image would be. Yes, it required an install of an activex control, but it was from yahoo so I felt I could trust it.

There may be some other technique I'm not thinking of (had the webcam for 2 years and have used it only a couple times). If so, feel free to let me know.

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