If you are using a Realtek WebCam you probably have to install SplitCam with DESELECTING the Option "Disable Media Foundation Frame Server" or use MSI-CommandLine Argument "FRAMESERVER=1"
To check if your device is in correct / working state check if Value "EnableFrameServerMode=0" exists in "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform" and/or "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform". If it exists you have to delete this Value.
This Realtek WebCam is used in various Lenovo, Dell etc... Notebooks. Windows Device Manager shows it as "Integrated Camera".
To check if it is the Realtek Driver klick on the Properties Tab of the Device "Integrated Camera" in Device Manager and check the Vendor. If it is Realtek you are probably affected.
Another good indicator would be that the File "C:\Windows\System32\RsDMFT64.dll" is present. This is the Realtek Driver of this affected Package.
I tested several Versions, starting with 10.0.19041.20188 up to the lastest available 10.0.22000.20261 (November 2022), they are all affected.
I opened a Support-Ticket at Lenovo to request that this driver gets fixed, but not sure this will be done in the near future.
Solution: Do NOT "Disable Media foundation Frame Server"
I now finally found out what causes the Problem. Since Mai 2022 / SplitCam Version 10.5.80 there is a new Default-Option in Splitcam "Disable Media Foundation Frame Server". It is checked by Default during interactive Installation and cannot be controlled in Silent MSI Installation.
So by default SplitCam sets following two Registry Keys/Values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform EnableFrameServerMode REG_DWORD 0x0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform EnableFrameServerMode REG_DWORD 0x0
This Realtek WebCam in Lenovo L15 Gen 3 (AMD) Notebooks does not work any more if EnableFrameServerMode=0 is set.
This behaviour can be reproduced even if SplitCam is not installed. Just set EnableFrameServerMode=0 and the WebCam stops working.
Solution:
Remove those two Registry Values => WebCam works again
Problem with MSI Silent-Installation:
This DISABLE_FRAME_SERVER Property cannot be controlled from Commandline
The problem is that there is a CustomAction "CustomCheckA_SetProperty_CHECKBOX1" which hardcoded sets this DISABLE_FRAME_SERVER to Value 1 during MSI Setup, regardless if CmdLine-Argument DISABLE_FRAME_SERVER=0 is passed. So it gets overwritten by this CustomAction.
One could think, that just removing those two registry Values scripted or manually would do the trick. But when starting SplitCam the Microsoft Installer checks the missing registry-Values and does a quick repair-install which leads to reappearing registry-keys on first SplitCam-Start after deleting them.
Please fix this! We need to set DISABLE_FRAME_SERVER=0 in Silent MSI Setup
Sure, I will setup the Machine with Lenovo PreLoad-Factory-Image and will connect it to the Internet for you tomorrow.
Just one addition: I got the tip to try https://kvycambgr.com/ as a splitting driver. And I tried it out, KVYcamBgr does NOT Crash, it works. So even when Splitcam is installed other apps like Edge-Browser, Microsoft camera App or OBS Studio which crashed before now can access the Integrated Realtek Webcam via the KVYCamBgr Splitter Driver. Even Splitcam can now access the camera by KVYCamBrg ... so thats a Workaround, but I like to avoid this because Users would have to setup this software and it makes things more complicated to use.
Did some more tests with different drivers without luck.
When I started this Forum-Thread last week I started with Realtek 10.0.220.20219, Device-Manager Driver-Date: 03.12.2021 from Lenovo Website.
Now I updated to the newest one from Lenovo-Website, it is Realtek 10.0.22000.20255, Device-Manager Driver-Date: 14.09.2022 ... behaviour didn't change, means:
Splitcam Crashes when a Media Layer loads which has an embedded Web Camera or when adding a "Web Camera" to a blank Media Layer
When SplitCam is installed (but not running!) Microsoft Edge Browser based WebConferencing shows only "black" when selecting the Realtek Camera.
Windows 10 App "Camera" shows "black" for some seconds, Camera-LED indicating Camera is used turns on. then Camera App closes
After Uninstalling SplitCam both the Win10 App "Camera" as well as Microsoft Edge Web Browser Based Webconferencing works fine
I even selected the 1280x720@30 Format in the Win10 Camera App, it works!
Next I updated to the newest one from Microsoft Update Catalog https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/ searching for "usb\vid_174f&pid_1812". It is Realtek 10.0.22000.20261, Device-Manager Driver-Date: 07.11.2022 ... behaviour only slightly changes, means:
Functional no difference. Splitcam crashes, Windows 10 Camera App shows blank screen / Camera LED turns on and app closes. Browser Based WebConferencing shows only Black.
But in Detail now the Splitcam.log looks a bit different. Not it shows another media type: 640x360@30 YUY2 (before it was media type: 1280x720@30 YUY2)
09:07:25 SplitCam starting: v10.6.36 x64 09:07:25 CPUID: AMD64 Family 25 Model 80 Stepping 0, AuthenticAMD 09:07:25 Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5475U with Radeon Graphics 09:07:25 OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise 10.0.19044 64-Bit ... 09:08:28 Enumerating audio inputs 09:08:28 0: Mikrofonarray (Realtek High Definition Audio) {@device:cm:{33D9A762-90C8-11D0-BD43-00A0C911CE86}\wave:{047136A1-8975-428D-B18B-2A256ED8E388}} 09:08:30 Creating dialog class ui::CDlgAddCamera, "Add Camera" at (640, 324) of size 640x392 09:08:30 Looking for available video capture devices 09:08:30 Found 2 video capture devices 09:08:30 Updating list of available video capture devices 09:08:30 Enumerating webcams 09:08:30 Integrated Camera: {\\?\usb#vid_174f&pid_1812&mi_00#8&37760979&0&0000#{e5323777-f976-4f5b-9b55-b94699c46e44}\global} 09:08:31 Creating video capture sources 09:08:31 Creating video capture renderers 09:08:31 Creating video capture canvas 09:08:31 Saving created context to static contexts list 09:08:31 Starting initialization of: Integrated Camera webcam 09:08:31 Found media type: 640x360@30 YUY2 09:08:32 SYM Symbol-SearchPath: '.', symOptions: 530, UserName: 'p130' 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF97F94055E (RsDMFT64): (filename not available): DllUnregisterServer 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF97F88262A (RsDMFT64): (filename not available): (function-name not available) 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF97F88AAC7 (RsDMFT64): (filename not available): (function-name not available) 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF9BFD686CD (RTWorkQ): (filename not available): RtwqAllocateSerialWorkQueue 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF9C87F2260 (ntdll): (filename not available): TpAllocPool 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF9C87E31AA (ntdll): (filename not available): TpReleaseCleanupGroupMembers 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF9C84374B4 (KERNEL32): (filename not available): BaseThreadInitThunk 09:08:32 SYM 00007FF9C87E26A1 (ntdll): (filename not available): RtlUserThreadStart 09:08:32 UNEXPECTED ERROR. See log output for more info. Code: 0xC0000005. Flags: 0. Address: 0x00007FF97F94055E.
So, I found no evidence that other Apps like browser Based Videoconferencing (Jitsi, Cisco WebEx) don't work with this Realtek Camera when Splitcam is NOT installed. They show black Screen only if Splitcam is installed.
Splitcam crashes with several drivers tried, even the newest one from November 2022. Using the WebCam without installed Splitcam works, for example in the Win10 Built-In Camera App, even when using the Camera in 1280x720@30 Format ... so I cannot confirm there is a general driver Problem with this mode.
Thanks @Anatoly Smelkov for the hint. Will try to check this with other Software. Any chance to "blacklist" this resolution/format in splitcam as a workaround?
Currently SplitCam v10.6.36 is provided as MSI file, which is fine because it can be used to run an unattended / automated Deployment.
BUT: Following minor Problems are existent
1. There is a CustomAction which starts SplitCam.exe after the Installation finishes. This is not a good idea when splitcam.msi is deployed using automated deployment Services. So please remove this CustomAction which triggers the automated /run="[TARGETDIR]splitcam.exe" /user="[LogonUser]" or at least provide a public MSI-Commandline-Property to disable this behavior by adding for example RUNAFTERINSTALL=NO or something like this.
2. When using automated Deployment it is unwanted that the software itself checks for Updates. Please provide the Configuration/Possibility to disable this automated Update Check. For example with a Registry-Key like HKLM\SOFTWARE\SplitCam\DisableUpdateCheck = 1
3. In an environment without Internet-Connectivity the "About" Dialog which tries to pull the changelog from the SplitCam servers is a mess showing errors. There is an "appver" check on Start of Splitcam which checks HKCU\SOFTWARE\SplitCam\appver ... if this Version number is not set or not equal the current Version installed it shows this about Dialog with the changelog on at least first Splitcam start. So currently in automated deployment we have to scripted set HKCU\SOFTWARE\SplitCam\appver to the right Version-Number to avoid SplitCam showing this dialog on first run. Please Provide a Setting to disable this behavior, for example a Registry-Key like HKLM\SOFTWARE\SplitCam\DisableAboutDialogOnFirstRun = 1
