Windows – Open webcam settings dialog in Windows

As I came here from Google looking for solution myself...

You will need FFmpeg unzipped anywhere on your disk. Assuming Windows here, but FFmpeg should have Linux version as well.

1. Navigate to bin directory in CMD shell (via cd "C:/path/to/ffmpeg/bin/")
2. Execute following command: ffmpeg -list_devices true -f dshow -i dummy -hide_banner
3. Note your camera name from the output (like HP Wide Vision HD, because I have HP laptop)
4. Execute following command (of course replace HP Wide Vision HD with your camera name): ffmpeg -f dshow -show_video_device_dialog true -i video="HP Wide Vision HD"
5. The settings will now open (the same as in Skype).
6. ... question sanity of guys at some american OS vendor who had hidden this dialog so deeply...

I found a way to re-enable the old behavior.

Using the Group Policy Editor:

1. Run gpedit.msc
2. Go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Error Reporting
3. Set Prevent display of the user interface for critical errors to Disabled.

Note that the help for the setting is wrong because it says If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Windows Error Reporting displays the user interface for critical errors, but that does not appear to be true if the policy is not configured.

If you don't want to use the Group Policy Editor, instead, run the Registry Editor and under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting, create a DWORD DontShowUI of value 0.

I think the benefit of using the Group Policy Editor is that the setting will survive a major Windows Feature Update, whereas the registry setting might be lost.

I also wonder what the official word is on this.