Executive Summary
Rename IcePick.exe to IcePick.ex_. If you came here through a search engine and this was useful, kindly leave a comment.
Long Winded Explanation
We got a Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 for Christmas so we could beam images of Alex to friends and relatives in far flung places. It’s a pretty good web cam, but it has one very annoying design issue (which, bless their souls, Microsoft obviously touts as a ‘feature’). It has a “Windows Live™ Call Button. This button, which takes up most of the top of the web cam, launches Windows Live™ Messenger’s Live Call feature. If you don’t have Windows Live™ Messenger installed, it dutifully pops up a message box asking you if you want to install the software. Click on the image for a full sized version.
This message box pops up every single time you hit the button. There is no “don’t ask me again” check box, or option to turn the prompt off.
The problem is, the button takes up over 1/3 of the top of the webcam. If you try and adjust the camera to better frame what it sees, unless you are very careful, you are going to press the darn button. It’s downright maddening.
I searched the web, found one or two other complaints about this issue, but no solutions. I emailed Microsoft technical support about the issue, and I got a nice, polite, and completely wrong answer. After a bit of sleuthing on my own, the solution seems to be quite easy. It doesn’t even require messing with the registry as I originally thought it would.
To disable the Windows Live™ Call Button on the Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000, simply rename IcePick.exe, found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft LifeCam\ (or wherever you installed the LifeCam drivers) to IcePick.ex_.
If you came here through a search engine and this was useful, kindly leave a comment.
I put windows live call button disable into google and your page was the first result. Thanks for the fix, it’s really been annoying me!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
I was about to go buy another webcam when I decided to give google a try. . . And there you were! THANK YOU!
This wasn’t precisely what I’m looking for, but I figured I might be able to help others looking for a similar fix for Microsoft branded headsets. I picked one up today and it has much the same functionality; a button halfway down the cable which, when pressed, pops up a help file instructing you on how to install Windows Live Messenger. Turning this feature off is as simple as it is in the case of the webcam: rename LifeChat.exe (by default in C:\Program Files\Microsoft LifeChat) to anything else and it won’t bug you any more.
Unfortunately I’m looking for a way to remap the button to start Skype, which I haven’t had any luck with so far. Still, disabling it is better than nothing.
open with regedit your registry
search for:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{6BDD1FC6-810F-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F}003\Settings]
“QuickStartPath”
insert there the path to the application of your choice (i.e. c:\programfiles\skype\phone\skype.exe) and it will start if you press the button
Thanks!
Heyyo, thanks man.. that shit was annoying. :P
Bulls-eye
One hour with that button and I’d had enough.
Thanks for helping me kill it.
Thanks dude, this was really annoying !!! :)
Thanks a lot!
Great job, thanks!
thanks everyone also i was having the same pop up message geesh youd think with all the money microsoft is making theyd do a quick fix for this !!
P.S if your runnning 64 bit xp the location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft LifeCam file is named IcePick i just took off the k should work!!
Wow, it worked great! Thanks for this easy fix to an annoying problem.
Wow – what a lifesaver!
Thank you
That is typical Microsoft, forcing people to use their programs…
Thank you so much for this easy fix.
This is awesome – and what a difference it has made. I cannot believe that MS don’t make this a customisable feature,instead they choose to ram their app down your throats!!
Thank you so much!!!! That thing was driving me crazy. Definitely a bad design, and the fact that Microsoft doesn’t make it easy for you to disable is big an oversight.
nicely done. thanks.
Thank You! You are such a life saver!
Thanks for the tip!
Dr. S.
Thanks for the log, now I like it much better
Thanks tons!!! That was truly annoying and now the MS annoyance is gone. Wish MS would document this kind of stuff. Should be in settings. Kudos to you!! Again, thanks tons!!
Simple and effective, many thanks.
Saved me a lot of time, thanks
Wow, thanks. I was just about to take it apart to kill that button. The heavy cord causes the camera to droop and when you go to re-aim it you hit that damn button.
That was amazing! The best part is that even though I have a Microsoft VX – 1000 webcam the solution still works.
I wonder how you came up with this solution. Do let us know if you can.
Thanks for the info! Got here through a Google search…
thanks !!
great, Using the helper comment took less than a minute to make the button point to skype.
A 2-second fix. THANK YOU!