Onboard /built in Inspiron 1564 webcam

I purchased my Inspiron 1564 laptop roughly 5 years ago and never had need or reason to use the webcam included above the display. I know it worked when I got the laptop because it was active and one of the original features of the unit was the facial recognition aspect of logging on to the device. I find need now to use this device only to note that ALL the RGB functions of the device FAIL on diagnostic and I am unable to find any level of support to help with the matter. I purchased the Dell extended warranty and once had to return my unit to Dell for hard disk failure. The unit was returned to me with a replacement hard disk installed and the full factory software reinstalled. I lost all I had done on the laptop, but attribute that to my own failure to perform the needed backups of data, so I accepted the loss and moved on. I noticed again that the Dell Webcam was working and functional at that time, but again found no need to use it. It was one of the inspirational aspects of my purchase if for nothing more than family communication. I need this device for my job now and have no apparent recourse. Is there any level of support other than peer support that one might hope for in failed hardware? Obviously there is no economical solution since the location of the webcam is internal to the display. I would greatly appreciate any advice or direction available. I have noted curiously that when inquiring about drivers to try and address the issue, that many forums suggests this to be a COMMON problem with the onboard webcam and this model.