Built-in isight camera suddenly stops to work

Almost one year later after buy a Macbook Pro (Mac OS X 10.5.6), the built-in isight camera suddenly stops to work. It was doing well until now. It's a program and user independent bug. During a video conversation, it just stops. It happens when I use mercury or skype (the only video chat programs I use). And just after, when I try to restart the chat, the program doesn't recognize the camera.
Only when I boot the computer (shut down -> cable unplugged -> battery out -> 5s pressing boot button -> battery in -> cable on -> turn on) the problem is fixed for a while... but then the problem happens agains... the problem occurs after the 4th or 5th time Im using the program...
Any suggestions??? Thank you in advance.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090 How to Troubleshoot iSight
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2411 "Your camera is in use by another application" message
my isight camera is not working-not recognised with photo booth or ichat
Are you aware that you marked your post as Solved? That is what the green star means at the top of this thread.
Message was edited by: CMCSK

Similar Messages

HT3964 my built-in isight camera will still not work on my macbook pro after completing smc reset. The green light comes on but no video.

my built-in isight camera will still not work on my macbook pro after completing smc reset. The green light comes on but no video.
Any Suggestions?

Restart the computer.

Built-in iSight cam randomly stopped working. All I get is a green screen!

I used it just yesterday with both Photobooth and iChat with no problems what so ever. Now all it shows is a green screen! Anybody know what the problem may be and how to fix it??? Thanks!
-Jonathon

Welcome to Discussions, -Jonathon
Here are the solutions that help most users who encounter green-screen problems. None are complicated, but the only way to find which one will work for you is to try them one-by-one until you find the one that fixes your Mac.
(1) Check your System Preferences as explained in this kbase article about Built-in iSight camera produces blue or green pictures.
(2) If your System Preferences are set correctly, try every suggestion re: Built-in iSight in the "How to Troubleshoot iSight" article.
Be sure to include the checks for whether the problem is "application-specific" and "user-specific".
If you need help creating a new user account to check whether your problem is "user-specific" during Troubleshooting, see this Help article.
(3) If resetting or the other suggestions do correct your problem, try the following:
• Backup your Home Folder, or at very least, your important files.
• Repair permissions. (Click here if you need help.)
• Then download and apply the Mac OS X 10.4.10 Combo Update v1.1 (iNtel).
• Finish with another Permissions Repair, and then check your iSight again.
Users have reported fixes to a variety of audio, video, connectivity, and software conflicts and unreliability issues after properly applying Combo Updates.
(4) A few iNtel Mac laptop users have also reported success after unplugging their Macs and leaving the battery out for half-an-hour to overnight.
(5) If none of these suggestions help, contact Apple or your Apple-Authorized Service Provider for a professional check.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight

Built In iSight camera has stopped working on 27 inch iMac and 27 inch LED.

The camera's on my 27 inch i7 imac and 27 inch cinema display all of a sudden just stopped working. I checked in the system profiler, and both show that
they are connected. When I try video chat in iChat the green light comes on and connects like it's a one way video chat... when I try and switch to the display monitor's iSight the green light switches to the other monitor, but the camera is still black... I tried this with Facetime, Skype, and Photobooth, all nothing... Any insght into this would be great. I'm thinking that it could be an internal hardware problem with the machine... Logic or Motherboard....
Any info would be helpful
thank you
F

Built-in iSight cameras
These steps are for iSight cameras that are built into a computer, such as the iMac G5 (iSight) or later, the MacBook, or MacBook Pro.
See if the issue is application-specific.
Try another application (iSight works with applications like iChat, PhotoBooth, and iMovie HD 6) to see if the iSight camera exhibits the same behavior in all applications. If it only happens in one application, try reinstalling that application.
See if the issue is user-specific.
Test your iSight camera in another user account. If the issue only occurs in one user, the issue would be isolated to user settings.
Find out if the computer recognizes the iSight
Check System Profiler (in the Utilities folder, inside the Applications folder). Under the USB header, check to see if the iSight camera is detected.
Reset SMC or PMU
Reset your computer's SMC or PMU, and then check System Profiler again. (SMC reset instructions for iMac G5 (iSight), Intel-based iMacs; PMU reset instructions for MacBook and MacBook Pro.)
source: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2090

Built in isight camera not working with flash

My built in isight camera on my macbook works just fine in photobooth and in skype or ichat.. but just in the past week or so, it will not work when im on websites that use flash. I've seen some threads that say that I need to go into settings and make sure that the camera chosen is the USB. When i go into flash settings, the only options are Google1, Google2, or Built in isight. It doesn't work with any of them. Does anyone have any idea how I can make it work again?

zeppelinfan1234 wrote:
I don't have google add ons. I followed the path but i have no Google folder in Application Support. Any other suggestions?
Your problem is not the same as that posted by the OP, and your system info shows you using Mac OS X (10.5.6).
For your symptoms with this system, I suggest you do the following:
(1) Apply the 10.5.8 Combo Update using the following process:
• Backup your Mac and turn off Time Machine
• Disconnect peripherals and restart Mac
• Use Disk Utility to repair permissions
• Download and install
http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacOS_X_10_5_8_ComboUpdate
• Repair permissions again immediately following the restart that finishes the update.
• Test whether Flash works for you now.
(• Turn Time Machine on later when you are satisfied that the update worked.)
(2) After applying the 10.5.8 Combo, if you are still having problems, download and install the latest Flash player compatible with your system:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/
Also check any other third-party browser plugins or other add ons. Apply all available updates and uninstall any third-party items that are known to be incompatible with your system.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.5); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.5)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod touch 4.1

How to I get the built-in iSight camera to work?

My built-in iSight camera is working but the "capture" button is greyed out and I can't record.

Hi there,
You may want to take a look at some for the troubleshooting steps found in the article below, specifically the section titled "Built-in iSight cameras"
How to Troubleshoot iSight
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2090
Hope that helps,
Griff W.

My iphone 5 camera suddenly stop working and the shutter dont open after some minutes shutter open with some dolor stripes and it takes 2 or 3 days and again start working normaly it happens every 3 weeks.is this a soft ware problem??

my iphone 5 camera suddenly stop working and the shutter dont open after some minutes shutter open with some dolor stripes and it takes 2 or 3 days and again start working normaly it happens every 3 weeks.is this a soft ware problem??

Look at iOS Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1398
iPad: Issues connecting to Wi-Fi networks http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3304
Additional things to try.
Try this first. Turn Off your iPad. Then turn Off (disconnect power cord) the wireless router & then back On. Now boot your iPad. Hopefully it will see the WiFi.
Change the channel on your wireless router. Instructions at http://macintoshhowto.com/advanced/how-to-get-a-good-range-on-your-wireless-netw ork.html
How to Quickly Fix iPad 3 Wi-Fi Reception Problems
http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/21/fix-new-ipad-3-wi-fi-reception-problems/
If none of the above suggestions work, look at this link.
iPad Wi-Fi Problems: Comprehensive List of Fixes
http://appletoolbox.com/2010/04/ipad-wi-fi-problems-comprehensive-list-of-fixes/
Fix iPad Wifi Connection and Signal Issues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwWtIG5jUxE
 Cheers, Tom

Why does my iSight camera periodically stop working, requiring PMU reset?

Just wondering why this happens?
Using a Feb 2011 Macbook Pro with OSX Lion 10.7.4
It seems that every time i use my built-in iSight camera, then the next time i go to use it, it can not be found. This requires that I reset the PMU, which is kind of annoying. Then it works for a few weeks and the cycle of iSight begins again.
Why does this happen? It seems pretty trivial to consistently recognize a camera which is wired into my computer. Is there something I could do to prevent this from happening again? I have tried turning it on and off again.
And currently, this article is linking to the reset instructions for Intel iMac instead of the Macbook Pro page...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
Thank you

dcunited001 wrote: ... Just wondering why this happens? ...
Because something is wrong.
dcunited001 wrote: ... Is there something I could do to prevent this from happening again? ...
One of the following will fix it.
(0) If you need help with the following suggestions,
      you might rather contact your local retailer or
      Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) for help.
      They can help you or determine whether your Mac
      needs hardware service or only a software problem.
(1) Close all open apps that use the camera and then
     try again with only one app running at a time.
     If the problem continues, delete any Log-In items and
     Dashboard Widgets that might be using your camera.
(2) Try Apple's http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
     Be sure to use the correct SMC/PMU reset procedure
     for your particular MBP model: model with a battery
     you should not remove on your own
     If these suggestions do not help, yours may be a
     hardware problem that will require a professional fix.
    Unless you have a current backup, make one now.
    Then use the final "Troubleshooting" suggestion:
"... contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service."
(3) If you want to try one more thing on your own first,
     you can use Disk Utility to repair permissions. Then
     download and apply the latest Lion Combo Update:
      http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1524
    Repair permissions again immediately following the
    system restart that completes the Combo update.
Properly applying the Combo version of updates can sometimes correct software problems, but, if your trouble is caused by a hardware problem, there are no user serviceable parts of iSight. See your AASP for hardware problems.
dcunited001 wrote: ... article is linking to the reset instructions for Intel iMac instead of the Macbook Pro page...
The article actually has THREE links to TWO different SMU/PMU reset instructions:
• iMac G5 (iSight),
• Intel-based iMacs;
• MacBook and MacBook Pro
You should use the last one ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 ) Yes, it is the same article as for iNtel-based iMacs, but it is the correct one for you.
The important thing is to page down to the section entitled "Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)".   Then click the reveal triangle ( ▶ ) to see and carefully follow the specific reset instructions for "Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own". This is the proper reset process for your "Feb 2011 Macbook Pro".
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.7.4

MY COMPUTER (ISIGHT) CAMERA HAS STOPPED WORKING.... HOW DO I TURN IT BACK ON?

MY COMPUTER (ISIGHT) CAMERA HAS STOPPED WORKING.... HOW DO I TURN IT BACK ON?

Start Firefox in [[Safe Mode]] to check if one of the add-ons is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Tools > Add-ons > Themes).
* Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
See:
* [[Troubleshooting extensions and themes]]
If it does work in Safe-mode then disable all extensions and then try to find which is causing it by enabling one at a time until the problem reappears.
* Use "Disable all add-ons" on the [[Safe mode]] start window to disable all extensions.
* Close and restart Firefox after each change via "File > Exit" (Mac: "Firefox > Quit"; Linux: "File > Quit")

HT3964 isight camera periodically stop working

isight camera periodically stop working in all applications but google hangouts. Mac Pro mid 2012, OSX 10.9.2

I tried many cures advised in other topics, but it helps only for a short time. then it again repeats

MacBook pro does not recognize built in iSight cam even after restart/ reset

After years of using Sony hdr500 video cam, iMovie stopped recognizing it and then stopped recognizing the built in iSight cam as well. Now photo booth does not see it either. I have restarted the computer to reset SMC and that did not resolve the problem. I would appreciate any help offered. Thanks JJMANN

see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1151 Check cables, connections, too many devices, etc., suggested there.
If your issue persists, try these steps:
Shut down the computer.
Disconnect all devices and cables except the keyboard and mouse cable(s).
Disconnect the computer from the power outlet and wait for 3 to 5 minutes.
Plug the computer back in and turn it on.
Reconnect the device(s) (one at a time if there is more than one) and test. Test with each port if you have more than one.
With all you have already done, if no USB devices are recognized or work on your Mac after you have also considered all the above, you likely have a hardware problem. Contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
MBP 15" i7 (Early'11) OSX 10.7.3 13" MBP (Mid'09) 2.26GHz OSX 10.7.3

IMovie '08: Built-in iSight camera not recognized in Yosemite

On this page
http://support.apple.com/en-us/TS2472
iMovie '08: Built-in iSight camera not recognized
it says:
In Finder, navigate to /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/
Select the file com.apple.mio.VDCAssistant.plist and delete.
Restart your system.
You should now be able to use your iSight camera with iMovie.
However, in Yosemite, it only has this file name
com.apple.cmio.VDCAssistant.plist
and I don't want to delete it as instructed without someone who knows telling me it won't hurt my newly installed and thus far working well OS 10.10.1, with iMovie 7.1.4 on my iMac 24 inch, Early 2008, 2.8 GHz Intel Dore 2 Duo, 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM. It worked with Leopard, and I don't recall having to use the above mentioned support page.

Contact Apple. I believe you have a hardware issue there if it's not showing up in your System profiler.
Dave M.
MacOSG Founder/Ambassador  An Apple User Group  iTunes: MacOSG Podcast
Macsimum News Associate Editor  Creator of 'Mac611 - Mobile Mac Support'

IMovie 6.0.3 does not recognize built in iSight Camera on new iMac

New iMac, Intel, OS 10.5.4, QT 7.5.
Built in Camera works with Photo Booth, the new iMovie 7.1.3 and iChat.
iMovie HD 6.0.3 or 6.0.4 does not recognize the camera. Opening a new project results in a No Camera Connected error. I have tried selecting various options in the video format drop down when creating a new project. I have repaired permissions, tried it under various users, removed the imovie plist, reinstalled imovie (both 6.0.3 and 6.0.4) without success. All 10 of the new computers are exhibiting this problem.
Any help would be appreciated.

That is not an option that I can select on the imac's. On my iBook under 10.5.4 with iMovie HD 6.0.3 or 6.0.4 I can click on the triangle next to the camera icon and select the built in iSight camera. On the new iMacs that does not work. The built in iSight is not listed as an option.

How can I use the built-in Isight camera with an external camera (usb/firewire) at the same time?

How can I use the built-in Isight camera and an external video camera at the same time?
I'm wanting to stream over Oovoo/Skype/etc. using 2 cameras.
Thanks

Simple question with a not so simple answer.
(a) If you mean that you want to run multiple apps simultaneously using a different camera with each app, you may encounter computing power limitations. Digital video is processor intensive. The only way to know if your Mac can do this it to try it. If the video does not work together but each app works when it it the only app running, you are likely overloading your Mac's ability to process and/or move all the required data in your data bus. You can get a better indication of whether this is the case by watching your Activity Monitor utility while running the apps you want to use.
(b) If you mean that you want to have more than one compatible camera connected to your Mac simultaneously for ease of changing between video sources, some, but not necessarily all, apps you are using to operate your camera(s) allow you to select between your cameras.
How you select among connected cameras depends on which application you are using. Here is how camera selection works in a few examples:
(1) For iChat, you can choose which iSight you use in the "Camera:" choices bar in iChat > Preferences... > Audio/Video that appears when more than one compatible camera is connected. Although your camera choices will be different, the choices bar will look something similar to the Preferences settings shown here:
If you cannot see the "Camera" choices bar, your Mac is recognizing only one (or none) of your cameras. In that case, consider the suggestions fromhttp://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090 for iSight problems or refer to your other camera's documentation for help.
This particular choices bar solution applies ONLY to iChat. Most other applications also have settings that allow you to choose which camera to use. However, they do not all work the same way.
(2) For instance, iMovie HD's camera choice is NOT set via Preferences. When you have more than one compatible camera connected, iMovie6 HD uses a drop-down menu choice something like this (depending on which version of iMovie you use):
Note: Because I had no built-in iSight connected when I made this example, and because my external iSight was not connected, the drop-down menu showed only "Time Lapse." Because your Mac has a built-in iSight, your built-in iSight would show in the drop-down menu even when no other camera is connected. Connecting an additional Mac compatible webcam should allow you to choose either camera.
Other iMovie versions work slightly differently.
iMovie 9 (from iLife '11) uses a different camera choice button shown in this article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/9.0/en/mov39f84285.html
iMovie 8 (from iLife '09) is slightly different as explained in this article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/8.0/en/10172.html
In general, you can use your Mac's help for the application in use to find out how to select among more than one connected camera.
(3) Photo Booth in Snow Leopard 10.6.x and later uses the Photo Booth > Camera menu command to select which camera to use.
Note for readers with older Mac OS X: The previous version of Photo Booth that came with Tiger (10.4.x) is such a simple, basic app that it offers no menu selectable choice. Unless your built-in iSight is already occupied as the camera being used by some open application before you launch Photo Booth, Photo Booth will use ONLY your built-in iSight.
However, you can use the trick from ¶ 4 of http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302781 to let Photo Booth use an external camera.
(If you have an external Firewire camera connected, it may be used in preference to any USB webcam. If that is a problem for you, merely disconnect the problem Firewire device.)
(4) For FaceTime, launch the app and click the Video menu item.
If your Mac recognizes more than one connected compatible camera, a "Camera" section listing the cameras from which you can choose will appear there. Clicking on the desired camera name will let you select the one you want as shown in this image from my Mac Pro and LED Cinema Display:
If your Mac recognizes only one compatible camera, the "Camera" section will not appear in the Video menu, but FaceTime will automatically use the connected camera that is recognized by OS X.
(5) I do not use Skype oir Oovoo. For those or other apps, see Help for each app for info on how to select your desired camera.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim

MacBook Pro (Late 2007, 2.4/2.2GHz) - Built-in isight camera issue

I have a MBP (as mentioned, Late 2007) running Lion 10.7.2 (updated yesterday). And I have a problem with the built-in iSight camera
Same with photo booth and skype.
So far I have tried
1) shutdown, unplug power, remove battery, press power for 5 seconds, plug battery back, plug power, boot. No help. No LED's light up to make my day.
2) Press P R - Alt Cmd during boot (2/3 cycles like that)
Could anyone throw some light into this?
Much thanks in advance.

Try reinstalling Lion:
Reinstalling Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alterhatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.

Built-in isight camera suddenly stops to work

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for