Built-In iSight Disaster

I have a 1 year old iMac G5 Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz with built-in iSight and 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM. I am running OS 10.5.2. I have only used the iSight camera a couple of times.
Recently, I discovered that the computer just doesn't see it anymore. In iChat preferences I am told "There is no camera attached to this computer." In Photo Booth I get a camera icon with a slash through it. No green light. Nada. Zip. Zilch!
Further, when searching under the USB and FireWire sections of System Utilities (Hardware section) there is no sign of the iSight camera.
I have tried shutting down; re-starting; "How to Trouble-Shoot iSight"; downloading the new combo pack; repairing permissions; etc. NOTHING seems to work. It's as if no camera is installed. I even tried creating a new user account and logging on using that account to see if it worked over there - NOPE.
There has been no trauma whatsoever to the machine. Can someone provide an analysis and/or solution? This is very frustrating. I have a strong suspicion this has to do with a software mix-up.
I have already read many of the existing "fixes" posted here. I need a unique approach. Please help.

Good possibility, bbenjy !
You may have recalled the source of your problem and saved a trip to your AASP.
I know a few (but certainly not all) of the files that iSight uses. So many are required that I suggest that you simply backup your data and reinstall Mac OS X. (Disregard the info in that link about Mac OS X maintenance; Leopard does most maintenance properly and automatically.)
If you are correct that some of your system files have been deleted, the "A&I" method should work for you. A&I reinstall will not take long if you select the "preserve your user and network settings" option.
After your Mac has done the restart that finishes the Leopard install, you can use the following method to update to 10.5.2 in one update step:
• 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 10.5.2 Combo Update.
• Finish with another Permissions Repair.
When you have finished the second permissions repair, run your Mac's  > Software Update... to catch any other files that may be required.
If ICE CLEAN v. 2.5 also "fixed" things outside of your system, you may also need to reinstall your applications. For the Apple apps that come with Leopard, instructions on how to reinstall are given in your iMac's User Guide manual. For other apps, follow the instructions from their documentation.
If your iSight still does not work, contact Apple or your AASP for professional help.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2) External iSight

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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'

Built-in iSight will not work with Skype

I have a new Macbook Pro that I purchased about a month ago, running OS
X 10.5.8.
I've been using Skype to video chat, and at first everything was working
very well. In the middle of a chat, however, the video stopped working
altogether.
If I go to the video tab in Skype preferences, the camera will then turn
on and I can see myself, but once I go back to the call, the camera
won't turn on (the green light on my camera stays off too). In video
preferences I have the following options checked: Enable Skype Video,
Automatically receive video from: People in my Contact list, and Show
that I have video to: People in my contact list. I have also tried to
enable the "Start my video automatically" option but to no avail. The
video camera it is set to use is the Built-in iSight.
I have tried reinstalling skype, including deleting all the preference
files on the computer, but that did not help.
The video works fine in other applications such as Photobooth, iMovie and Google Chat. I have browsed through the many Skype forum posts about similar issues, as well as Apple forums and have tried every fix that people have suggested including resetting my SMC, updating all my applications, trying Skype under different user accounts, reinstalling Quicktime, reinstalling Skype (as outlined in the Uninstall guide for mac), repairing permissions, etc.
I am pretty sure that this problem began directly after I switched to
SCREEN SHARING during a video chat. When I switched back to Video, it
did not work.
No other applications that use my camera are running.
I am assuming that since it originally worked with Skype, and since I had not touched ANY of the options in Skype and have done nothing other than try screen sharing, and since I did a complete Skype reinstall includeing preferences, that the problem should NOT be with the Skype program itself, but rather something that was modified in the operating system configuration during screen sharing.
The only other thing I can think of trying is to reinstall iSight, although I haven't been able to figure out how to do that, or to reinstall my entire operating system, which I don't see as an acceptable solution.
I am using Skype Version 2.8.0.659
Any help getting this fixed would be greatly appreciated.
I have posted a similar topic in the Skype forums along with a screen shot of my Skype preferences window: http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=422861
From my online reading in both the Apple and Skype forums, it seems as though this is a relatively common problem. If I can find a solution from either Skype or Apple, I will post the solution in both of the forums.
Update: I just upgraded my OS to 10.6.1 and my camera started working again. Then, I was in a chat and I lost my internet connection. As soon as I got back online I restarted the conversation and the camera doesn't work again. This is getting to be ridiculous.
Thank you for your time,
rystheguy

Hi,
It is years since I tried Skype. (Probably in Tiger)
I use Little Snitch, a utility that can report the ports and IPS any App is trying to contact.
For Video chats it seems the Skype process spreads the load across many "Servers" wanting to connect to about 3 doz (I got fed up with clicking the accept Button)
For this reason I do not think it is very secure.
I only today read a post that said Skype had Screen Sharing.
iChat 5 makes it clear (well if you run /Applications/iChat.app/Contents/MacOS/iChat -errorLogLevel 7 In Terminal) that there is a "camera" setting for the Desktop which may be a forthcoming thing or is about produce the Screen Sharing pic. (i.e iChat lists two "cameras" in the log produced by the above Terminal command).
iChat 4 and 5 use the Apple Remote Desktop engine to do Screen Share as does the Screen Sharing App invoked from the Finders Go Menu > Go to Server and using VNC:// as the Link type.
I would have no idea what protocol Skype are using.
They created their own Video protocols and similar with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) for Connecting to POTS (Plain Old Telephone Systems) Phones in disregard for Internationally agreed Standards.
I doubt that it makes use of the ARD engine. It will probably be a reinvention of the wheel again.
I took a look around the Skype web site but could not find any mention of how they are doing Screen Sharing.
I would guess it is similar to the iUSBCam method of Desktop as Video Feed.
Do the Console or System Log in Console (Applications/Utilities) have any messages about this ?
9:59 PM Monday; September 21, 2009

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.

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.

Problem with built-in iSight

Hello,
I am having trouble with my Macbook Pro's built in iSight. I appreciate any help anyone could give me.
As of a couple of days ago, iChat and Photobooth are now unable to access the iSight camera. iChat states, "There is no camera attached to this computer." Photobooth gives the error "There is no connected camera."
The weird thing is, Skype and any flash based software are still able to use the camera perfectly.
System profiler lists the camera correctly as "Built-in iSight" under USB. It doesn't list any problems. Nothing else is attached to the computer.
I have tried resetting the PRAM, resetting the SMC, repairing disk permissions (twice), and reinstalling 10.6.4 with the combo updater.
Can anyone think of anything else to try?
I would think it was a hardware problem, except that several programs are able to use the camera. It just seems to be Apple software (iChat, photobooth, Quicktime X) that are unable to see that there is a camera built in.
Thanks anyone for your time and help.
-Matt

MMariska wrote:
Hello,
I am having trouble with my Macbook Pro's built in iSight. I appreciate any help anyone could give me.
As of a couple of days ago, iChat and Photobooth are now unable to access the iSight camera. iChat states, "There is no camera attached to this computer." Photobooth gives the error "There is no connected camera."
The weird thing is, Skype and any flash based software are still able to use the camera perfectly.
System profiler lists the camera correctly as "Built-in iSight" under USB. It doesn't list any problems. Nothing else is attached to the computer.
I have tried resetting the PRAM, resetting the SMC, repairing disk permissions (twice), and reinstalling 10.6.4 with the combo updater.
Can anyone think of anything else to try?
I would think it was a hardware problem, except that several programs are able to use the camera. It just seems to be Apple software (iChat, photobooth, Quicktime X) that are unable to see that there is a camera built in.
Thanks anyone for your time and help.
-Matt
Welcome to Discussions, -Matt.
You seem to have tried all relevant suggestions from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
When only a couple of apps give trouble, their preference files might be corrupted. If you are using the OS X version of Skype successfully, my suggestion is that you reset the preferences for the apps that are giving trouble. If you need help:
Here is how to reset Photo Booth preferences:
• Quit Photo Booth if it is running.
• Delete the com.apple.PhotoBooth.plist file from your ~ (Home) /Library/Preferences folder.
• Restart Photo Booth and test. A new .plist file will be created when you launch.
Resetting iChat is similar except iChat's camera preferences are kept in the com.apple.PhotoBooth.plist file in the same directory.
Be sure to quit iChat before you reset preferences. When you start iChat again after tossing your iChat.plist file, you will need to reset any preferences that you want to be different from the default values.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.4) MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

MacBook Pro no longer recognizes USB external hard drives or built-in iSight

I have an older MacBook Pro 17" Intel that I use with various external USB hard drives (8 of them). It is connected to my LG 720p 32" flatscreen and works perfectly. Recently, when visiting, I disconnected my external HDs and connected my MBP to my brother's LG 1080p and it was OK.
When I returned home and reconnected my external HDs and TV, it would not recognize the HDs and couldn't find my built-in iSight. Viewing System Information, the USB buses showed an assortment of items, such as the Apple Internal Keyboard/Trackpad, IR Receiver, and Bluetooth USB Host Controller in the buses. The High-Speed Bus showed an external HD as a Vendor-Specific Device, but none of these appeared on the desktop. I plugged in my external iSight to Firewire and it showed up in Photobooth, iChat, and Skype.
What is the problem and can I fix it myself or must I take it to be serviced?
Has anyone encountered the same problem? Got any answers?
I really would appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks.

I have never heard of this before, but the fact that your external iSight works shows that at least some parts of your Macv's AV circuitry are undamaged.
Depending on exactly how you "disconnected" your "external HDs and connected" your "MBP to" your "brother's LG 1080p", I suppose it is possible that your software settings have been compromised somehow. Here is what I would try if my system showed the symptoms you describe.
(0) Start by making a current backup if you do not already have one.
Then try any of the following you have not already considered or used. Use them in any order you think appropriate and test after each one to determine if the problem is resolved:
(1) Shut down (do not merely restart) your MBP. Wait a couple of minutes before starting.
(2) Test in a different user (NOT the "Guest") account: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mtusr001.html
(3) Reset SMC http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
(4) Reset PRAM: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh26871.html
(5) Repair your startup disk: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mchlp1718.html
(6) Reinstall Lion and apply the 10.7.2 Combo Update: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1459
(7) Contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service
Message was edited by: EZ Jim

After upgrading to Lion, my Macbook Air's built in iSight camera has disappeared. I'm not sure how to get it recognized again.

After upgrading to Lion, my Macbook Air's built in iSight camera has disappeared. I'm not sure how to get it recognized again. Help -Sami

Well, if you did then you may be able to track it, if you did not it's not possible.

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

Using a different webcam with Intel iMac with built-in isight cam.

Hi...I hope someone can shed some light on this.
I have an intel core duo iMac 20 with built-in isight.
I use Yahoo Messenger (the new version) and have no problems getting my isight to work with it.
For most circumstances, the built-in isight is fine... but sometimes having a camera with a zoom feature and the ability to pan further up or down would be most beneficial.
I also own a usb Logitech (pro-4000) webcam (the last series for which they have Mac support) and have installed the latest Mac drivers for it. I can get the Logitec to run its built-in applications, but when I try to select a webcam to use for Yahoo (in the yahoo preferences webcam section), the only selection available to me is the built-in isight.
Is there any way to get the option to choose between the Logitech and the isight?
Thanks for any help you can give me...
Intel Core Duo iMac 20" Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2GHz/2GB 256VRAM

http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/
macam driver and macam component installation resolves this issue

External iSight no longer recognized, built-in iSight works - how to fix?

I have a new MacBook Pro with Leopard and both the built-in iSight and my external iSight were recognized and I could switch between them. This past week or so my external iSight became no longer recognized even after unplugging and re-plugging in. When I plug it into the Firewire port, the green light goes on and it makes a whirring sound, but my computer does not recognize it in iChat, in PhotoBooth, nor in iMovie. I repaired permissions and it still doesn't get recognized in any applications. Is there a setting someplace that needs resetting? Or do I need to bring it into the Apple store for technical help?
Richard

Hello Richard
I wonder how many others have this problem?
A search or look through iSight Discussions will show you that a few of the many users of external iSight have reported problems using their Firewire iSights with MacBook Pro. I will leave it to you to try to determine whether that might be because few external iSight users have problems, few have MacBook Pros, or few use their external iSights with their MacBook Pros.
I agree that the system should allow both to co-exist.
Any other suggestions before I go to the Apple Genius folks?
If you have already considered all the suggestions about cables, connections, Firewire ports, possible conflicts, and the relevant suggestions in Apple's How to Troubleshoot iSight without success, you can also 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 10.5.2 Combo Update.
• 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.
Please let us know how it goes.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2) External iSight.

Built in iSight camera no longer showing up or recognized by iMac

Hello there - I have a white 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with a built in iSight camera, and the camera is no longer showing up, or is not recognized by the computer any longer. Very strange! The little green LED by the camera is not lit any longer, and the camera is not recognized any longer by Photo Booth, iChat AV, or any of the other apps that would use the camera. This is a real pain, because I am leaving for France in a couple days and am taking my MacBook Pro with me, and am hoping that I can use iChat AV to talk to my kids at home on the iMac. I do have an extra iSight camera that I have hooked up to the iMac and can use in a pinch, but I really want to use the built in camera on the iMac. Any hints / ideas / suggestions on what to do for this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

No, unfortunately that did not help. I did the following...
1. See if the issue is application-specific. - Nope. Camera is not recognized in any of the apps that it should be recognized in, I tested iChat AV, PhotoBooth, ImageCapture, and iMovie.
2. See if the issue is user-specific. - There's only one user account on this Mac, so I couldn't do that.
3. Find out if the computer recognizes the iSight. I went into System Profiler and checked the USB profiler, and the camera does not show up.
4. Reset SMC or PMU. These just looked like different ways of restarting, which I did multiple times.
I have also run my Software Updates (on OS 10.5, which I did with a clean install from an OS 10.5 DVD by the way) and still no camera. This problem started happening with the original OS 10.4 (which it came with) and I was hoping a clean install of the OS would help, but no.
I'm wondering if resetting the PRAM might help, but I can't remember those keys you hold down while restarting (was it Apple-Option-P-R ?) or if that is just reaching waaaaay back to the pre OSX days.
Here's the kicker though - if I plug in a FireWire iSight camera, all is well. I'm really hoping that the camera isn't jsut dead, but it's starting to look that way. Would Disk First Aid or maybe DiskWarrior help?

Built in isight camera no longer showing up or recognized

Hello there - I have a white 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac with a built in iSight camera, and the camera is no longer showing up, or is not recognized by the computer any longer. Very strange! The little green LED by the camera is not lit any longer, and the camera is not recognized any longer by Photo Booth, iChat AV, or any of the other apps that would use the camera. This is a real pain, because I am leaving for France in a couple days and am taking my MacBook Pro with me, and am hoping that I can use iChat AV to talk to my kids at home on the iMac. I do have an extra iSight camera that I have hooked up to the iMac and can use in a pinch, but I really want to use the built in camera on the iMac. Any hints / ideas / suggestions on what to do for this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Sorry to tell you, you're in the wrong forum, this is for G5 PPC iMacs. You need to be [here|http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1110].

Built-in iSight - how do you know for sure it is off?

I have a new iMac with built-in iSight. I have been checking into security software for my iMac and came across the program called Undercover by Orbicule. One of the functions of that program is that is utilizes the built-in iSight camera to take pictures of the room/person who potentially stole your computer. So that caused me to wonder how do I know for sure my built-in iSight camera is turned off and not accessible by some program outside of my control? I know the green light comes on if I use it in iMovie or something like that, but how do I know it isn't being hacked and used without my knowledge?

Black electrical tape.

Who can help me out with my built-in iSight issue?

Okay, so I have a question regarding my built-in iSight.
Now, I know... This question may have been asked before but I just can't find it, I guess it got lost in the mass.
If you would be friendly enough to forward me the message or instruct me on what I need to do to solve this, that would be a great help.
Also, I'd like to know if I have to reset anything will I lose everything on my Mac? Should I make an external backup?
So basically the issue is that whenever I turn on Photo Booth the only thing I get is a black screen.
The program will let me take a picture, but when I want to see a preview of the image, it's not there.
I then tried to use my iSight with iChat, which worked perfectly fine. After that I did the same with Skype,
but Skype didn't let me see anything but black as well.
Can anyone help me please?? Is this an issue that can be fixed myself or should I bring it to the Apple Store?
As this is a very important matter to me, because my parents are moving out of the country soon and I would like
to keep in touch through Skype, I would really appreciate all the help!!!
Thank you in advance guys!

abegail.gielen wrote: ... this is a very important matter to me, because my parents are moving out of the country soon and I would like to keep in touch through Skype...
You have a software problem that will require troubleshooting. With your parents moving soon, I understand your concern.
Because you have been unable to correct the problem using the suggestions that are already posted in iSight discussions, I suggest you make an external backup and then take your Mac to the Apple Store for service.
If you like, the Apple Store may even be able to suggest training that will allow you to troubleshoot and fix future occurrences on your own.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.8.2

Built-In iSight Disaster

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