Computer cannot see iSight camera

My iSight camera has suddenly stopped communicating with my computer. There is nothing wrong with the camera itself as I have tested that on my iBook and it works fine through the same internet connection.
When attached to my Power Mac however, there are no symbols in iChat. I can chat via written text but that is all. When I go to the iChat preferences box it tells me that there is no camera connected.
I have tried switching firewire cable ports but no no affect. This is obviousely a software problem but I do not know where to start to fix it.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Power Mac G4 550 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Sometimes the fix is as simple as restarting your Mac with the iSight connected. Repairing your Mac's disk permissions might also correct the problem. If not, try the following in any order that makes sense for your system.
You have tried some of the tests suggested in How to test your iSight to ensure it is functional. Try the others you think might help you track down the problem causing your symptom. If your Mac's System Profiler does not recognize your iSight as a Firewire Hardware item, pay particular attention to the Firewire related suggestions.
If your ONLY iSight problem is when using iChat AV, you can quit iChat AV and then delete the com.apple.ichat.plist file (iChat Preferences) from your Users / (your home account) / Library / Preferences folder. Restart iChat afterwards to rebuild the .plist. After the restart, you will need to reset your iChat preferences to reflect your choices. Then check to see if iChat recognizes your iSight.
You may find useful corrective action suggestions in Using iSight with iChat AV or How to get iChat AV working again. If you can remember when the problem started, you can eliminate trying all the trouble shooting possibilities that are not relevant.
Applying the 10.3.9 Combo Updater as suggested in How I Update My Mac OS X may resolve your problem. The only way to know whether the Combo Updater will help is to try it. Applying it cannot harm anything.
Let us know what gets it working for you.
Jim

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Very very weird,
it worked until bootcamp was upgraded mid next year.
I have been looking for a solution siunce then.
Wife is using the notebook and she is mad every time she is answering call from Skype or MSN Messenger she needs to reboot into Lion.
She uses Windows 7 x32 on bootcamp most of the time yet she cannot use the camera.
The camera shows grey and freezes wiuth busy mouse cursor.
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I have looking for months already and I did not see solutions...
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Issue Fixed.
BootCamp 3.2 - 3.3 breaks the functionality with Windows 7 at the latest patch level.
The fix has been:
upgrading OSX to Lion
Patch to latest release
Go To Boot Camp Assistant
Download Windows Support Files to Jump Drive (second option I believe it is)
Reboot into Windows 7
Run Setup - BootCamp 4.0 will install
Reboot
Launch Skype or MSN Messenger - ISight will magically work again!

Ichat won't see isight camera

have had this probvlem in the past and solved it:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=564440&tstart=0
solution no longer works. I tried different isights, different cables. any thoughts?

Hello Robert,
If I understand your original post correctly, you have the same symptoms using different cables and different iSights. That would seem to indicate problems within your Mac.
If my understanding is wrong, please disregard the following, post back, and let me know what I missed. However, if I have it right, consider any of the following that are relevant to your system. Try them in the order you prefer:
(1) Check to see whether your Mac's System Profiler > Hardware > Firewire Device Tree recognizes iSight as a Firewire device. If you do not see iSight there, try the suggestions in What to do if your computer won't recognize a FireWire device.
(2) Possible hardware or software conflicts
(3) Mac OS X Maintenance
(4) Try relevant suggestions in Apple's Tech Article titled iSight: How to Troubleshoot. 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 Mac OS X 10.4 Help: Adding a new user account to your computer
(5) Try applying the latest OS X Combo Updater as follows:
- Backup your Home Folder, or at very least, your important files.
- Repair permissions.
- Then download and apply the Mac OS X 10.4.10 Combo Update (PPC)
- 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.
Jim
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Computer cannot detect the camera.

I have had a Powershot A590, and could connect it to my HP, but now when I try to download images the computer says it cannot detect my camera.
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Hi Katyboy,
Is your notebook connected to AC power? If not, please do connect it. This will ensure it is adequately powered so it can properly work with the camera.
Do you have any other devices connected to your notebook? We only recommend, at least as a test this time, connecting the camera to the notebook. Other devices, such as printers, scanners and external drives may interfere with proper communication.
Does your notebook make a sound when the camera is connected and powered on in playback? It should make a sound, indicating that it at least detects the camera. If it does not, try connecting it to another USB port.
What program are you using to attempt to download the images from the camera?
If this is a time sensitive-matter, additional support options are available at Contact Us.
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Ok, still no luck. Here is what I have tried:
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When I connect the ethernet cable from the new computer to the cFP-2000, I don't get any lights.
I am pretty lost as to what is going on here. I have no problem connecting to the cFP-2000 when I have it hooked up to the computer I first configured it on. Then when I connect it exactly the same way to a new computer, I can't see it in my remote systems and there are no green or yellow lights on the FP ethernet connector.
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HT4236 Hi, I have photo's on my i phone (that are in albums and not on the camera roll) that I want to backup to my computer. I do not seem to be able to move these pictures to the camera roll, and my computer cannot see them. How can I do this? Thanks fo

Hello,
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There are only two ways pictures get on an iPhone.
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When was the BootCamp beta set to expire?
Depending on the version and time-line, some early
BootCamp users had some issue with it and there
was some discussion. Maybe you should look into
this item separate of the OS X 10.4.x install & up-
date issue. BootCamp's created installer disc and
the need for it to partition the hard drive in order to
install Windows on its own drive space, add up to
a source of trouble; especially if BootCamp is the
cause behind the OS X problems.
If these are somehow connected, the BootCamp
issue may be better addressed in that specific
forum Discussion; or it already was discussed there.
Have you over-written the entire drive using Disk
Utility (zero it out) then reformat, and start afresh?
What format regime did you use? Sometimes, it is
the little things; & I wonder about Beta BootCamp.
And if there is some corruption or failed cable in
the computer that could be aiding & abetting.
Good luck & happy computing!

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Hey Bmoney2221,
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http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1538
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Next, I tried to re-configure the AE station but the administration program on the iMac does not list my AE station, though my powerbook does. Reconfigured via powerbook but with the same result.
Is there anyone who can make sense of what I wrote above? Advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, my ISP requires PPPoE and the AE was configured this way originally. I am not sure if I disabled PPPoE on all my other devices. Checked system preferences on the iMac (that is the main computer) but when I open the 'network' pane it says 'your configuration was changed by another program' (sorry this is translated as I am running the OS in German) and won't accept any input, not even quitting the system preferences.
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OK, Ive been sitting here for an hour and this thing keeps blinking yellow..lol
I reset it twice but it will not appear in the airport setup utility.I am trying to extend my network from my Airport extreme in the basement.
Im sitting 2 feet away from it on my macbook pro
what gives?
Message was edited by: Thomas Colontonio

I hope you are sitting 2 feet away from the Airport Extreme with the Airport Express plugged in near it along with your MacBook.
If not, you should do this all in the same room to begin with..
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Router:WRT54GC
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I have a Wireless IP Camera connected to the router. Everything works fine on the LAN.
I can connect from within the LAN using the Camera IP (&port) and the external router IP(&port).
I cannot see it outside the LAN though.
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I can ping the Routers external IP from the WAN but cannot see the Camera.
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HI,
My ISP is Virgin Media (I'm in the UK)
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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

Mid 2009 13" MBP iSight camera bad picture quality in photo booth

My daughter's stock mid 2009 13" MBP 2.26 ghz intel core two duo has a problem with the isight camera. The isight camera is built in to the screen. The isight camera works some of the time flawlessly and other times it comes out real grainy and with small colored pixels all over the screen like colored static (about 20% to 30% of the photo booth screen is affected but the rest of the screen outside of the photo booth app is unaffected). She only uses it in photo booth but we've tried the iChat app and the same thing happens there too, once she couldn't get the MBP to connect to the isight camera (it just showed a black photo booth screen), so she closed the lid of her MBP and reopened it and it worked. All of the software and firmware is up to date and we've tried resetting the PRAM and the SMC, it didn't do anything to fix the problem. It seems like there's a wire loose in the computer from the screen to the computer base, only because I can move the screen back and forth and the picture quality changes, the amount of static on the picture will move, go away or get worse. I had the screen changed in early 2010 (January or February) (the MBP was about 5 or 6 months old then) at the apple store under warranty due to dirt under the screen's glass (manufacturing defect). The photo booth picture static problem comes and goes, but here lately it comes more than it goes. The screen in general is in good shape and doesn't have any detectable problems with it, it has a good picture and no dead pixels, the problem seems to be only isolated to the isight camera. Can some one help with this problem? How long of a warranty is given on the warranty repairs (like the screen change they did in early 2010)? If apple does a repair on it and finds a wire that has rubbed the insulation off of it on a hinge causing a short and the isight problem, as a result of a sloppy repair from the first warranty repair, will they cover it under warranty again even if it's been over a year since they changed the screen? Also how honest will apple be if they do find out it is a problem caused from the first screen replacement, will they own up to their mistake? If I don't agree with apple's repair decision, can I get a second opinion from an outside source, third party, and if it's diagnosis different than apple's and can be proven, can I still get apple to do and pay for the repairs and labor if it turns out to be their fault from the first warranty screen replacement?
The reason why I'm asking is, I took my wife's white macbook in about a year ago for the famous cracked top cover replacement (under warranty) and when I got the computer back, the isight camera didn't work, so I gave it back, they took it apart a look at it and said there was nothing wrong with it and gave it back, then the screen wouldn't come on so after 4 hours at the Apple store they decided to send it to Austin, TX. for repairs (I'm in Ft. Worth TX.). Apple in Austin said it needed a new main board. They said the old one had water damage to it. We never had water anywhere near the computer, not even in the same room. It was working fine when we took it in, we took it in just to get the plastic top case, that cracks all of the time, replaced under warranty. And then they wanted us to pay for an $800 main board because some how while they were doing the top cover replacement it got water damaged. I argued with them and they finally gave me a one-time offer of them paying for half of the repair and labor or if I disagreed or left the store I would have to pay the whole amount if I chose to have the repairs done. So I ended up having to pay $467 for a year old macbook main board that was water damaged in their possession during their repairs. I like Apple and their products but I am worried about giving my daughter's MBP over to them for repairs because of this incident, it's an honesty issue with how honest they will be with what they find because they won't give back the old parts for analysis by a third party to verify their diagnosis.
Thanks for any info and advice anyone can give.

Hi,
As a personal note I find long posts like this hard to read if they are not broken up in to paragraphs.
As I say it is a personal thing.
I can give you some information about the camera and laptops over the past few years.
Basically in early Laptops of the MacBook Pro and MacBook range the cable did tend to fray at the point where it passed through the hinge. It did take a well used laptop that had the lid open and closed frequently to cause this. (your 2009 model might just be in that group - I have no firm dates or models I am afraid)
Later models have this rerouted so that this does not happen.
However the cable has then tended to get pulled from the camera end and become loose.
This On Line Self fix site has pages about some models (The one I have linked to may not be yours)
I have linked in to later pictures in the sequence but there are navigation points to work back to the start.
Note:- they use pretty specifc specialest tools as well in these pics.
Doing this would certail Void any Warranty you have left.
From Posts mainly in the iChat and the iSight areas I have gathered that it seems common for Apple to replace the Screen as a whole rather than fiddle with getting solely at the camera.
Apple has this article on Trouble Shooting an iSight
Basically it says try several apps then try logging in on another Mac User account to see if it is App based or User based or in fact System wide.
If System wide then resetting the SMC/PMU is the only suggested fix. (Which I did read you had done)
In addition to that I would add that testing should be done in different lighting conditions.
Lighting in the evening or dark that is good enough to read buy is not always good enough for the camera or is not illuminating the right areas.
Some people have reported that Starting the computer in Safe Mode (then Rebooting afterwards) seems to help. (it clears out some caches and starts up with reduced extensions)
As to actual Repairs and any Warranty that may still be in place I cannot say.
I can say that when people post about problems with repairs a certain stores someone else will tend to post that their experience was different.
You seem to report two different experiences with the two computers yourself.
10:24 PM Thursday; July 14, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Computer cannot see iSight camera

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