Isight problems!
Hi!
I have a big problem with my isight.
When my someone calls me, it say`s that i dont answer, even if i do. I have tried my camera when i was in the same room as this person, but now when we are in different countries it doesnt work anymore.
I don´t know anything about computers, so i dont know what to do.
I am connected to a network in the building were live. I need a password to get in, so i guess its not wireless. Can it be that i cant use my camera on this network, or is it anything i can change on my computer?
I really hope someone can help me.
Thanks!
Welcome, marie__.I am connected to a network in the building were live. I need a password to get in, so i guess its not wireless.A password is NOT an indication of whether internet service is wireless. You are "wireless" if you do not need to connect some kind of wire, usually ethernet cable, to your computer to use the internet.
Your first stop for help should be with the people who manage your building's internet network. Once they help you get your internet connection working for things like email and web browsing, they may be able to help you configure your connection for whatever software you are using when someone "calls" you.
Now on to your "iSight" questions.
You can Test your iSight to ensure it is functional using these tips. If iSight works, your problem is with some software you are using with your iSight. Perhaps you are using iChat AV? If you are using another video chat or instant messenger application, disregard the following suggestions about iChat AV.
Whatever software you use, try testing with several other users to see whether your problem is with everyone or only with the one person.
If you are using iChat AV, start with the suggestions and links in Using iSight.
If you cannot connect using iChat AV with anyone, try the troubleshooting and problem resolution suggestions in Help for iChat AV 3 Problems.
If you previously had iChat AV video chats working, try the suggestions in How to get iChat AV working again that are relevant to your system.
Once you can ask a more specific and let us know what software you are using when you have your problem, we may be able to offer more specific suggestions.
Jim
Similar Messages
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ISight problem, time for repair?
iSight suddenly stopped working. No green light. Won't work in iChat, Gmail, or Photo Booth. Message "No camera connected to this computer". I followed the advice given here. Restarted. I checked Utilities >> System Profiler >> USB and saw iSight listed (though it said "not configured yet"). I reset the PRAM, went back to System Profiler and now iSight doesn't show up at all.
Does that pretty much exhaust my efforts? Time to bring it in?
Many thanks in advance,
robRob Keys wrote:
iSight suddenly stopped working. No green light. Won't work in iChat, Gmail, or Photo Booth. Message "No camera connected to this computer". I followed the advice given here. Restarted. I checked Utilities >> System Profiler >> USB and saw iSight listed (though it said "not configured yet"). I reset the PRAM, went back to System Profiler and now iSight doesn't show up at all.
Does that pretty much exhaust my efforts? Time to bring it in?
Many thanks in advance,
rob
You've tried some good things, Rob. You may be right that it is time for service.
For any iSight problems, first try restarting the Mac. If the problems persist, try all relevant suggestions from:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
If your iSight problem still occurs in more than one app and more than one user account, the reset suggested there (PMU/SMC for your MacBook) often restores proper function of inbuilt iSight.
However, if your built-in iSight still does not work after carefully following all the suggestions in the "How to Troubleshoot iSight" article, and if iSight does not show as a USB hardware device in your Mac's System Profiler utility, yours is most likely a hardware problem. In that case, contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service.
BTW - I note that your posted system info shows Mac OS X (10.4.7). If that is correct, unless you have compelling reasons for not doing so, I suggest you backup your Mac and apply the 10.4.11 Combo Update:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL172
For more info on how to install and benefits of updating, see http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24901
I recommend you use your Mac's Disk Utility to *repair permissions* immediately before *_and again_* immediately after the update. After repairing permissions, use your Mac's > Software Update... menu command to apply any additional needed Apple software updates.
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; iPod4touch4.2.1 -
Erratic iSight problem on MacBook Pro
The iSight camera on my MacBook Pro 17" comes and goes constantly. It vanishes from System Profiler at times too. I've rest the NVRAM and logged in as other users too. Its like it has a mind of its own. Turning on the green LED and off, then refusing to let other programs like iChat or Photo Booth from connecting, sometimes saying the camera is in use even. Its very fustrating also since I use the camera sometimes in iChat or Skype only to have the image lockup. The camera vanishes. I'm not sure if its a hardware problem or a kernel problem.
I've decided to try to monitor its failure with the HardwareGrowler.app. The camera randomly connects and disconnects. Growl notification show:
USB Disconnection
Built-in iSight
USB Disconnection
IOUSBVendorSpecifiDevice
USB Connection
IOUSBVendorSpecifiDevice
USB Connection
Built-in iSight
*Bellow is an example of what I see in my logs*
Sep 18 17:13:39 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 408.650 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 4 of hub @ location: 0xfd000000)
Sep 18 17:13:39 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 409.376 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily has successfully enumerated the device.
Sep 18 17:13:58 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 427.990 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 4 of hub @ location: 0xfd000000)
Sep 18 17:14:02 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 432.160 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 4 of hub @ location: 0xfd000000)
Sep 18 17:14:05 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 434.990 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate a device.
Sep 18 17:14:06 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 435.809 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 4 of hub @ location: 0xfd000000)
Sep 18 17:14:11 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 441.327 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 4 of hub @ location: 0xfd000000)
Sep 18 17:14:12 yazz-mac kernel[0]: USBF: 442. 53 [0x4723a00] The IOUSBFamily has successfully enumerated the device.
*Some info about my MacBook Pro*
Model: MacBookPro1,2, BootROM MBP12.0061.B03, 2 processors, Intel Core Duo, 2.16 GHz, 2 GB
Graphics: ATI Radeon X1600, ATY,RadeonX1600, PCIe, 256 MB
Memory Module: BANK 0/DIMM0, 1 GB, DDR2 SDRAM, 667 MHz
Memory Module: BANK 1/DIMM1, 1 GB, DDR2 SDRAM, 667 MHz
AirPort: spairportwireless_card_type_airportextreme (0x168C, 0x86), 1.1.9.3
Bluetooth: Version 1.9.0f8, 2 service, 1 devices, 1 incoming serial ports
Network Service: AirPort, AirPort, en1
Network Service: Parallels Host-Guest, Ethernet, en2
Network Service: Parallels NAT, Ethernet, en3
Serial ATA Device: ST9120821AS, 111.79 GB
Parallel ATA Device: MATSHITADVD-R UJ-846
USB Device: Built-in iSight, Micron, Up to 480 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad, Apple Computer, Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: Bluetooth USB Host Controller, Apple, Inc., Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
USB Device: IR Receiver, Apple Computer, Inc., Up to 12 Mb/sec, 500 mA
*Some info from System Profiler when the camera appears to behave correctly*
USB High-Speed Bus:
Host Controller Location: Built In USB
Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBEHCI
PCI Device ID: 0x27cc
PCI Revision ID: 0x0002
PCI Vendor ID: 0x8086
Bus Number: 0xfd
Built-in iSight:
Version: 1.84
Bus Power (mA): 500
Speed: Up to 480 Mb/sec
Manufacturer: Micron
Product ID: 0x8501
Vendor ID: 0x05ac (Apple Computer, Inc.)
--Hello Aaton
If you have not installed any new hardware since your MacBook Pro worked correctly, it is possible that your problem may be hardware related. Because of the intermittent nature of your problem, unless the problem is repeatable when running some particular software or performing some function that could indicate possible software or device conflicts, hardware problems in your Mac seems even more likely.
Unless you get better suggestions from iNtel Mac users, here are the common solutions that help most avoid a visit to their Apple Service Technician for the "in use..." or "no camera connected" errors. You have already tried some of them, but I leave the entire list for possible use by other readers.
None of the suggestions is 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.
(0) Disconnect any unnecessary peripherals while you do your testing to rule out possible conflicts.
(1) Restart your Mac. Sometimes that is all that is required.
(2) If you use VMware Fusion to run Windows on your Mac, consider disconnecting iSight from your Virtual Machine as recommended by user "The.VCI" in this post.
(3) If you use an HP printer/scanner with your Mac, consider the "daemon" suggestions from user "parkersal" in this post.
(4) Check for any running applications, Login Items, or widgets that can use your iSight. (It is easy to forget widgets like Mirror in your Dashboard.) As explained in Apple's iSight "Your camera is in use by another application" message, iSight can be used by one application at a time.
(5) Try every suggestion re: Built-in iSight in How to Troubleshoot iSight. Be sure to include the checks for whether the problem is "application-specific" and "user-specific".
Click here if you need help creating a new user account to check whether your problem is "user-specific" during Troubleshooting.
(6) If resetting or the other troubleshooting 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.
(7) Some iNtel Mac laptop users have also reported success after unplugging their Macs and leaving the battery out for half-an-hour to overnight.
(8) If none of these suggestions work, contact your retailer, Apple, or your Apple-Authorized Service Provider for professional help.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight -
Macbook 10.5.8 Version Built in ISight problem with YM 3.0 beta version
I am using my Macbook built in ISight with the latest version of Yahoo Messenger for Mac, the 3.0 Beta. Every time i will use the YM webcam, it will only last for about 1 minute and will not work anymore. This is happening since i bought my macbook last November 2008. it will be a year next month and still the ISight is not working properly with YM. When i checked from the store where I bought my macbook, they said it happens in YM coz according to them YM is not yet fully applicable with apple laptop models and recommended to use other messenger instead. My family and friends are using YM only to keep in touch with me so I don't have a choice but continue using YM. Its really disappointing coz I even downloaded the other version of YM before this 3.0 version, but same problem still exists.
Can anyone help me on how can i fix this problem? or if there is really a solution on this..I've always wanted to have a macbook laptop but having this kind of problem really made me think if i did a right decision to buy this laptop. it is indeed an expensive laptop but i cant enjoy it fully...
please help me!!!Welcome to Discussions, Marianne Bayogos
Problems like yours, especially those involving known-unreliable (Beta) software, can be difficult to resolve. You need to start by troubleshooting to determine the source of the problem. Then you will KNOW what to fix. You seem like a fairly experienced user, so try any of the following you think might help in any order you like.
(0) You can use the suggestions in http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090 to determine whether iSight is causing your problem. Be sure to try with more than one user account and with some other apps, too.
If your iSight works properly with all other apps in every user account you test, your Apple hardware and software is NOT the cause.
If you can eliminate iSight as the source of your trouble, you will need to either switch to other ways of communicating or troubleshoot other system elements that might be causing the problem. Here are some other things you can consider if you don't get better suggestions here.
(1) Sometimes a restart restores function on internet connected applications. Shut down everything and restart your entire system including modem, router, and Mac in that order. To eliminate possible communication hardware problems, allow self-test to complete on each device before starting the next.
(2) If you updated or installed any other software immediately before the problem began, check their websites to see if there are known issues with your system configuration or installation. If these are no know issues, carefully following the developers' instructions, reinstall any recent software additions that you think might be causing a conflict with YMM, use Disk Utility to repair permissions, and try again. Doing this reinstall will reduce the possibility that some recent addition might be conflicting with your new YMM Beta.
If you find conflicting software, follow the instructions and uninstall to see if removing it will restore proper function to your favored communications apps.
(3) Check YMM's Help: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/messenger/mac/mac3/index.html
for help with installation and communication requirements/ configuration topics.
If you do not find the answers there, check the dedicated YMM forum (use the "Ask Other Messenger Users" link on the help page) to see if your problem has already been solved by other users who post there.
(4) You can also take your MacBook to a different location and see if the connection works when you access the web via a different internet connection.
(5) I no longer use YM because I often encountered problems like those you describe, but my testing from several years back showed that Yahoo! seemed to support the Windows version of their messenger app better than the Mac version.
Because your iNtel Mac can use Boot Camp, VMware Fusion™, Parallels™, or VirtualBox to run Windows® software, there is another alternative available to you. Choose which method you want to use to run Windows®, add the required software to your iNtel Mac (if you have not already done so), and then install and use Yahoo! Messenger for Windows.
http://messenger.yahoo.com/platform/win
(6) If all else fails, and if your family and friends are willing to try something "new and improved" (does NOT work with Yahoo! Messenger), you can both install and try a different video chat app such as Google Talk or Skype.
(7) Alternatively, you can try the web-based video chat sites like http://www.mebeam.com/ or Defcom's recommended TokBok.
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.1) MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.1)
G5DP1.8GHz (10.5.8) G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) LED Cinema Display External iSight -
Macbook built in iSight problem.
I am having problems with my built in iSight.
I've tried to track all the way to see where is failing and I get the following on the Console Log.
Jun 15 22:53:11 frviana kernel[0]: USBF: 631.251 Built-in iSight[0x2be9b00]: error getting config. err=0xe00002ed
Jun 15 22:53:12 frviana kernel[0]: USBF: 631.760 [0x2b24f00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 2 of hub @ location: 0x3d000000)
Jun 15 22:53:16 frviana kernel[0]: USBF: 635.601 [0x2b24f00] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate a device.
It initially appers on the system information as an USB device but after I try to use it for the first time on any application, example: Photobooth I get this error and it disapeer from the system information.
I am running the following processes:
Active Memory: 110.25 MB
Free Memory: 836.90 MB
Wired Memory: 150.77 MB
Used Memory: 424.10 MB
Inactive Memory: 163.09 MB
Total VM: 7.10 GB
Number of processes: 53
ID Process Name User CPU RSIZE VSIZE
0 kernel_task root 2.30 50.96 MB 1,017.06 MB
1 launchd root 0.00 516.00 KB 27.66 MB
23 dynamic_pager root 0.00 168.00 KB 26.61 MB
27 kextd root 0.00 980.00 KB 27.53 MB
31 KernelEventAgent root 0.00 628.00 KB 27.18 MB
32 mDNSResponder root 0.00 1.12 MB 28.38 MB
33 netinfod root 0.00 564.00 KB 26.91 MB
34 syslogd root 0.00 420.00 KB 26.63 MB
36 configd root 0.00 2.20 MB 29.24 MB
37 coreaudiod root 0.00 1.10 MB 28.64 MB
38 diskarbitrationd root 0.00 1.04 MB 27.11 MB
39 memberd root 0.00 652.00 KB 27.64 MB
40 securityd root 0.00 2.20 MB 28.68 MB
42 notifyd root 0.00 460.00 KB 27.19 MB
43 distnoted root 0.00 816.00 KB 27.01 MB
44 DirectoryService root 0.00 2.46 MB 29.46 MB
45 blued root 0.00 2.12 MB 37.17 MB
50 coreservicesd root 0.00 8.96 MB 39.99 MB
54 update root 0.20 220.00 KB 26.59 MB
63 WindowServer windowserv 3.60 19.36 MB 339.29 MB
65 ATSServer frviana 0.00 6.23 MB 146.06 MB
66 loginwindow frviana 0.00 7.42 MB 351.14 MB /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app
76 lookupd root 0.00 1.23 MB 28.50 MB
87 crashreporterd root 0.00 204.00 KB 26.59 MB
122 sh root 0.00 616.00 KB 27.06 MB
123 OSXvnc-server root 0.00 3.04 MB 294.39 MB
124 dyndnsd root 0.00 7.89 MB 109.98 MB
128 translated root 0.00 248.00 KB 36.07 MB
146 nfsiod root 0.00 184.00 KB 28.61 MB
151 ntpd root 0.00 404.00 KB 27.07 MB
162 rpc.lockd root 0.00 192.00 KB 26.65 MB
170 automount root 0.00 1.11 MB 29.00 MB
175 mds root 0.00 3.88 MB 42.33 MB
180 automount root 0.00 1.07 MB 28.71 MB
185 mdimport nobody 0.00 2.38 MB 38.59 MB
189 httpd root 0.00 1.44 MB 28.15 MB
190 httpd www 0.00 408.00 KB 27.72 MB
191 pbs frviana 0.00 2.05 MB 54.16 MB
197 Dock frviana 0.00 4.32 MB 348.64 MB /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app
198 SystemUIServer frviana 0.00 7.82 MB 347.52 MB /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app
200 Finder frviana 0.00 15.09 MB 362.47 MB /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app
202 mdimport frviana 0.00 3.50 MB 60.37 MB
204 Microsoft AU Daemon frviana 0.00 8.72 MB 400.53 MB
205 iTunes Helper frviana 0.00 1.72 MB 326.04 MB
206 iCalAlarmScheduler frviana 0.00 3.61 MB 330.61 MB
214 System Profiler frviana 0.00 8.11 MB 346.67 MB /Applications/Utilities/System Profiler.app
216 Console frviana 0.20 7.97 MB 347.09 MB /Applications/Utilities/Console.app
222 System Events frviana 0.00 3.29 MB 293.91 MB /System/Library/CoreServices/System Events.app
225 TextEdit frviana 0.00 7.61 MB 347.31 MB /Applications/TextEdit.app
226 AppleSpell frviana 0.00 1.90 MB 37.75 MB
230 cupsd root 0.00 1.63 MB 27.85 MB
232 Activity Monitor frviana 10.70 12.18 MB 435.16 MB /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app
233 pmTool root 0.80 1.17 MB 36.45 MB
Any idea? It has been 3 days only that I bought the Macbook.
Thanks,My macbook had the same problem. It began after I installed bootcamp, which I have since updated to 1.1. Whenever I boot into windows xp and then back into Os X, the isight stops working. In photobooth I get a blank green screen with a few scribbling lines of static at the top, but in ichat I get the "in use by other application" error.
I tried a system X reinstall, a bootcamp reinstall, zapping the PRAM, etc. etc. What really killed me was that the isight camera continued to work FINE in windows, but not at all in Os X (I could almost hear Bill Gates snickering).
The solution turned out to be resetting the power management unit by unplugging, removing the battery and holding down the power button for 5 seconds. Works without having to zap PRAM after.
The annoying thing is that I have to do this EVERY TIME after I have booted into windows if I want the camera to work in Os X.
As other users have pointed out, bootcamp now includes a package that updates the isight firmware.
Interestingly, this does NOT happen on my intel iMac, only the macbook.
I'm hoping for a more elegant fix.
Anyone else?
Jason -
I just purchased my first Apple computer, after 27 years of PC use. Its a 24" 2.8GHz and it has been great. The built-in camera was working great, until yesterday (week 3). My video blanked out (black screen) when I was using iChat. Then I opened Photo Booth and got a green screen - no video. After a while, some video came back, but they consisted of frozen frames with lots of video noise (lines across the video). I quit for the evening, and when I turned it on the next day, I had the same bad video (frozen frames with noise). A quick chat with the Apple Care folks soon had me reinstalling the OS. My concern is that I have no clue as to the cause of the problem - which means it will probably happen again. Has anyone else had this issue or know a probable cause?
Welcome to Apple Discussions, tkd_jo99
Once you have installed a known-good copy of Mac OS X, Reinstalling Mac OS X again will likely not be required unless you damage the system in some way. (It is generally a bad idea to move, modify, rename, or delete any item outside your User > Documents folder unless you are an experienced OS X user or are following directions from someone you trust.)
"Why" iSight gives problems can be different for different users. Here are the solutions that help most users who encounter the variety of green-screen problems avoid a service call. None are complicated, but, unless you like troubleshooting, the simplest way to find which one will work for you is to try each one in the list until you find the one that fixes your Mac. If none of the fixes in (0) through (4) below works for you, you may have a hardware problem that requires the services of an Apple Service Technician.
(0) Restarting your Mac may get iSight working again.
(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, disconnect EVERYTHING, including both power and peripherals, and leaving the battery out for half-an-hour to overnight. To date, no desktop iNtel Mac users have reported that disconnecting has helped them, but you could try disconnecting everything for several hours (no battery removal needed for your iMac) to see whether yours might be the first.
(5) If none of these suggestions help, contact Apple or your Apple-Authorized Service Provider for a professional service .
(6) If your Troubleshooting from step (2) above shows that the problem is "application-specific" to iChat and you cannot find the solution yourself using Apple's iChat Support page, you should search or post about your particular problem in iChat AV 3 Forum. You will get best help fastest if you include all the information requested in FAQ 4 When do I Post a New iChat Topic ? in your initial post there.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight -
Isight Problem..Black background in Photo Booth
Hi, resently I have a problem with my Isight.
While trying to use Photo Booth a black background appear at the aplication, I start reading some posts and tried all what readed. The LED is in green while using Photo Booth
3.Find out if the computer recognizes the iSight
I get to the point of the manual of Troubleshooting and looked for my Isight in Aplications and Utilities, but I didnt find it.
What can I do or install for it to appear?
Thank You
Message was edited by: MacMundoI just tried another thing that worked! make sure your macbook isn't plugged into the power source, then hold your power button in for 10 to 15 seconds until it turns off, and you do that 5 times, and then plug it back in and give your photobooth a go. Mine worked!
-
External iSight problems revisited
My original post here: http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10805558
After further research, I actually have the exact same problem detailed in this topic: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1014900 ("Your camera is in use by another application" error message persists after exhausting all troubleshooting options)
I went to the Genius Bar with my iSight thinking it needs a firmware update. The Genius found out he could not apply the update unless he was booted into 10.3.9, and their OS install disks did not go back that far. So I went home and clean installed 10.3, the 10.3.9 Combo Update, and all other updates listed in Software Update (including a fresh iSight Updater 1.0.3!) onto a new partition in my Mac Mini G4.
After attempting a firmware update and looking at /Library/Logs/iSightUpdater.log on my 10.3.9 system, I believe the reason my iSight is not recognized is that it cannot read the Serial Number or Firmware Version of my iSight, and therefore does not add it to the device list. Here are the Console messages from iSightUpdater.log running on my 10.3.9 system:
2010-12-11 13:09:10 -0800: iSightUpdater was launched by Finder.
2010-12-11 13:09:10 -0800: iSight Updater will install firmware version: 1.0.3
2010-12-11 13:09:10 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
2010-12-11 13:09:16 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
2010-12-11 13:09:36 -0800: iSightDevice::initWithService: Open produced error 10000003.
2010-12-11 13:09:36 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
*2010-12-11 13:09:47 -0800: iSightDevice::initWithService: Couldn't read serial number.*
*2010-12-11 13:09:47 -0800: iSightDevice::initWithService: Device not added to device list.*
2010-12-11 13:09:47 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: DEVICE REMOVED:
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Product: iSight
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Serial Number:*
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: GUID: a270000001b2a
*2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Firmware Version: (null)*
"Couldn't read serial number" happened after I turned the iSight on. "DEVICE REMOVED" happened after I turned the iSight off and unplugged it from the Mac Mini. Notice that the Serial Number and Firmware Version were not retrieved by the system. The system recognizes that an iSight has been plugged in, but will not release it for use with other applications since its Serial Number and Firmware Version cannot be determined.
My iSightUpdater.log file dates all the way back to when I updated my iSight's firmware to 1.0.2 and 1.0.3. For comparison, here are the Console messages for those updates:
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: iSight Updater will install firmware version: 1.0.2
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: DEVICE DISCOVERED:
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Product: iSight
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Firmware Version: 1.0*
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: iSight device count: 1
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: UPDATING DEVICE:
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Product: iSight
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Firmware Version: 1.0*
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Initiating software installation...
2004-02-20 01:30:11 -0800: Software installation terminating with error 00000000.
2004-02-20 01:30:11 -0800: Flashing firmware onto iSight...
2004-02-20 01:30:34 -0800: Flashing iSight terminating with error 00000000.
2004-02-20 01:30:35 -0800: UI: The iSight software cannot be installed while the iSight is in use by another application. Close any application using the iSight and try again.
2004-02-20 01:30:46 -0800: iSight Updater quitting...
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: iSight Updater will install firmware version: 1.0.3
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: DEVICE DISCOVERED:
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Product: iSight
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Firmware Version: 1.0.2*
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: iSight device count: 1
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: UPDATING DEVICE:
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Product: iSight
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Firmware Version: 1.0.2*
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Initiating software installation...
2005-04-15 00:51:27 -0700: Software installation terminating with error 00000000.
2005-04-15 00:51:27 -0700: Flashing firmware onto iSight...
2005-04-15 00:51:56 -0700: Flashing iSight terminating with error 00000000.
2005-04-15 00:52:56 -0700: iSight Updater quitting...
Aha! The Serial Number and Firmware Version were present in both of those updates, and I didn't need a firmware update after all. It seems that somewhere between the last firmware update and now, the iSight forgot its Serial Number and Firmware Version numbers -- or the last firmware update inadvertently flashed those two pieces of information from the iSight's memory.
I think if I could plant those two numbers back in the iSight's memory, I think I could get it working again. Problem is, Apple doesn't support scheduling repairs or Express Lane callbacks for the external iSight. Sooo... I, and all other external iSight owners with this problem, are stuck.
I'd love to get this repaired and use my external iSight with my Mac Mini G4. I just wish there was a next step, now that I have potentially identified the problem. Any ideas out there? I don't want to pay $150 to receive a reconditioned iSight for what appears to be a much simpler software/firmware fix. I do live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so driving to Cupertino and handing off an iSight for a quick repair by an iSight engineer would be an easy solution for me.
Thanks for listening, and I hope that this post sheds some light on other people with persistent "Your camera is in use by another application" error messages.
Message was edited by: A-Jay85
EDIT: Here is another post that appears to be similar to my problem:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12263773Hi,
I am not going to override EZ Jim's advice on this as I do not know any way of recovering the lost Serial Number of Firmware version the devices is currently at.
Mostly it is for other readers but may provide clues.
The iSight Updater for Firmware 1.0.3 is included in the OS files as a Standalone Updater in Leopard
It seems it is also activated if the camera is Plugged In when Software Update is run. (I don't have enough info if it is specific 10.5.x Updates or just a General thing that happens.)
It is also present in the same place in 10.4.11 (I do not have copies earlier that this of Tiger that I can check)
In Use By Another Application.
It could actually be so.
Check:-
Comic Book if bundled with your Mac.
System Preferences > Accounts > Changing the Account Pic can invoke the camera for A Snapshot.
Any other app that can capture Video or a Pic. (iMovie, Quicktime Pro in Leopard and below, PhotoBooth. Don't forget Image Capture or your Browser if using Flash Chat sites or using the Google Broswer Plug-in installed in Chrome or as a Standalone (Intel only) and many others)
Check that in System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items does not list any app that can use the camera.
It seems that if an App that uses the camera (and was using it at the time) "Unexpectedly Quits" the System in general will think the camera is still in use (Possibly because that app's .plist will say it is)
The most common fix for this if you cannot find which App is using the camera is to do a SMC/PMU restart. (this link has three expandable areas that look like Links near the bottom of the page for various Macs).
Most Times the System will catch which apps have "Crashed"/Unexpectedly Quit and they are recorded in a Log. Open Console in Application/Utilities and then the Reveal Triangles to see ~/Library/Logs/Crash Reporter and see if any app is listed.
SEEK ADVICE on deleting .plists if you think you have identified the culprit, as doing so for some apps is more destructive than others.
Summary so far.
The Genius could have done it with a Tiger Install or Leopard Install Disk.
If you have a Retail Copy to do your Updates or either you can invoke the Update yourself (Providing you can get System Profiler to "See" the camera correctly)
A SMC/PMU reset maybe enough to "Clear" the System of what Apps it thinks is using the Camera.
There are some unexpected places and apps that can cause or actually use the camera.
A Fresh Install, as seems to be the case here, would have created a new set of .plists anyway.
I would also suggest that any other Firewire device is removed.
The External iSight should not be Daisy Chained with other items such as External Hard Drives as they run at different Data rates.
If you have a Computer with tow of more Firewire Ports I would suggest trying another port.
Some Towers have Firewire ports front and back and these have separate Firewire Controllers. This may isolate whether it is a Firewire port issue.
USB and Firewire Ports can be reset if the Power is removed from the computer for 15 Mins (power removed if a Laptop as the Firewire ports can still be active if the power cable is still connected)
I will state again that in this case I think EZ Jim has the right, quickest and simplest answer.
I have posted this mainly for other readers that may have something similar but not quite the same.
10:40 PM Sunday; December 19, 2010 -
Photo Booth and iSight Problems
Hi there. I notice this topic has been covered a few times, but I have tried most of the ideas and with no luck.
When I try to open photo booth is says "Photo Booth cannot open because no camera is attached or the camera is in use by another application." iChat doesn't see the hardware and neither does image capture for example. It is a built in iSight on an iMAC 24". It seems to happen after the 10.4.9 update - but that could be red herring.
I tried to reset the SMC, uninstall my WACOM pen tablet and Canon Lide60 with no luck.
Ralph Johns did make this post:
Go to the Apple icon top left in the Menu Bar.
Select About the Mac
Clcik the More Info butoon to open the Sytstem Profiler.
Open the Hardware item
Click on USB
Check the details on the right for the camera.
and I noticed under USB there are no camera details - does this help get closer to a resolution?
cheers Pascal
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.9)Hello, Pascal
It does seem you have tried most of the things that help other users.
Although you do not say which iMac you use, as I understand your post, yours has a built-in iSight. If that is correct, when you look in System Profiler and click the following items:
you should see your camera information. If not, your iMac likely needs professional service. Before you go to see your Apple Service Technician, you can consider any of the following items that you think might be relevant. Although some of the following are not a remedy for no iSight in System Profiler, they might help you or other readers who can see their built-in USB iSights in System Profiler but are still experiencing the "camera in use" error.
Do you use the "Mirror" widget in Dashboard? That is one application that people sometimes forget might be running.
If you use an HP printer/scanner, check the suggestion in this post by parkersal.
If you have not yet tried all relevant suggestions in How to Troubleshoot iSight, do so now. Be sure to check whether the problem is application specific as well as user specific.
I understand that you have already reset the SMC, but, if the reset and other Troubleshooting suggestions you perform now do not correct your problem, you can try the following:- Repair permissions.
- Then download and apply the appropriate combo updater for your iMac:
Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update (iNtel) or
Mac OS X 10.4.9 Combo Update (PPC)
- Finish with another Permissions Repair, and then check your iSight and System Profiler again.Users have reported fixes to a variety of audio, video, connectivity, and software conflicts and unreliability issues after properly applying Combo Updates, but if your iSight still does not show in System Profiler, I think you should see your Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service.
Please let us know what it takes to get sorted.
Cheers,
Jim -
Isight problems in Leopard photo booth
Has anybody had problems with the background replacement effect in the new photo booth. When I replace the background and enter the shot again, my face is broken up and missing pieces. I am not sure if there is a problem with my isight or if its a software bug.
Hello TrentonAdams
Repair time can ONLY be determined by the Apple Service Technician.
If your Mac only has a loose connection, the repair might take only minutes. If replacement parts must be ordered, it will take longer, but it is possible that you could continue to use your Mac while the parts are being obtained.
Discuss your concerns and needs honestly with your Apple Authorized Service Provider so you will experience minimum disruption for your particular circumstance.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1) External iSight -
ISight problem for a MacBook5,1 (2009)
I have a MacBook5,1 (2009) and all of a sudden the camera does not work. help!
Restart Mac. If the problem remains, try all relevant suggestions from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
Be sure to test more than one camera-enabled Apple app in more than one user account.
(BTW--Apple has changed the built-in camera's name on newer Macs from "iSight" to "FaceTime" and then to "FaceTime HD." Regardless of the name of your Mac's built-in camera, the same info and troubleshooting applies.)
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.8.2 -
hi
i have a serious problem with my isight...
i installed win xp using the boot camp,after 1 month the isight is stopped working and i found under the device manager "DFU Loader"
i did the SMC and PRAM,it works maybe for 2 or 3 days then the same problem happen...when i login to the mac os and start the photobooth i see the msg "there is no camera connected"
i went to the support center and they say that the isight is not supported in windows...
so i want to know if it is a hardware or software problem..?"i also tried to reinstall the drivers over and over again using the bootcamp.."
Did you repair permissions and restarted your computer afterwards? If not, do the following:
Boot up from your install DVD and run *"Repair Disk"* from the Utility menu. When done, go back to your desktop, repair permissions and restart your computer.
"did anyone face this problem before??"
Don't use Boot Camp.
If you have tried all the solutions in the link that EZ Jim provided for you, I suggest that you cross-post over in the Boot Camp forums. It's where the BC users all hang out. Perhaps they can help you.
"i bought just 2 monthes ago"
Then I strongly suggest that you take advantage of Apple's 90 days of FREE phone tech support before it runs out. If you have purchased Apple Care, use it. Let them deal w/your problems. It's what you are paying them for. -
iSIght will power up then after about a couple seconds will make a shutter sound and then shut off. All equipment and software up to date. My brother in law has had the same problem. In system proflier it recognizes the iSight camera. The only way to try to get to work is to unplug it and then plug it back in. Then the green light will come and then go off after a few seconds following a shutter cover sound. Any suggestions, Thanks, John
Mac Pro Mac OS X (10.4.7)Wow, same exact problem. Do these these things happen in waves?
In any case, my iSight is not recognized as being there, or, in the case of iChat as "in use by another application". If I unplug the camera and plug it back in the green light comes on and there's a small whirring noise then the light goes off and again, the camera is not seen by any of the applications that I normally use with iSight.
I've restarted my machine; nothing. I have not updated either my OS or QuickTime in a few weeks so that can't be the problem. It's irksome, though, to get one problem with iSight figured out (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=557615) only to run into another.
Dual 2 GHz G5 Mac OS X (10.4.7) -
ISight problem with photobooth, skype, etc
Hi everyone,
I've been having a problem with iSight recently. Whenever I try to use it for Skype or PhotoBooth, the green light turns on but all I see is a black screen. It works with flash based websites on Chrome though. I have the Gmail video plugin installed - could that be the problem? How can I make this work?
Thanks!paranoidandroid60 wrote:
Hi everyone,
I've been having a problem with iSight recently. Whenever I try to use it for Skype or PhotoBooth, the green light turns on but all I see is a black screen. It works with flash based websites on Chrome though. I have the Gmail video plugin installed - could that be the problem? How can I make this work?
Thanks!
It sounds to me as though you have introduced conflicts with your third-party software (Chrome, Gmail video, etc.)
Check every one of their web sites to be sure you have the latest versions that are compatible with your Mac OS X (10.6.7). Also, check that there are no "known issues" for your third-party items.
Also verify that you are using the most current compatible Flash Player:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/
If you are still having problems after you have verified all of the above, consider all relevant suggestions from:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
If your problem remains in every user account you test after following the relevant Apple Troubleshooting suggestions, you might want to backup your Mac and then carefully follow the developers' instructions to uninstall +(do not merely drag to trash unless specifically directed to do so)+ your third party browsers and video apps to see if the problem goes away.
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.7); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.7)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod4touch4.3.1 -
ISight Problem - cant use it anymore while not beeing recognized...
hello,
the well known classical problem. no application can recognize my iSight any longer.
had done the recommendings from apple support site without any success. sometimes the isight works - for example one time in 3 weeks - than again not.
i am angry about the fact that apple dont create some patch or whatever to solve this problem. any other suggestions instead of this:
http://www.codium.co.nz/isight_fix/
which had worked for me one time?
so i pay a lot of money for this macbook pro and cant use it completely. but yes - it looks sooooooo nice.
great job apple guys, much more bigger job - mr. job. so solve this problem. i am not the only one if you just use google for one time.ResEdi wrote:
hello,
the well known classical problem. no application can recognize my iSight any longer.
had done the recommendings from apple support site without any success.
You have not tried all recommendings:
Final relevant suggestion from http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
"If your built-in iSight camera is still not behaving correctly after trying all these steps, you may need to contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service."
...sometimes the isight works - for example one time in 3 weeks - than again not...
Intermittent problems like yours are usually caused by hardware problems. Regardless of whether your MBP is still in warranty or covered by AppleCare, your AASP can fix your MBP.
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
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