iSight : black or green picture

Hello Philippe

Here are the solutions that help most iNtel Mac users who encounter black or green-screen problems. None are complicated, but the only way to find which one will work for you is to continue down the list until you find the one that fixes your Mac.

(1) Check your System Preferences as explained in this kbase article about Built-in iSight camera produces blue or green pictures.

(2) Aluminum iMac users who have not yet applied the iMac Software Update 1.1 should repair permissions ( click here if you need help with permissions repair), apply the iMac 1.1 update, and repair permissions again. Then check to see if your iSight works correctly.

(3) If your software is up to date and 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.

(4) 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.

• 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.

(5) Some iNtel Mac laptop users have also reported success after unplugging their Macs and leaving the battery out for half-an-hour to overnight. If none of the suggestions above corrects your problem, you might try disconnecting EVERYTHING, including power and peripherals, from your iMac for a while to see if that helps. However, nobody has yet reported that disconnecting helps anything but the laptop iNtel Macs.

(6) If none of these suggestions help, contact your retailer, Apple, or your Apple-Authorized Service Provider for professional repair.

EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)  G5 DP 1.8  External iSight

You're welcome, PhC

Good diagnosis. Sounds like the only one you haven't used yet (#6) is going to be your fix.

Please let us know if the Service Technicians tell you specifically what they had to repair. It may help someone else having the same problem.

Regards,
EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)  G5 DP 1.8  External iSight

Could you try these as well please?

Go to quicktime preferences>browser>empty download cache, uncheck the box when ready.

Unplug the external speaker set, quit all open applications, shutdown the mac, start up. Please post If this works that we move to the next step.

In case you have a compatible DV cam, plug it into your mac with the firewire cable that came with the camera. Put in a tape and set it to record mode and make sure you have picture in the view finder. Open iMovie and select the camera in the iMovie window. Check if you have picture. If no, switch the camera on and off. And or unplug the cable, restart iMovie and plug it in. If you have picture, switch between the DV cam and the iSight. If the iSight now works, switch off the DV cam and set iMovie to the edit mode by selecting the pair of scissors icon in the window. Close iMovie.

Open iChat>video>select the internal iSight: do you have picture? If not:

Eject your external hard drives (and any other mounted devices like flash sticks/ digital camera's etc) by selecting their icon on the screen and dragging them to the trash. Unplug external speakers and/or headphones.

Go to the Apple menu and select software update and install software updates if they are available.

Go to the Apple menu and select "system preferences">accounts>select your admin account, remove any automatic start up items (if there are any listed) by high lighting them one by one and selecting the "-" button. (You can later add them again them by using "+")

Select spotlight from the top menu and write "terminal"
Open terminal and write:
clear cache
hit return and write:
sudo periodic weekly
hit return> enter password>hit return and wait until a new line appears and write:
exit
hit return

Close terminal and shut down your mac. Unplug the mac, and in case it is plugged into an extension power connector for multiple devices plug it directly into the wall instead after you have waited a minute or so.

Start up your mac and hold the "shift" key the moment you hear the Chime and hold it until you see the spinning wheel on your display (this may take a while).
Log in>open iChat>ignore and close the pop up window "no network can be found">select video from the top window and select "preview video". If you have picture the iSight is working, close iChat and restart (wether it is working or not). In case it is still not working after the restart, insert your original install DVD that came with the mac, restart and hold the "D" key. Run the short hardware test and if there are no error messages, restart in normal mode.

This works for green screen issues with most MacBook Pro's and that is a repeatable.

Good luck.

Hello again, Philippe

Still no fix?

A note of caution if you decide to try Terminal: Terminal commands require exact entry of all characters including spaces and punctuation. In worst (albeit unlikely) case, improper use of some terminal commands can damage the OS or data files stored on your hard drive. Unless you are comfortable using your Mac's "Terminal" commands, third-party apps like MacJanitor are a better way to perform OS X maintenance.

Even if you use Terminal successfully, I doubt that using Terminal commands that invoke OS X Maintenance processes will resolve your problem.  I have seen no reports of successful maintenance solutions for the problem you report.

If you need to perform OS X maintenance, Apple's kbase article entitled Mac OS X: How to force background maintenance tasks (logs and temporary items) offers third-party apps that are simpler to use than the (advanced) Terminal method.

Although cache contents are not causing your problem either, third party apps like Yasu or OnyX add safe, powerful, one-click cache cleaning options to their maintenance features. If you want to clear caches while you perform OS X Maintenance, either app offers a good alternative to Terminal commands. I have tested both, and they perform as claimed. These apps offer a wide range of actions, so use only those that you understand and intend to apply.

Based on your posted info, I still think an Apple-Authorized Service Provider will be the best solution for your problem.

We continue to watch for or your status update or "Answered" star.

EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)  G5 DP 1.8  External iSight

Hi all,

I've had the iSight green screen problem for months. Tried many things to fix it, without success.

This morning I upgraded the firmware to 1.4 (via normal Apple software update process) and now it's working!

Hope that helps someone....

Excellent,

Thank you for posting.

For Windows: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B909554&x=6&y=10

You're welcome, Philippe.

Based on your info and all you have tried, your problem seems hardware related to me. However, we will be eager to hear your solution, whether it is a user correctable fix or requires service by a Technician.

I, too, am always concerned about the quality of repairs. However, I am in control of transportation, and I move my Macs gently. My concerns begin when others take possession. To guard against the other problems you mention, I always ask for an on-site demonstration when I drop my Mac off and again before I take it home after the work is done. I even asked the local technician to list any problems he notices on the service ticket for comparison when I perform the final check after repairs are completed. I am willing to pay the small cost of these checks to make my expectations clear. On the few occasions where my Macs needed repairs, I have not been disappointed.

I understand about the notifications snafu. Don't be concerned about your response timing. We will be watching for your update when you have news.

EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)  G5 DP 1.8  External iSight

Oops. Spoke too soon.

Back to green screen now...

Hello,
I'm having the exact same issue, and did all the usual check on the phone with an Apple technician, with no luck.
I'll bring my iMac to repair, and in the meantime, I noticed that the camera will work with iChat for a couple of minutes (I'd say between 30 seconds and 3 minutes), and then I'll see some flashes of pink on the picture just before it freezes and won't work unless it's put to rest for quite a while.
I'll also let you know what the repair center tells me, but I'm just assuming they're going to change the iSight. I hope nothing else is involved (a bad connector, the video card...?).

Welcome to Apple Discussions, harzack

Your problem with your camera working in iChat for a while before some flashes of pink and a freeze is not like or related to the OP's (original poster) problem where all he sees is a black picture (with iChat) or green picture (with Photo Booth).

You should start your own new topic for your unique problem. Your problem deserves the individual attention it will get in its own separate thread.

Before you start your new topic, consider the following. The "repair center" may not be your only option - at least not yet.

If your iSight works with any other app or user account when you follow suggestions in " How to Troubleshoot iSight," your iSight is not the problem. Your only problem may be with iChat AV.

If iChat is your problem, you should post your question 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.

EZ Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10)  G5 DP 1.8  External iSight