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Using Apple iSight Webcam on a Windows PC — Seeking Advice

Hi everyone,


I have a custom-built Windows PC, running 11 Pro, and I'm looking for a way to use an Apple iSight webcam with it. Specifically, I’m considering using an adapter to connect the FireWire cable to a USB-C port on my PC tower, along with Boot Camp drivers to make it work.


Has anyone tried this setup before? If not, does anyone have suggestions or ideas on how I might achieve compatibility with Windows 11?


Thanks in advance for your help!

Windows, Windows 11 (22631)

Posted on Jul 30, 2024 5:11 PM

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Posted on Aug 3, 2024 10:26 PM

Instead of adapting from FireWire to USB-C, you might have a better chance installing a FireWire PCIe card in your PC running Windows 11. Embedded OS support for FireWire was discontinued with the release of Windows 10. This Q & A in the Microsoft Community provides directions for loading Legacy FireWire drivers for a FireWire card. As for the iSight camera being recognized and functional, it might come down to whether the specific program that uses a camera will "see" one connected to a FireWire port. It may only recognize ones connected via USB.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 3, 2024 10:26 PM in response to Sevenkrpm

Instead of adapting from FireWire to USB-C, you might have a better chance installing a FireWire PCIe card in your PC running Windows 11. Embedded OS support for FireWire was discontinued with the release of Windows 10. This Q & A in the Microsoft Community provides directions for loading Legacy FireWire drivers for a FireWire card. As for the iSight camera being recognized and functional, it might come down to whether the specific program that uses a camera will "see" one connected to a FireWire port. It may only recognize ones connected via USB.

Aug 7, 2024 1:17 PM in response to Sevenkrpm

I remembered that I have an iSight camera packed away, so I got it out for testing purposes. Unfortunately, I just verified what Forum Member "EZ Jim" reported in the Accessories Forum in 2010 regarding its incompatibility with Windows. I hope that you read this before wasting your time and money buying an adapter cable or PCIe card:


• The iSight camera is unique in the world of PC peripherals, because it contains a camera and microphone. Some users reported limited or no success after multiple attempts to install drivers, as far as the camera was concerned. There was no workaround to get its microphone recognized and functional.


• If you were to install a FireWire PCIe card (as I have in a Windows 10 PC) and connect an iSight camera to it, the Device Manager would display the following. The 2 "Unknown devices" listed directly under "Apple_Computer_Inc.&iSight" represent its camera and its microphone:



Clicking on the entry "Apple_Computer_Inc.&iSight" to view its Properties, you'd see the following:



The iSight camera was/is a nice piece of hardware, but the frustrating consensus is that it's of no use with your PC.

Using Apple iSight Webcam on a Windows PC — Seeking Advice

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