Built in iSight not working?

Start here http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090

Hello

I've got a MacBook running 10.5.8.

I've been through the troubleshooting points and have established the following:

• it's not an application-specific problem: the iSight camera doesn't work in either PhotoBooth or Skype

• the camera is recognized when I set up a different user profile so it's not user-specific either

• the camera is recognized in the system profiler

• the problem is not resolved when I reset the SMC or the PRAM

Is there anything I can do? It seems to be some sort of system problem, not a hardware one.

Thanks

Hi,

If it works in Skype in a different Mac User Account (Or any other app in that Mac User Account) but does not work in the regular Mac User Account you use on your Mac then it is User Specific.

In this case we would suggest deleting the .plists involved.

In the case of Photo Booth this is a specific one (and only one)

iChat has several .plist but only the com.apple.ichat.plist one itself has any info about the camera.

I don't use Skype but I am sure it has only one .plist

The System Profiler will see the camera (or Not) whichever User Account you log in to.

If you only checked the System Profiler in the other User Account you will need to do further testing.

If it is All Apps in All Users but still shows up in System Profiler I would download an Install the COMBO version of the Last OS Update you did. (It can be run over what you have installed already).

This can often "Fix" hard to trace faults where you may be looking for one corrupt System side file.

10:17 PM Thursday; July 7, 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

Hello

Thanks for this suggestion. I downloaded and installed the most recent 10.5.8 update I could find:

http://support.apple.com/downloads/Mac_OS_X_10_5_8_Combo_Update

and then updated using software update.

No change, I'm afraid: neither Skype nor Photo Booth can see the camera when I'm in my main user account.

Best

Will

Hi,

The Combo Download will open further if you double Click the .dmg

You should then have an Apple Package icon.

Double click this and it will open the Installer.

From there it will look like any other App install.

Software Updates keeps "Receipts" and checks these with what is available On line and not with anything on your Desktop or Downloads folder.

I am not sure if you ran both or tried things as I suggest you may have done here.

8:28 PM Friday; July 8, 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

Hello

Yes, I didn't have any problem with installing the comboupdate.I then ran software update. No luck, though, with the iSightcamera problem. Do you think running 'repair disk' from the DiskUtility (using a system disc) might get to the corrupt file?

Best

Will

Hi,

Using the Trouble Shooting Article normally helps pin it down to either a user or an Every app problem.

Resetting the SMC/PMU usually resolves the system (Profiler) not seeing the camera.

"Doing the COMBO" usually resolves most other things.

Using Disk Utility on the Install Disk is not going to do anything.

It has the info about what the Preferences should be for everything as it was Installed.

You have probably updated the OS several tiems since then.

This why Disk Utility on the computer should be used as it can access any Changed Preferences specifically created by any Update (mostly security but also other updates).

I would try this next http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2472
The article says it effects iMovie but I have seen it effect iChat.

Remember to Restart the computer afterwards. (this item runs at computer start up so deleting it does not change the current state of the computer or the hardware it should be picking up).

After that it would be a trip to the Store or a Recognised Apple Service centre.

7:17 PM Monday; July 11, 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

Hello

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I'm afraid there's no file with the name

com.apple.mio.VDCAssistant.plist

in my LaunchDaemons folder.

My AppleCare contract hasn't expired. It's going to be difficult to do without it for a couple of weeks but I'll take it in as soon as I can.

Best - and thanks again,

Will

Understood.

Hope it works out for you.

9:40 PM Monday; July 11, 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

My iSight works with all my applications (iChat, Photobooth, iMovie, etc.) however is doesn't work on any webpages in Safari (i.e. Facebook, Omegle, etc.). I tried the normal troubleshooting at AppleSupport but it still doesnt work. Any tips?

Thanks,

Vincent

Hi,

Turn the Plug-in On that is needed for that site.

In most cases this will be Flash

On the Google site it will be the Intel Only Plug-in to use Video and Audio Only chat via that site.

Just to complicate matters the two Plug-ins conflict with each other.

7:11 PM Friday; August 19, 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 (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Hello

I've finally managed to resolve this problem. It turned out that Applecare doesn't cover software conflicts of this kind. I was advised to remove preferences files one by one in order to identify the conflicting file. In the end, I scanned through the prefs to see what third-party applications I'd added in recent months. I hit on the suspect file - a music-synching app called iSyncr - right away. Once I'd removed the application and prefs file, logged out and logged back in again my camera was fine.

Will

HI,

Did this add a Plug-in for web Browsers ?

I know of the conflict between Google's Intel mac Only Video Chat Plug-in to do Video Chats from their page and the Flash Plug-in which stops the camera working properly in Video Chat sites

I will try and remember that app's name but it sounds (pun intended) so left field I not sure I will.

8:31 PM Wednesday; August 24, 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 (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Just went though this in the last few days. Don't use iSight a lot but I tried to use this little security program a few days ago, and nothing worked; testing with PhotoBooth didn't either. Just read through this post, as soon as I heard Google mentioned, I uninstalled Chrome (didn't really like it much anyway) and after a restart the camera works fine.

Hi,

That's Interesting.

I presume the Chrome Install installed the Google Talk Video/Audio Chat Plug-in (If Installed on an Intel.).

This Plug-in is known to Conflict with Flash.

Flash is also a Browser Plug-in and can be used on some sites to allow Access to the camera and Mic. When Google started GoogleTalk and access via Web Browser (Your Google Mail Web Page or iGoogle with the Chat Option (Talk) Enabled) it used to use Flash and could be done on NON intel machines as well.

This did not last a particularly long time as the Google Plug-in was brought on line soon after.

I would guess that the Google Plug-in is a closely related (almost reverse engineered) Flash like file.

It might be that Chrome kept the Google Plug-in to Itself, as it were, and Uninstalling Chrome also Uninstalled the Plug-in.

8:24 PM Wednesday; September 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 (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously