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Built in iSight not working for the third time (iMac 27'')

I have an iMac 27'' Mid 2010 with built in iSight which is not working anymore. The problem now appears for the third time.


First time I could fix it following these instructions: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2090

Second time (two weeks ago) it went dead again and the above instructions did not help. I decided to wait for the Lion update to check if it's a software problem. Today I updated my system to Mac OS X version 10.6.8. Directly after the update iSight was working again and I also used it shortly with FaceTime. After three hours of work it now disappeared for the third time. The only programs I used before iSight went dead for the third time were Safari and Tweetie. I deinstalled Tweetie and I don't have Skype installed anymore.


Does anybody have a clue how I can get iSight working again?


My actual status is: I tried all the support suggestions, iSight is not listed in the System-Profiler, and the status in every application I checked (FaceTime, iChat, PhotoBooth) is "No camera connected". And yes... I also tried it with another user account.


Cheers

Tobi

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 24, 2011 11:51 AM

Reply
15 replies

Jun 24, 2011 1:59 PM in response to strobotobi

Hi,


If the Camera does not show in System Profiler reset the SMC/PMU

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964


(You would normally check out all the apps that can use the camera and another Mac User Account and all the apps again but the above tends to be the clincher).


Then if that does not work there is this

http://www.codium.co.nz/isight_fix/

Some people have said this works but I have not tried it. It also ghas a variant lower down about Snow Leopard.


User uploaded file
9:58 PM Friday; June 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( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Jun 25, 2011 2:07 AM in response to strobotobi

Hi Ralph,


thanks for your answer. As I already wrote in my first post I followed all the instructions from Apple Support including the reset of SMC/PMU. I also tried the suggested isight fix and deleting some of the .plist files in the preferences folder but it did not work.


I still think that it's a software issue and not a hardware problem since it started working again after the update of Mac OS. Is there any other suggestion left which I did not try?

Jun 25, 2011 12:29 PM in response to strobotobi

Hi,


It is difficult to tell if this is a Hardware or Software issue.

Yes it does appear in a few threads and the issue and some fixes in other forums have different answers.


With older laptops it can be the use of the computer and the relative amount of opening and closing of the lid.

In early models it seemed to fray the cable,shorting it out, at the hinge

It later models it seems to pull the cable loose from the camera.


Some people have been known to use a "Lid pinch" with their thumb near the camera to carry their Laptop (or at least swing it in to a normal carrying position) which has been known to effect the camera.


Obviously these reasons don't effect all and certainly will not effect your iMac. (Many would have trouble getting a grip on the Screen at that point let alone being in a position to then lift it 😀)


Desktops generally have larger, at least physically, hard drives. This can lead to higher amounts of vibration which may loosen the cable from the camera.


All the devices such as the camera, Blue Tooth the Infra red Sensor (Remote Control) are all linked by USB Internally.

This means that the get their power this way.

Any Unpowered External USB device would count towards the power drawing limit.


Each USB Bus/Controller in the Mac is supposed to keep the devices organised by a device number.

FireWire works in a similar way.

If the FireWire Controller gets confused as to which device is where you can reset the ports by powering down the computer (and removing the power cable in the case of Laptop) and waiting 15 mins

This allows the computer to discharge any capacitor that is involved with storing that device numbering info.

It would not hurt to try this.


See also this thread


It mentions this:



com.apple.mio.DAL.VDC_4


that is part of com.apple.mio.AVCAssistant which essentially digitises the video from the camera.

This has been known to "go missing" on occasions.


The actual issue in that thread seems to have been some Leopard and pre Intel Add-ons installed on Snow Leopard which caused the issue.


User uploaded file
8:29 PM Saturday; June 25, 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( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Jun 26, 2011 4:57 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph,


thanks for your quick answer... really appreciate your help. Turning the iMac off for +15 minutes didn't change anything (and there are no other usb devices connected in regard to power consumption).


Your second suggestion concerning "com.apple.mio.DAL.VDC_4" is interesting because i could not find this file. It doesn't show up in the finder search (I know that system files usually are not listed in the regular finder search. Therefore I used the search-option to consider system files in the search process).


I also looked for the com.apple.mio.DAL.VDC_4 file manually but I am not sure whether I looked in the right place. Is it supposed to be stored here?: Macintosh HD > System > Library > Private Frameworks > CoreMedialOServices.framework > Resources > VDC Plugin > Contents > MacOS


In this folder there is only an exec file called "VDC"


The search for com.apple.mio.AVCAssistant also did not return any results.

In case the file really went missing, how can I restore it?


Regards

Tobi

Jun 26, 2011 1:34 PM in response to strobotobi

Ok,


Seems my memory is not as exact as ai would like it to be.

See this hhttp://www.appleware.co.uk/2008/12/03/isight-camera-fix.html


I had to Google it as I was not finding the right threads here.


User uploaded file
9:34 PM Sunday; June 26, 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( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Jun 27, 2011 11:58 AM in response to strobotobi

Hi,


Although you have an iMac I would tend to agree with Baby Boomer at this point.


The "Missing" .plist should help if removed as it is likely to have some corrupt info in it.

(Despite that piece being about iMovie 7 I have seen it work for iChat as well).


If the com.apple.mio.VDCAssistant is NOT being created in the first place there is obviously a deeper problem.


Hopefully you are still within the year of purchase even if you did not take out AppleCare.


If it were Laptop I would suspect the cable had come loose from the camera. (Or Hinge use/cable fraying on an older model.


User uploaded file
7:58 PM Monday; June 27, 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( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Jun 28, 2011 12:51 PM in response to strobotobi

Hi,


If Baby Boomer is right and this is a Hardware fault then Lion is unlikely to Fix it.


As the Computer is Mid 2010 then the year long warranty must be getting close to it's end.

Waiting for Lion in July may just too long a wait.


User uploaded file
8:50 PM Tuesday; June 28, 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

Jun 29, 2011 1:46 PM in response to strobotobi

Hi,


Again I would agree with Baby Boomer.


I would have phrased it as "All the more reason to make use of that now"


As Baby Boomer says it is better to get it sorted before trying to Upgrade.


User uploaded file
9:46 PM Wednesday; June 29, 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

Jul 8, 2011 7:05 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I gave it to a local Apple Service Center a week ago and today they diagnosed a problem with the cable. Ralph, your guess was right :-)


By the way... I think it's embarassing that the local Apple Hardware Support can't manage to repair a simple cable within a week. I'm dependent on my Mac as far as work is concerned and taking into account what I paid for the hardware and extra AppleCare it's just lousy service. I know that you're the last person responsible for it but I'll have to admit it's quite frustrating.


Cheers

Tobi

Jul 8, 2011 11:30 AM in response to strobotobi

I am glad you are on the way to being sorted.


Thanks for the points.


I can understand the frustration.


User uploaded file
7:30 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

Built in iSight not working for the third time (iMac 27'')

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