Q: iSight not working on specific account - solution!
-
Jan 21, 2012 7:03 AMby laspalmas.dk,Sorry for answering myself so much.
Tried deleting a few login items (system prefs, users and groups, login items) and so far that has worked for 20 minutes or so. One of them was my Canon scanner software, I've read about problems with scanner software elsewhere. Also "What's playing now" for iTunes and a few others were removed, don't know which one did the trick. None of them, however, had any use for the camera.
-
Jan 21, 2012 5:46 PMby EZ Jim,You certainly have been thorough and persistent! And it seems you have tried all the things that most often fix the problem.
The fact that your iSight sometimes works and sometimes does not is what is often called an "intermittent" hardware problem. This is often caused by a loose or damaged circuit or connection that may temporarily fail as a result of vibration, changes in temperature, etc. Such problems can give the kinds of "sometime" failures like you report. They can be very difficult to diagnose, but your Apple Service Technician has all the special tools, test equipment, and technical data necessary to find the problem. The good news is that Apple Technician can easily correct the problem once the underlying cause is found.
With all you have tried, and particularly if you do not have the time to spend on the following suggestions, you may decide to ask your local Apple Service Provider to work your problem now. However, if you want to continue to try to fix this yourself, I offer my best suggestions below.
(1) Make a current backup (unless you already have one) before relinquishing your Mac for service.
(2) Because your problem occurred in both Snow Leopard and now Lion, merely reinstalling your software without a secure erase seems unlikely to help you.
If your problem is software, securely erasing your hard disk and properly reinstalling your software may help. If you need help with this, here is how I would do what I am recommending.
• Use the Disk Utility in Lion Recovery to securely erase (zero) your startup disk. (This can take hours for large disks.)
• Reinstall Mac OS X Lion.
• If your Mac's > About This Mac does not show Version 10.7.2 after the install, download and apply the latest Combo Update, currently http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1459
• Use your Mac's (not Lion Recovery's) Disk Utility to repair permissions immediately following the system restart that completes the Combo update.
• Do not reinstall any third party items at this time. Third party items can be either hardware (mouse, keyboard, A/V interface, etc.,) or software (including Microsoft Office or Exchange, plug-ins such as Perian, Flip4Mac, etc.)
• Test whether iSight works consistently with the http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090 suggestions If the problem still exists now, or if it returns in any of the further steps I suggest below, yours is almost certainly an intermittent hardware problem that requires service.
• If iSight passes all tests with the Apple apps installed with Lion in every user account you test, you can add any necessary third-party hardware. Add only one item at a time. Test each addition thoroughly and check whether iSight still works before adding the next item. Thorough testing between additions will help you determine if one or more of your third party items is causing a conflict with your iSight.
• If your iSight is still working properly, you can now reinstall your software applications other than the third-party items you may have already installed. Reinstall from the original disks. Do NOT copy the software from a backup because the backup copy may be the damaged item that is causing your trouble. Again, add only one item at a time. Start with the Apple apps that are not a part of OS X (such as iLife.) These Apple apps should not cause any problem, but it is wise to verify that iSight works with each one after you reinstall those Apple apps but before you begin adding your necessary third-party software items.
• You are wise not to install any third party software that is not necessary such as the Canon Scanner startup item you specifically mention which has reportedly cause problems for at least one user.
• Do not copy your data files back until you have tested all the individual additions of apps and third-party items.
(3) If nothing suggested here resolves your problem, contact your Apple Service Provider for professional service.
-
Jan 22, 2012 7:21 AMby laspalmas.dk,Thanks for that EZ Jim.
However, it all seems to work fine now. Haven't had more problems.
I'm pretty sure it must have been the scanner software in login items. It makes good sense that the other account worked fine and even that my admin account worked when I logged back into it, as I must have opened FaceTime prior to the scanner software being launched automatically.
So basically removing the Canon PIxma MP450 scanner software from login items did the trick. I haven't deleted the software, I'm just not running it.
So for others here is my solution:
1. Go to System Preferences
2. Users and Groups
3. Login items
4. Allow yourself to make changes in the lower left hand corner
5. Remove the conflicting software, in my case the scanner software (hitting the minus when selected)
6. Restart
It also makes sense that all the other stuff that I tried did not work (resetting PMU/SMU, resetting PRAM, resetting boot cache, deleting various apps including Skype etc.)
The only thing that doesn't make sense is that restarting in safe mode did not help.
