Q: Macbook Pro 3,1 Built-in iSight "There is no connected camera."
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Mar 26, 2012 9:14 AMby EZ Jim,You certainly have been thorough and persistent! You already seem to have tried everything a user can do to restore the software that makes iSight work. There are no user serviceable hardware parts of iSight. Therefore, you are wise to have tried an Apple-Authorized Service Provider to account for possible hardware problems.
The only remaining common problem I can imagine that you do not mention is the possibility of third-party (non-Apple) conflicts. If you have eliminated possible third-party software conflicts, I would suspect an intermittent hardware issue.
If the problem you describe were mine, and especially if I had already paid for the service, I would take the MBP back to the Apple store ASAP, politely describe the situation, and ask them to try again. Because their first attempt did not permanently resolve your problem, I expect the Apple Technicians will be eager to test further, find, and fix the underlying cause after hearing your new information about the current status.
Any intermittent problem can be very difficult to diagnose, but your Apple Authorized Service Technician (AASP) has all the special tools, test equipment, and technical data necessary to find the problem as quickly as humanly possible. Because intermittent problems are not reliably repeatable, they can be difficult to find, so make a backup and expect to leave your Mac with the AASP.
Without all the specialty repair items available to your AASP, troubleshooting the issue further on your own may take a lot of time. However, if you want to continue to try to fix this yourself, I offer my best suggestions below.
(1) Unless you already have one, make a current backup.
(2) Because your problem reoccurred after you reinstalled Snow Leopard (SL), merely reinstalling your software again 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.
• Boot from your SL install DVD and use its Disk Utility to securely erase (zero) your startup disk. (This can take hours for large disks, so plan some time.) Writing zeros once is sufficient.
• Reinstall Mac OS X Snow Leopard.
• After the SL install is complete, download and apply the latest SL Combo Update, currently http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399
• Use your Mac's (not your SL install DVD'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 AASP service.
• If iSight now works properly with the HT2090 Troubleshooting tests, you can add 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 additional, necessary software applications. Again, add only one item at a time.
Reinstall from the original disks. Do NOT copy the software from any of your backups because the backup copy may contain the damaged item that is causing your iSight trouble.
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 any other necessary third-party software apps (if any.)
• Check every addition to be sure they are not installing "login items" that may be launching software when you restart your Mac. You can add the startup item back if desired AFTER you are certain that an item is NOT part of your iSight problem.
• 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, your Apple Service Provider is the only solution I can imagine being successful for your MBP.
