iSight crashed iChat and now camera not recognized

Question

iSight crashed iChat and now camera not recognized

I plugged my new iSight in and iChat booted up, and then froze. It remained "not responding" and wouldn't force quit so I held the power button down until the laptop restarted.

Now my laptop doesn't seem to recognize the camera. When I plug it in to the firewire port I can hear the shutter open and close, but it no longer boots up iChat the way it used to. When I boot iChat up myself it says there is no camera connected to my computer.

The iSight is only a few weeks old. I've been able to see myself on my own laptop with the camera, but haven't yet been able to video conference with anyone, but this is just from lack of recipients, not because of a software problem.

I've used iChat maybe 5 times since getting the camera and have had on and off success. Often it tells me that the iSight is in use by another program until I unplug and replug the camera a few times and restart the program. All of my issues seem random, and I don't think I've used iSight and iChat together yet completely successfully.

Can anyone help me get my iSight working again?

Thanks,
Heidi

Powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.6), 1.5 GHz, 768 RAM

Posted on May 25, 2006 7:52 AM

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Answer 1

May 25, 2006 9:16 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

Hi,
before trying to answer this post I looked through the http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93240trouble shouting guide, just to be on the safe side ...

Besides the procedures in there and just to eliminate the posibility of a "problematic" ichat AV, did you try using it with another video capable program, lets say th iMovie comming with iLife, does it display corectly video there?

Although the cable must be good since you hear the powerup/shutter noise, can you try a different firewire cable ?

Did you follow the installation instructions, I know this sounds peculiar (at least) but I remember that it was not the most straight forward instalation I have done on my mac ...

if it it works and can be seen in system profiler under the firewire tab then it is definitely an iChat AV problem and you should fix that

iBook G4 12" 1,3Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

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Answer 2

Jun 3, 2006 10:50 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

Hi Heidi,

I would check this page out http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/EZJim/EZJimpage2.html

I would also try and see if iMovie sees the camera.

I would try deleting com.apple.ichat.plist from /Users/(your account)/Library/Preferences. This plist holds the camera info and may need resetting.

Restart iChat afterwards.

6:50 PM Saturday; June 3, 2006

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Answer 3

Jun 13, 2006 6:26 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

After many attempts to fix this issue, still no success. This is what I can offer:

1. When I plug in the camera, it boots iChat. (it wasn't doing this before... not sure what changed except I restarted a few times). However, iChat still tells me that the camera is being used by another application. When I click on preferences, I can see myself in the camera. There is no other application running when I do this.

2. I have repaired my permissions and verified my startup disk.

3. I have restarted many times, with and without the camera plugged in.

4. I cannot for the life of me get iMovie to recognize my iSight, even after following the instructions on apple's website. iMovie tells me there is no camera attached when I choose the camera rather than the scissors.

5. I have followed the suggestions I found on your website, Ralph. Still no luck.

6. I also deleted the iChat/plist file from my preferences (in the library, under my account). It made me go through iChat again, and DID SEE the video in the window when I was getting iChat started, but then AGAIN it says the camera is in use.

I'm stumped. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Heidi

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 1.5 GHz, 768 RAM

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 1.5 GHz, 768 RAM

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Answer 4

Jun 14, 2006 5:01 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

HI Heidi,

The setting for iChat to start up each time the camera is turned on is in iChat > Preferences > Video section.
It is one of the check boxes.
It tends to be the Default setting, recreated when the .plist is deleted.

Do you Final Cut Pro on there ?

Do you use Delcious Library ?

Do you have a Video or Audio Capture card ?

1:01 PM Wednesday; June 14, 2006

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Answer 5

Jun 14, 2006 7:55 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph.

I don't have Final Cut Pro or Delcious Library on my laptop. And I'm not sure if I have a video or audio capture card. I opened System Profiler to take a peek but am not sure what I'm looking for.

Heidi

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Answer 6

Jun 14, 2006 8:49 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

Hi Heidi,

If it was a tower that you had it would most likely be an Add-on PCI card inside the Mac.

As you has a Laptop it would be an External device Like an EyeTV USB plug in thing or a MIDI device for sound ?

4:49 PM Wednesday; June 14, 2006

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Answer 7

Jun 14, 2006 8:59 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

I have a laptop, and no, there's nothing external attached for video or audio capture.

Heidi

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Answer 8

Jun 14, 2006 9:57 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

HI Heidi,

This is a manual search. You can not use Spotlight or Find.

GO to /System/Library/Extensions
Check to see that the Apple_iSight.kext file exist in there.

This means open your harddrive then the folder marked System then Lbrary inside there and so on.

5:57 PM Wednesday; June 14, 2006

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Answer 9

Jun 14, 2006 10:09 AM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Yes, the apple_isight.kext file is in the extensions folder.

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Answer 10

Jun 14, 2006 11:22 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

Hi Heidi,

I would do two things now.

1) Read this FAQ If you do not have a Utility for running the Cron sripts follow the links to get one. MacJanitor is the simplest (Click padlock - enter Admn password - click All tasks- wait for ding sound). It will take several minutes to run whichever app you use.

This rotates and clears out log files and caches.
The Mac will do this on it's own if On AND Awake 24/7

Try iChat.

2) Run the combo Installer.

This will make sure you have all the bits for a update. sometime the Delta as it is called does not include all the data and some bits may need extra help to work properly.

Try iChat.

7:23 PM Wednesday; June 14, 2006

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Answer 11

Jun 14, 2006 5:29 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph.

So, I did both of those things: ran MacJanitor (all tasks) twice, and then started iChat by plugging in the camera. "Camera in use by another application." Then I downloaded the combo and installed it and restarted, then started iChat again by plugging in the camera. Still the same message.

Thank you SO much for all of your patience and your help. Any ideas now?

Heidi

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Answer 12

Jun 15, 2006 11:59 AM in response to Heidi Lingren

Hi Heidi,

This certainly is a puzzeler.

EZ Jim would have Linked to here http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/EZJim/EZJimpage2.html

And http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/EZJim/EZJimpage6.html

And also http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html

7:59 PM Thursday; June 15, 2006

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Answer 13

Jun 15, 2006 12:35 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi Ralph.

I finally decided to call Apple support, since my camera is only a month old. We discovered that the 3rd party software to run my old webcam was in the StartupItems folder, and was running my new camera without my knowing it. I removed the old StartupItems folder and rebooted, creating a new folder with nothing in it, and now the camera is no longer in use by another application!

Thank you VERY much for all of your help. I really appreciate it.

Heidi

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Answer 14

Jun 15, 2006 4:19 PM in response to Heidi Lingren

Hi Heidi,

I am glad to hear you have found the solution.

I don't think I would have thought of a previous camera.

12:19 AM Friday; June 16, 2006

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