My MacBook Air green camera light is stuck on!

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Level 1

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My MacBook Air green camera light is stuck on!

Hi!

The green light next to the inbuilt Facetime camera is stuck on and as a result applications such as Facetime, iMovie and iPhoto say "no camera connected"... I don't know what to do! Help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Winnie!

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Sep 15, 2013 1:50 PM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

140,808 points

Sep 15, 2013 2:11 PM in response to Winnie553

Restart your Mac using the  (Apple menu) > Restart...

In the dialog box that appears, de-select the circled "Reopen windows" checkbox:

Click Restart.

If the camera remains on after restarting the Mac,reset the SMC in accordance with the following instructions:

Before Resetting the SMC

Try each of the following steps in this order before you reset the SMC. Test the issue after completing each troubleshooting step to determine if the issue still occurs.

Press Command + Option + Escape to force quit any application that is not responding.
Put your Mac to sleep by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Sleep. Wake the computer after it has gone to sleep.
Restart your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Restart.
Shut down your Mac by choosing the Apple () menu from the upper-left menu bar and then choosing Shut Down.

Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own

Shut down the computer.
Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if it's not already connected.
On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.

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Answer 2

Winnie553 Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 15, 2013 2:18 PM in response to John Galt

Hi! Thanks for your advice but i have just tried these steps correctly but the green light is still on 😟 any other suggestions?

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Answer 3

John Galt

Level 10

140,808 points

Sep 15, 2013 3:06 PM in response to Winnie553

None other than to make a Genius Bar reservation for a diagnosis: http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/

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Answer 4

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,535 points

Sep 15, 2013 4:30 PM in response to Winnie553

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, or by corruption of certain system caches.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain iMacs. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

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