pgnzed
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Q: I can not find or access my inbuilt camera for my older MacBook Air

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MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.8), MacBook Air 1.1

Posted on Oct 25, 2013 1:00 AM

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pgnzed

Q: I can not find or access my inbuilt camera for my older MacBook Air

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  • Helpful answers

  • by dominic23,

    dominic23 dominic23 Oct 25, 2013 3:55 AM in response to pgnzed
    Level 8 (42,122 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 25, 2013 3:55 AM in response to pgnzed

    Take the steps suggested in this article.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090

     

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

     

    Choose the method for:

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

     

    If this does not help contact Apple.

     

    Best.

  • by EZ Jim,Helpful

    EZ Jim EZ Jim Oct 25, 2013 6:52 AM in response to pgnzed
    Level 7 (22,547 points)
    Oct 25, 2013 6:52 AM in response to pgnzed

    pgnzed wrote: Preferences

     

    Mac OS X has no System Preference for any camera.  Most major individual apps that use the camera have individual camera preferences.  Some common examples are discussed in http://discussions.apple.com/message/23259872#23259872

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Message was edited by: EZ Jim

     

     

    Mac OSX 10.8.5

  • by pgnzed,

    pgnzed pgnzed Oct 25, 2013 11:55 AM in response to EZ Jim
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 25, 2013 11:55 AM in response to EZ Jim

    Thank you for that EZ Jim, however after resetting my OS and rebooting I still get "no camera" installed message when I open Photo Booth, nor can I find any specs or description in "About this Mac" from the main drop down tab.

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  • by pgnzed,

    pgnzed pgnzed Oct 25, 2013 12:00 PM in response to dominic23
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 25, 2013 12:00 PM in response to dominic23

    Thanks Dominic but it did not make any difference and still cant find a camera from the drop down tab in Photo Booth.

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  • by EZ Jim,Helpful

    EZ Jim EZ Jim Oct 26, 2013 7:51 AM in response to pgnzed
    Level 7 (22,547 points)
    Oct 26, 2013 7:51 AM in response to pgnzed

    You're welcome!

    pgnzed wrote: ... after resetting my OS ...

     

    I do not know what "resetting" the OS means.

     

    Please explain this if you must post back for more help. 

     

     

    pgnzed wrote: ... I still get "no camera" installed message ...

     

    If your System Profiler does not recognize your inbuilt camera as a USB hardware device after you have tried all the other suggestions in Apple's http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090, use the final suggestion there;

     

    "... contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service."

     

     

    pgnzed wrote:... nor can I find any specs or description in "About this Mac" from the main drop down tab.  Preferences

     

    There is no separate single camera "application" or "Preferences...".   As I posted earlier, camera preferences are in the applciations the camera uses, NOT in Finder or System preferences.

     

    To determine whether your Mac recognizes your iSight (possibly called "FaceTime camera" in your MBA) you must launch your MBA's "System Profiler" utility.

     

    After you launch "System Profiler", click the "USB" item in the "Hardware" item of the "System Information" window's sidebar.  (If the reveal triangles are pointing to the right like ►, click on them so they points down like this ▼ to find the USB item.)  Then look under each USB bus item in the "USB Device Tree" for your camera.

     

    If there is no iSight or FaceTime camera listed anywhere in your "USB Device Tree", and if you are certain that you used the correct PMU/SMC "reset" procedure for your MBA, yours is most likely a hardware problem that will require a professional fix byan Apple-Authorized Service Provider.

     

    Unless you have a current backup, make one before giving your Mac to the repair technician.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Message was edited by: EZ Jim

     

     

    Mac OSX 10.9

  • by pgnzed,

    pgnzed pgnzed Oct 27, 2013 12:18 PM in response to EZ Jim
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2013 12:18 PM in response to EZ Jim

    Thank you all, looks like a trip to the repair shop for me.  Although I'll probably by a new tottaly spec'd 13' MBA and keep the original for posterity. Peter Grant

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  • by EZ Jim,

    EZ Jim EZ Jim Oct 30, 2013 8:32 AM in response to pgnzed
    Level 7 (22,547 points)
    Oct 30, 2013 8:32 AM in response to pgnzed

    Good plan.

     

    We will watch for your status update after the service call.

     

     

     

     

    Message was edited by: EZ Jim

     

     

    Mac OSX 10.9

  • by pgnzed,

    pgnzed pgnzed Dec 25, 2013 6:24 PM in response to EZ Jim
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 25, 2013 6:24 PM in response to EZ Jim

    Thanks Jim, it appears that even after fiting a new screen to my MBA due to the hinges breaking ( design flaw) under warrantee, my camera is not connected due to a poor/non existant connection. The camera is part of the screen module, so unless i wanted to repair/replace it again I am now two service charges poorer off and am in the market for a new one. Cheers

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