HELP!! New update killed my isight!

The usual advice is something flaky happens after an OS update:

Launch Disk Utility and run permissions repair. Then run verify disk. If an error is reported by the latter, restart holding down the Shift key to boot into Safe Mode. In Safe Mode the OS will run diagnostic and repair routines. When the Finder appears after a time, restart normally.

Now launch iChat. If you are asked to allow access to the Keychain, allow it.

I just reformatted my MBP a week ago and my iSight was completely gone after installing OS, I was able to get it back by doing a PMU reset so give it a try. Instructions on resetting PMU:

If the computer is on, turn it off.
Disconnect the AC Adapter and remove the computer's battery.
Press and hold down the power button for 5 seconds and then release the button.
Reconnect the battery and AC Adapter.
Press the Power button to restart the computer.

A couple of days earlier, I had the same problem with iSight. It was resolved after resetting the parameters.

1) Unplug the AC adapter
2) Take out the battery
3) Press and hold the power button for 5 sec.
4) Install the battery
5) Plug in the AC adapter
6) Press the power button and then quickly hold down these keys: "Command" + "Option" + "P" + "R" till you hear three "chime" sounds.

I did a complete reinstall of Mac OS X and that solved my issue.

Spoke with AppleCare and they had never heard of it. Guess it was software related and not hardware.

New MacBook Pro owner (as of mid-August). Fantastic computer!

Had first MacBook Pro six days when video display went out (black screen after re-awakening from sleep by opening lid, after shooting several hundred Photo Booth images with family and friends). Everything else had worked great, and I had used it for up to fifty hours in several locations, and usually left in sleep mode while transporting.

Went to Apple Genius Bar and it functioned okay, couldn't demonstrate problem. Was told to try re-setting (PCM ?): turn power off, disconect power supply, remove battery, hold down power button five seconds, re-insert battery, re-connect power cord, and hold down power button until I heard three chimes. A friend of mine who buys a lot of PCs for the local government and is a systems program supervisor told me that he had already tried that procedure before I took it in. One day later, video screen remains black (after a couple of hundred Photo Booth snapshots, putting computer to sleep by shutting lid, re-opening lid). No procedures work. Back to Genius Bar. MacBook Pro is replaced, no questions, no problems, great service.

With second, replacement MacBook Pro, the screen went dark one night when I opened Photo Booth (but I could faintly see a very dim desktop. The computer had not been shut down since acquisition a week before, and I had been using it for a half-hour before I tried to open Photo Booth. I reasoned that perhaps the computer went into a deep hibernation form of sleep. It had been a very hot Texas day. I restarted the computer, and everything was fine.

My iSight didn't function for the last day or so. I had upgraded to OS 10.4.8 yesterday. Did an Archive and Install on September 22 to correct an disk utility failure message "Volume Header needs minor repair. The volume MacIntosh HD needs repair. ERROR: The underlying task reported failure on exit. 1 HFS volume volume checked. Volume needs repair.

I had installed the MIRROR Widget. When the room was dark the image in the MIRROR Widget would freeze. When the ambient light was adequate the MIRROR Widget would unfreeze. Usually the ambient light was was low when I was working, so I didn't pay much attention ot whether it was frozen or not.

I wanted to demonstrate PHOTOBOOTH with its image distortion options to a friend today,and noticed that the iSight camera was turned off. When I attempted to start PhotoBooth, a popup message informed me that the camera was being used by another application, even though the camera was not functioning. I minimized the MIRROR Widget. No change. I opened iChat, and the menu video display enable camera option showed a black screen. I noticed in the Preferences that I had selected IChat to always open when the camera was on. I de-selected this option. (Preference conflict?) No change. I put the MIRROR Widget in the trash. No change. Used TechTool Deluxe which came with Applecare, Disk Utility. No change. I went to this forum, followed advice re computer shut-down, power cable disconnect, battery removal, hold power button down five seconds, re-start computer with power button while holding down command option+PR keys, wait for three chimes.

Seems to be okay now. Thanks for the help in this forum.

MacBook Pro 17" 2.16GHz 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.7) PowerPC G4 450Mhz 704MB SDRAM, Video iPod 60GB, Apple wireless Mighty Mouse