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Ron K · Feb 11, 2013, 01:40 AM

I used Photo Booth one time about 1.5 year ago and it worked fine. Recently I opened the application and tried to use it to take some photos. I got a notice that said, "There is no connected camera." So where did it go? For an application that has only been used once for a few photos it is very disappointing. Obviously the physical, internal camera is still there, but whatever in the app that communicates with that device is not functioning. Thanks for any advice to get this camera activated again.

P · Feb 11, 2013, 05:10 AM

Can you see the camera in System Profiler?

Ron K · Feb 11, 2013, 07:11 AM

No, it does not show up in the System Profiler. I assume it should be under Hardware heading. Nevertheless, it does not show up under any of the headings.

P · Feb 11, 2013, 08:02 AM

If I remember correctly, it should be under USB.

Thorzdad · Feb 11, 2013, 10:56 AM

P is right. Look under USB (at the bottom of the Hardware section). Listing should be USB High-Speed Bus > Built-in iSight

Ron K · Feb 11, 2013, 11:12 PM

It is not listed under USB either. This is very strange to me, since the i-Sight camera comes installed in this laptop, and in fact, it did work the one time I used it a little over a year ago. And it does not show up in Spotlight search engine either. Is there any way it could have been disconnected? I had an Apple tech in the Philippines repair this MBA a little over a year ago. I was having trouble getting sound when I was on the internet or using DVDs. They replaced some "card" and the sound works fine. However, since I did not use the Photo Booth after that I cannot know if they are responsible for this malfunction.

jmiddel · Feb 12, 2013, 03:15 AM

The tech might have not reconnected the iSight cable.

P · Feb 12, 2013, 06:01 AM

In any case, if it doesn't show up in System Profiler, it's a hardware error.

Ron K · Feb 12, 2013, 06:46 AM

Thanks for the replies. I assume now that the tech disconnected the cable, as there is no other explanation.

Ron K · Feb 13, 2013, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by P

In any case, if it doesn't show up in System Profiler, it's a hardware error.

I do have one more question. Does the System Profiler only show hardware that is currently functioning? Or does it list all hardware whether it is functioning or not? I guess I would have thought that the profiler would list all installed hardware regardless. In addition, it would be a good inclusion to have a field to indicate that status.

ibook_steve · Feb 13, 2013, 02:36 AM

If the system can talk to the hardware, then from the system's point of view, it's functioning. That's why you have to reboot and perform specific hardware tests to see if something is not functioning correctly. My guess is a hardware test will tell you that the system can't talk to the camera. System Profiler doesn't test; it just reports what in the system.

Steve

Ron K · Feb 18, 2013, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by ibook_steve

If the system can talk to the hardware, then from the system's point of view, it's functioning. That's why you have to reboot and perform specific hardware tests to see if something is not functioning correctly. My guess is a hardware test will tell you that the system can't talk to the camera. System Profiler doesn't test; it just reports what in the system.

Steve

Thanks for the clarification. I am not well versed in computer technology. I am just an end user, so to speak; therefore, I much appreciate the feedback from you members of this forum. Thanks again.

shifuimam · 01:28 PM

Edit: Sorry, just saw that it's a MBA.

The Air has a camera inside the display assembly, a cable connects the camera to the motherboard. You can verify that this is connected pretty easily. You'll need a pentalobe screwdriver, which can be found online for a few dollars.

This iFixIt guide shows where the cable is:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installi...1/1?singlePage

Scroll down to step 12 to see where the cable is located. Make sure that it's connected and everything looks okay. If it is connected and your machine is still under warranty, take it to your closest Apple Store or certified third-party repair place and have them fix it. If your machine ISN'T under warranty, you have a couple options - fix it yourself, or pay Apple to fix it. Depending on what's wrong, it'll be anywhere from $100-$350 USD unless liquid damage is found.