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Camera not connected? On any OS?

A

AnonMac50

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Hey all, I have my lovely trusty MacBook Pro (Late 2013) with a new issue. I was installing operating systems on an external drive so that I can work around some app incompatibilities. I first tried out Mavericks, and I hadn't yet installed any other apps, but while playing around trying to get a wave of nostalgia, I opened Photo Booth. "No camera connected". Same thing with FaceTime and System Information. I tried rebooting, PRAM and SMC resets, but still nothing. I also tried El Capitan and High Sierra but got the same result. I rebooted back to my normal system, and I found the same issue there too. Any ideas?

Thanks!!
 
AnonMac50 said:
Hey all, I have my lovely trusty MacBook Pro (Late 2013) with a new issue. I was installing operating systems on an external drive so that I can work around some app incompatibilities. I first tried out Mavericks, and I hadn't yet installed any other apps, but while playing around trying to get a wave of nostalgia, I opened Photo Booth. "No camera connected". Same thing with FaceTime and System Information. I tried rebooting, PRAM and SMC resets, but still nothing. I also tried El Capitan and High Sierra but got the same result. I rebooted back to my normal system, and I found the same issue there too. Any ideas?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I’m having same issue... idk what I did, I’m tempted to take it to apple store
 
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Airboy1466 said:
Yeah man it’s insane for absolutely no reason
Click to expand...

I just paid around 800 AUD a few months ago to replace the logic board. I was asked then if it would be better to purchase a brand new Mac instead. If I’ll need to replace the screen this time for this price I’m not sure I’ll do it, might just live with it, unless I am offered a replacement Mac or something. Hopefully they would say it’s an issue with the connector on the logic board and it would be covered.
 
"I opened Photo Booth. "No camera connected". Same thing with FaceTime and System Information."

Had you been using the camera recently before you did the software install on the external drive? Just wanted to understand if the camera went kaput all-of-a-sudden, or if you hadn't used it in a while.

As odd as it sounds, I'm thinking this could be a SOFTWARE problem -- the necessary software to "make the camera active with the OS" is not properly loading. The result is that the OS "thinks" there is no camera "there" (when, of course, there is).

I saw a similar problem with my 2010 MacBook Pro once (years ago) -- with the firewire port. System Profiler showed that there were "no firewire ports found", even though it was there. I had the motherboard replaced under warranty, then one day, the problem came back. I just left it that way until -- one day -- I installed a new version of the OS onto an external drive, rebooted, and voila! The firewire port "came alive" again. And it remained alive even when booted from an older version of the OS.

Having said all this...
... I'm not sure replacing the camera would be worth a big repair bill, UNLESS the camera is really important to you (it's not to me)...
 
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Fishrrman said:
"I opened Photo Booth. "No camera connected". Same thing with FaceTime and System Information."

Had you been using the camera recently before you did the software install on the external drive? Just wanted to understand if the camera went kaput all-of-a-sudden, or if you hadn't used it in a while.

As odd as it sounds, I'm thinking this could be a SOFTWARE problem -- the necessary software to "make the camera active with the OS" is not properly loading. The result is that the OS "thinks" there is no camera "there" (when, of course, there is).

I saw a similar problem with my 2010 MacBook Pro once (years ago) -- with the firewire port. System Profiler showed that there were "no firewire ports found", even though they were there. I had the motherboard replaced under warranty, then one day, the problem came back. I just left it that way until -- one day -- I installed a new version of the OS onto an external drive, rebooted, and voila! The firewire port "came alive" again. And it remained alive even when booted from an older version of the OS.

Having said all this...
... I'm not sure replacing the camera would be worth a big repair bill, UNLESS the camera is really important to you (it's not to me)...
Click to expand...

I hadn’t used it in a while actually, so I don’t know when it stopped working. It was definitely there before I had my logic board repaired, not too long before either. At this point I just know that it doesn’t work no matter whichever OS I have running (I’ve yet to check Windows though), so I wouldn’t be surprised if a firmware update did this. I don’t think I’d pay to get it fixed either. I just don’t think it’s worth it.
 
AnonMac50 said:
I hadn’t used it in a while actually, so I don’t know when it stopped working. It was definitely there before I had my logic board repaired, not too long before either. At this point I just know that it doesn’t work no matter whichever OS I have running (I’ve yet to check Windows though), so I wouldn’t be surprised if a firmware update did this. I don’t think I’d pay to get it fixed either. I just don’t think it’s worth it.
Click to expand...
Did you have the logic board fixed by apple if so they will cover the screen as a repeat repair as they caused it to malfunction
 
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"I hadn’t used it in a while actually, so I don’t know when it stopped working. It was definitely there before I had my logic board repaired"

Well, that could explain it.
Something about "the repair" may not have gone as it should have gone...
 
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I just checked Windows, I can't use the camera there either. I also found out my logic board repair was actually more than 3 months ago 🙁 I'm worried they may say I need to pay to repair. My camera is not really important, but knowing you have faulty hardware isn't a very good feeling, you know?

Also, it turns out I paid just over 900 AUD, not 800.
 
Long story short, my appointment was today, took it into the Apple Store, they said their next course of action would be to replace the display assembly, $1090 AUD, should it not work they’d replace the motherboard again for free. That should also fix the screen anti-glare coating issue I have. I declined, however.
 
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