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BrettFarve04

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 14, 2007
158
0
Milwaukee, WI
my new macbookpro is a family computer. I don't want my daughters going on it when I'm not around. Is there anyway to disable it and re-enable for other times??
 
Make an account for them where the iSight file is gone?
Couldn't work like that, the file in question is held in /System, so if it's there or if it's not the change is universal and not account specific.

The only thing that might work is to have 2 accounts as suggested, but...

In the account you want the camera to work under go to /System/Library/QuickTime and find the file QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component. Move the file to somewhere in your own home folder. Create an alias for this file, name it exactly the same as the original file and move that alias back to where the original file came from (/System/Library/QuickTime). This way if the alias works as I *hope* it will, when you're logged on OS X will still be able to use the file because it's linked to and available in your home folder, but when someone else logs on the alias in /System/Library/QuickTime won't be able to get access to the file because it's held in your secure home folder. This should give the effect of the file being deleted to that user and so the camera won't work.

Hopefully!
 
Im also trying to find a solution to disable this. Im worried about the security aspect of it, where a piece of malware or website could use the camera to take pics/video over the web. Sure it may sound paranoid, but its possible.

Why wouldnt Apple allow us to turn this off?
 
Im also trying to find a solution to disable this. Im worried about the security aspect of it, where a piece of malware or website could use the camera to take pics/video over the web. Sure it may sound paranoid, but its possible.

Why wouldnt Apple allow us to turn this off?

You know if its on by its green light, so that shouldn't be a problem...
 
You know if its on by its green light, so that shouldn't be a problem...

Has anyone confirmed that the camera is in series with the green light, meaning that if the camera is powered up the green light will always come on? I read about a company trying to disable the green light for use with their software (a company that takes pics of people who steal notebooks).
 
Has anyone confirmed that the camera is in series with the green light, meaning that if the camera is powered up the green light will always come on? I read about a company trying to disable the green light for use with their software (a company that takes pics of people who steal notebooks).

I don't think it is possible to disable the green light..? I know what security software you are talking about.
 
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