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2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, or 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.7GHz) with 6MB shared L3 cache.

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iSight camera not detected after maintenance

After replacing the battery and speakers in my Mid 2012 Retina MacBook Pro according to this guide, I reassembled the computer and noticed that everything worked perfectly except for the iSight camera.

Symptoms:

  • No green LED when attempting to use the camera
  • "No video capture devices were found.” in System Information > Hardware > Camera
  • No camera visible in System > Hardware > USB
  • “No camera available” in FaceTime, Photo Booth, and Skype
  • Apple hardware diagnostics shows no camera detected

Solutions attempted:

  • Reset PRAM/NVRAM
  • Reset PMC
  • Tested with a brand new admin user
  • Attempted to boot into Safe Mode, but the boot loader seemed to freeze at the very end
  • Booted into network image at the Apple store and no camera was detected
  • Kill VDCAssistant and Apple CameraAssistant (They were not found; I don’t believe these processes exist on Mojave)
  • Unseat and reseat the camera cable (twice)
  • Inspect the camera cable (no visible damage)

Before replacing the battery and speakers, I occasionally had an issue where the camera would not be detected but a quick reboot always solved the problem. When disconnecting the camera cable during the battery replacement, this cable was the most difficult to remove. I had to apply a good bit of force, but the port is still solid on the logic board and there’s no visible damage to the cable. I always pried (alternating) on the protruding sides of the connector until it wiggled out.

The only 2 theories I have left is that the cable may be very sensitive or I may have blown a ferrite bead although I’m 90% sure I never disconnected or reconnected the cable while the battery was connected.

How sensitive is this cable? How can I determine if a ferrite bead was blown? Does anyone have any other ideas?

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Chosen Solution

Ferrite beads can be tested for continuity with any multimeter, if blown you lose continuity. However, by experience, in some cases, continuity is not sufficient to guarantee a correct performance unfortunately.

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Any idea where I can find schematics that detail which components I should check?

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@brenan First you'll have to find on the board the reference number, it reads like 820-xxxx. With that at hand you'll be able to google out of the net what you're looking for.

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Apple Part #:

661-6482

Manufacturer Part #:

820-3332A

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Most Helpful Answer

Disconnect the camera as show in step #6 of this guide:

MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Mid 2012 Logic Board Replacement

Blow it out with canned air and carefully reseat it.

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I gave this a shot. Connection looks pretty clear. No success. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2cgb7ut662j3kr...

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I have this same exact problem. No solutions found.

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Brenan will be eternally grateful.
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