Check for applications using the camera. Typically, only a single Mac app can utilize the. Once the copy is complete, drag the original to the trash. Removing the iSight component file will disable the camera and prevent any application from using it. If an application does try to use. Every Macbook, a laptop made by Apple, comes with an iSight camera above the display, which you use to shoot pictures and videos. There is no physical switch on the laptop to turn the camera on and off. The webcam is not recognized by Skype, iChat, or Photobooth. Is it possible for it to be disabled or off? Where do I go to control the settings? I want to turn it on for Skype, but it does not find the device in the list. I've read that the camera can only be used by one program at a time, but currently I dont think it's being used by any program. One of the easiest ways to turn off the camera on your MacBook Pro is to simply close the app you are using that uses the camera. When you open up one of these apps to turn the camera on, a little green light appears to the right of the camera lens.
TMO Quick Tip - Disabling a Built-in iSight Camera
by Jeff Gamet, 7:30 AM EDT, June 11th, 2007
Apple didn't give us an overly obvious way to disable the iSight camera that's built in to the iMac, MacBook, and MacBook Pro, which is a problem for some people that work in sensitive environments. Covering the camera with a piece of tape will do the trick, but in some work places, that isn't enough. How do i screen capture on my macbook pro.
You can completely disable your built-in iSight by moving a single file. Just move the QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component file from System/Library/QuickTime to another safe location on your hard drive. Be careful what you move, because the System directory isn't a particularly safe place to mess around in. Should you move, rename, or delete the wrong file, you could potentially render your Mac unbootable.
You have to authenticate as an administrator when you try to move QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component, and it will copy to the location you are trying to move it to instead of actually moving. Once the copy is complete, drag the original to the trash.
Removing the iSight component file will disable the camera and prevent any application from using it. If an application does try to use the camera, you'll see a dialog that says the device is in use by another program.
Macbook Pro Webcam Specs
To return your iSight to its normal and usable state, simply put the QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component file back.
Jeff Gamet is TMO's Morning Editor and Reviews Editor. He lectures, teaches and speaks on Mac OS X and design-related topics, and is the author of The Designer's Guide to Mac OS X from Peachpit Press.
How To Disable Webcam On Macbook Program
Email meif you have tips or tricks to share, or Mac-related questions you want answered.
