Designs | Resume | KamranAyub.com | email: ayubx003 (@umn.edu)

« Blogging for the Long Tail | Main | One Sentence Review: B13 / Borough 13 »

How To: Get iSight Working With Windows XP Using Parallels 3 | Posted at 2:59 PM

At work I use an iMac which I actually do like even though I am primarily a Windows user.

I have Parallels at work so that I can test different OS browsers during development and I sometimes use Skype. I wanted to see if I can get iSight working with Windows XP under Parallels and you indeed can, originally found via StevieNova. I’ve added screenshots and a walkthrough!

  1. Right-click Parallels
  2. Go to Devices –> USB –> Built in iSight
    iSight_parallels
  3. Make sure it’s checked
  4. Windows XP should detect it but just hold on
    iSight_XP_found
  5. Download these XP iSight drivers
  6. Extract them to a folder you’ll remember, probably your desktop is best.
    isight_desktop
  7. Click the option saying you don’t want to check Windows Update and click Next in the XP Hardware wizard (these screens might appear a bit differently on your computer because I installed the drivers already). 

    isight_step1
  8. Click “Install from a list or specific location� and click Next.

    isight_step2
  9. Click “Don’t search. I will choose the driver to install.� Click Next.

    isight_step3
  10. Click “Have Disk� then “Browse…� and then go to the folder you extracted the iSight drivers to.

    isight_step4
  11. Click the iSight INF file and click Open then OK. Click Next to install the drivers.

    isight_step5

Voila, you should now have it working! To make sure, go to My Computer and click the Apple iSight icon.

isight_mycomputer

Now you should see yourself!

isight_working

Happy iSighting!

P.S. You can delete those driver folders now.

Filed Under: How To Technology

Comments

Wow! Thanks for the detailed instructions. Cheers!

Copied exactly what you have posted. Comes up with "The specified location does not contain information about your hardware". Although the camera works via the My Computer route and did do before. Still got a big question mark on the iSight icon in Devices Manager and doesn't work in IM software and constantly asking for the driver....

Weird, I don't know what to tell you, it seems to work for most people...

I get the exact same message "The specified location does not contain information about your hardware", and as above, the Device manager is showing a ?, but the again, as above, the camera is working when double clicked in My computer...

This worked like a charm for me! thank you so much.

i'm testing out a free video conferencing program (oovoo), so very happy to see it's possible.

That was a great tutorial. Do you happen to have one for doing the same thing with FusionVM?

Please, I copy the last person.... HELP with Fusion VM? I am such a Windows person, hardly ever use my .mac. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm getting the same error that "...does not contain information about your hardware". I peeked into the iSight.inf file and compared the "iSight.DeviceDesc" lines with the output of Apple's System Profiler utility.

I think the clue is that while my MacBook Pro has an iSight with device ID 0x8502, the Windows drivers from Apple for the iSight only lists 0x8500, 0x8501, 0x8503.

My hunch is that this mismatch is what is causing our problem. I haven't taken the time yet to investigate further...

For me the same what ever I try, it will not find the driver. Sorry but now I will buy a webcam only to work under windows XP????

I also get the following message:
the specified location does not contain information about your hardware

Thanks!!!!

Thanks!
Summer 2009 17" MacBook Pro
I had to add the line

%iSight.DeviceDesc%=iSight,USB\VID_05AC&PID;_8502&MI;_02

to the iSight.inf - under the [Apple] section.

Got a wierd error in the Devicemanager - it appears to have created d a Cam called "USB Video Device #2" and put a exclamation point by the Apple Built-in iSight.. but otherwise it works great.

Thanks!

works great...

had to add the line

%iSight.DeviceDesc%=iSight,USB\VID_05AC&PID;_8502&MI;_02

just beneath the [Apple] section. Comes up as a 'USB Video Device #2' and a problem - with Apple Built-in iSight.. .. but the device still works great

Thanks

It works great... Thanks

I tried the fix that was recommended on 10/9/2009. It did create a USB Video Device #2. However the iSight camera screen is black.

OS: Mac OSX 10.5.8
Virtualbox: 3.0.10 r54097
VirtualOS: WinXP SP3

Please help.

Post a comment