Camera Application Loading Forever

[MisterAK2006]

Every time I try to boot up the Nintendo 3DS Camera application, it just sits on the "Preparing..." pop up for a very long time. Even if I try to use the camera on the menu, it freezes on the Activating Camera pop up. When I refresh it with the Luma3DS menu, it also has a "Preparing..." pop up and never loads. If I go into the Luma3DS menu again, it freezes the sound before the menu opens. Both front and back cameras operate fine without the need of the Camera application (and it still saves photos to the SD Card), but it just doesn't want to load the camera photos from the app itself.

Is there any way to fix this?

 

[IC_]

Both front and back cameras operate fine without the need of the Camera application (and it still saves photos to the SD Card),

How were you able to confirm that?

 

[MisterAK2006]

How were you able to confirm that?

I used Tomodachi Life to take a screenshot with the X and Y buttons. They preview fine when viewing them in the file browser.
I can also confirm it by accessing the "Giant" dream via the Hypnotizer.

 

[IC_]

Do you see a preview of the camera on the top screen when you see "Preparing" in the 3DS camera app? If you do, then it might somehow be an issue with the photo storage, have you tried opening the app with a different SD card or no card inserted at all? And if you don't see a preview but just a black screen, then it's probably a hardware issue with the connection of the cameras, but then it would be weird how it still works in games. Closing the lid a bit can help in this case though.

Have you also tried just waiting long enough on those "Preparing" screens? I have lots and lots of game screenshots saved on my 3DS SD card and have reached the photo limit many times, and with that sometimes it just takes a good few minutes for it to get past that screen.

 

[MisterAK2006]

Have you also tried just waiting long enough on those "Preparing" screens?

I have waited at least 10-15 minutes when I tried the first time and nothing happened.

Do you see a preview of the camera on the top screen when you see "Preparing" in the 3DS camera app? If you do, then it might somehow be an issue with the photo storage, have you tried opening the app with a different SD card or no card inserted at all? And if you don't see a preview but just a black screen, then it's probably a hardware issue with the connection of the cameras, but then it would be weird how it still works in games. Closing the lid a bit can help in this case though.

First off, no I don’t see a preview. Second off, it’s not based off of my photo storage. When I tried it the first time with all my photos, it didn’t load, but when I removed the photos, the same thing happened. And I don’t know what you mean by “closing the lid” since I have a New 3DS XL.

Oh, one more thing, the Face Raiders application stays on a black screen whenever it is opened. Kind of odd.

 

[IC_]

And I don’t know what you mean by “closing the lid” since I have a New 3DS XL.

Moving the top half of the 3DS closer to the position where the 3DS would be closed and in sleep mode, that's similar enough to closing the lid on a laptop computer. This can help when cables going from the bottom half of the console to the top half are badly connected, the older 3DS models even had a common issue where opening up the top screen too far would cause the system to shut off entirely if the cable connections went bad after a while.

Still, I'd assume that it's a hardware issue since you get no preview in the 3DS camera app and that behavior in other apps. I've never played Tomodachi Life and I don't know how it works, but there's a possibility that the camera works in it only because it doesn't try to use the dual-cameras in 3D mode but only one of them, while other software like the 3DS camera fails to use both of the two back cameras since it would require more data to be transferred over an already faulty connection.

 

[MisterAK2006]

There's a possibility that the camera works in it only because it doesn't try to use the dual-cameras in 3D mode but only one of them, while other software like the 3DS camera fails to use both of the two back cameras since it would require more data to be transferred over an already faulty connection.

Or, maybe it’s an issue with the photo data not loading properly. I did try to use the Automatic Setup for the Outer Cameras, and the 3D effect works fine with both cameras. So it’s probably not a problem with that.

 

[IC_]

Or, maybe it’s an issue with the photo data not loading properly. I did try to use the Automatic Setup for the Outer Cameras, and the 3D effect works fine with both cameras. So it’s probably not a problem with that.

That's weird... It might be a software issue then, but probably not with the photo data, but with the 3DS system software itself, maybe doing a CTRtransfer would help with that: https://3ds.hacks.guide/ctrtransfer
It can be a kind of messy process with some side effects so I'd recommend doing it only if you feel that you have no other options, and I'd recommend doing a NAND backup before it. The possibility of a hardware fault still can't be excluded however.

 

[MisterAK2006]

Maybe doing a CTRtransfer would help with that: (URL)

I think I’d need to have a torrent in order to get the file that is attached to the guide. Can you please provide me a download of the US New 3DS zip file?

 

[IC_]

I think I’d need to have a torrent in order to get the file that is attached to the guide. Can you please provide me a download of the US New 3DS zip file?

I can't, it's only distributed through the torrent as far as I'm aware. It shouldn't be a problem, you just need to use any torrent client to download it, and any ISP copyright laws shouldn't be a problem either since these are just firmware files and not illegal distribution of movies or related things. At least I am pretty sure it is not considered illegal since otherwise GBAtemp would probably not allow linking to the 3DS hacks guide website.

 

[MisterAK2006]

I can't, it's only distributed through the torrent as far as I'm aware.

Alright, I hope I don’t get a virus on my computer.
I’ll follow the steps as the guide says then.

 

[MisterAK2006]

Alright, so I followed the steps and replaced the tickets, but it still didn’t load or show a preview.

 

[IC_]

That's unfortunate - if you're comfortable with working with electronics of this size then I'd recommend reconnecting the cables for the cameras: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+3DS+XL+2015+Camera+Replacement/86337
Obviously not all of the steps, I think the cable on the very top right of the photo at step 13 is the one for the camera, but it could be one of the other 2 cables on the other side of the motherboard in that same area, I'm not sure since I never had this 3DS model myself. Some other source should be able to confirm that though. Remember that this can cause more damage if you're not careful, so do this only if you have enough experience and trust yourself in working with electronics. Once you get to the cable, you can also clean it and its connector with some alcohol.

If that changes nothing, then unfortunately there's probably nothing else I can suggest. Do you maybe know when this started happening? Was it after a drop, the installation of the CFW or a change in it, or is it simply "I turned it on one day and it was like this"?

 

[MisterAK2006]

Since I’m definitely not going to take apart my 3DS (and I don’t know how to replace anything in it), I’m just going to skip to the last paragraph.

Do you maybe know when this started happening? Was it after a drop, the installation of the CFW or a change in it, or is it simply "I turned it on one day and it was like this"?

This started happening around this Sunday. I just opened the Camera Application and it just sat there at the preparing pop up.

 

[MisterAK2006]

Update: I tried loading the photos from my SD Card on a different application (Pokémon Art Academy) and it tries to display the photos to no avail.

So it’s obviously not a problem with the cameras.

 

[MisterAK2006]

Update 2: So I opened up the Nintendo 3DS Sound application today and it said it had to recover the sound data. I let it do that and explored the app for a little bit, then I opened up the Camera application and it loaded fine. I guess it was a problem with the sound data that caused the Camera app to not work properly.
@IC_

 

[CapitalismCapitalism]

Update 2: So I opened up the Nintendo 3DS Sound application today and it said it had to recover the sound data. I let it do that and explored the app for a little bit, then I opened up the Camera application and it loaded fine. I guess it was a problem with the sound data that caused the Camera app to not work properly.
@IC_

Hi, I have this exact same issue to the tee, have you found a more reliable way of fixing it?

 

[MisterAK2006]

Hi, I have this exact same issue to the tee, have you found a more reliable way of fixing it?

Maybe just format all your DSi camera/sound save data so it fixes idk, I haven't had anymore problems since it was resolved so you can try that