brsm1990

Q: How to completely remove camtwist?

I installed this plugin "CamTwist" (I don't even remember why at this point) and it has been harder to eradicate than a virus.  After trying many different things it still causes me problems.  For example it's still selectable as a input device on many programs such as skype.  Sometimes it auto selects itself and whenever it's selected it produces a blank screen or a bunch of garbage input. 

 

Can anyone tell me how to completley remove it once and for all?

 

 

cameratist.png

 

http://camtwiststudio.com/

Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on May 13, 2014 12:38 PM

Close

Q: How to completely remove camtwist?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 13, 2014 12:50 PM in response to brsm1990
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 13, 2014 12:50 PM in response to brsm1990

    Hi,

     

    The .dmg you download should either have an Uninstaller included or the Installer should have an Uninstaller option if there is not a separate one.

     

    Some people download it to be able to switch between two cameras in apps like Messages or Photo Booth or even FaceTime

     

    I am not sure which app has the choice of Camera above the preview as you have posted.

     

    Many people find AppZapper useful if they have lost the Uninstaller

     

    You may find that some apps still show the option in camera choice drop downs as it will be referenced in the .plists

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:50 pm      Tuesday; May 13, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by brsm1990,

    brsm1990 brsm1990 May 13, 2014 1:31 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 1:31 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Hi Ralph,

     

    Thanks.  Do you have any idea how to try to remove it from the .plists? 

     

    My memory is a little fuzzy on this whole thing but I remember I went through some hassles to try and unistall it already and if I remember correctly there either wasn't an unistaller or it didn't work.

     

    Thanks.

    Ralph Johns (UK) wrote:

     

     

    You may find that some apps still show the option in camera choice drop downs as it will be referenced in the .plists

     

     

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 13, 2014 1:39 PM in response to brsm1990
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 13, 2014 1:39 PM in response to brsm1990

    Hi,

     

    At one point there were several Add-ons for iChat.

    Chax was one but has not made it past Snow Leopard.

    There used  to be ShowMacster (did what iChat Theatre Did later) and some others.

     

    These may be still listed in the Com.apple.ichat.plist that Messages still uses.

    To access open an Finder window.

    Use the Go Menu whilst holding down the ALT key.

    Select the Library that appears in the list.

    Navigate to Preferences.

    Find the .plist and Drag it to the Trash.

    Restart the app and the .plist will be recreated.

     

    However first I would restart the Mac after removing Camtwist.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:39 pm      Tuesday; May 13, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by brsm1990,

    brsm1990 brsm1990 May 13, 2014 1:49 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 1:49 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    I don't see library in the go list.

     

    I am having this problem in multiple programs not just iChat (which I guess is now iMessage).

     

    This is a long running problem.  My mac has been restarted hundreds of times since I originally removed camtwist.

     

    library.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 13, 2014 1:53 PM in response to brsm1990
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 13, 2014 1:53 PM in response to brsm1990

    Hi,

     

    Use the Go Menu whilst holding down the ALT key.

     

    How dis you remove Camtwist ?

    Just dragging the item from Applications to the Trash probably will not cut it.

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:50 pm      Tuesday; May 13, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad

     

    Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

  • by brsm1990,

    brsm1990 brsm1990 May 13, 2014 1:52 PM in response to brsm1990
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 1:52 PM in response to brsm1990

    I guess I wasn't holding it.  That works but which plist should I delete there are hundreds?

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 13, 2014 1:54 PM in response to brsm1990
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 13, 2014 1:54 PM in response to brsm1990

    Hi

     

    com.apple.ichat.plist

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:54 pm      Tuesday; May 13, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by brsm1990,

    brsm1990 brsm1990 May 13, 2014 1:59 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 1:59 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Did that but I still have it as an input device in skype at least.  I also found a com.camtwist.plist and I deleted that too.

     

    This thing is really like a virus!

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 13, 2014 2:03 PM in response to brsm1990
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 13, 2014 2:03 PM in response to brsm1990

    Hi,

     

    I added this as an Edit earlier.

     

    How did you remove Camtwist ?

    Just dragging the item from Applications to the Trash probably will not cut it.

     

    Ok as the effected app is Skype find the Skype .plist

    As it is not an Apple  it will not start com.apple

    I don't use Skype so I can't tell you the precise name.

     

    It is also late where I am and it is going to be some time before I pick up on replies.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:03 pm      Tuesday; May 13, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by brsm1990,

    brsm1990 brsm1990 May 13, 2014 2:26 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (44 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 13, 2014 2:26 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    I deleted the skype plist also...

     

    I can't remember how i removed it.  If there was an uninstaller for sure I used it, if there wasnt' I just dropped it in the trash.  I don't want to reinstall it just to see if there is an uninstaller.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 14, 2014 11:34 AM in response to brsm1990
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 14, 2014 11:34 AM in response to brsm1990

    Hi,

     

    Do you happen to still have the .dmg ?

    You could open this so it show the white Drive like icon on the Desktop and the window and see if it lists an Uninstaller.

     

    Example for Little Snitch

    Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 19.01.14.png

    Flip4Mac on the other hand needs  the Installer to be run but in the Folder it creates in the Application foler there is an Uninstaller

    Screen Shot 2014-05-14 at 19.04.48.png

    I have never downloaded Camtwist to see if I have the .dmg to find out.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:34 pm      Wednesday; May 14, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by peterlozano,

    peterlozano peterlozano Dec 23, 2014 10:53 AM in response to brsm1990
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2014 10:53 AM in response to brsm1990

    Camtwist installs a command in the same folder as the application which removes the app and the driver completely.

     

    Open the Camtwist folder inside the Applications folder and double click on the uninstall command. It will get rid of it.

  • by sonja4me,

    sonja4me sonja4me Jan 3, 2015 9:03 AM in response to peterlozano
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 3, 2015 9:03 AM in response to peterlozano

    >> "Camtwist installs a command in the same folder as the application which removes the app and the driver completely."


    If only that would be the case. It doesn't uninstall completely and Skype still crashes upon launch after using the uninstaller.

     

    Thread 12 Crashed:

    0   CamTwist                             0x0000000109f80de5 _ZL19patch_lazy_pointersPK11mach_headerP7patch_tm + 464

     

    You can uninstall it and make Skype start again by first using the uninstaller, then

    opening a Terminal and running

     

    cd /Library/CoreMediaIO/Plug-Ins/DAL

    sudo rm -r CamTwist.plugin/


    Skype works again after that on my machine.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jan 3, 2015 12:35 PM in response to sonja4me
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    Jan 3, 2015 12:35 PM in response to sonja4me

    Hi,

     

    It is more likely that such an Add-on would place a Plugin where it could be linked to the use of the Camera rather than every app that has access to the camera.

     

    There are two possibles when this sort of thing happens.

    1) the .plist for the app still carries a references to using the removed item in such a way that the process collapses.

    2) the Plugin is not removed  by the Installer.

     

    There is a third in that an Upgrade may move the contents of a Folder or rename a folder used by these apps and the Add-On loses track of that and looks in the wrong place for the plugin.

     

    As your post has been edited I see you have found a solution.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:35 pm      Saturday; January 3, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
Page 1 Next