How to Uninstall OBS Virtual Camera? This is messing with other apps

[Rx7man]

This all sounds more like a problem with the software you're using than OBS

I'm pulling my freaking hair out. Since installing OBS, default cam in Facebook Messenger calls (in Chrome) is OBS virtual camera, and the dropdown is greyed so cannot change back to my actual webcam. I don't even have OBS running!

I get the same dumb OBS virtual cam placeholder screen instead of my camera feed.

Chrome settings already changed to make native cam default, didn't work.

Uninstalling win-dshow didn't work.

Try going into Chrome setting->Privacy and you should be able to select which sites can access which camera

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

This all sounds more like a problem with the software you're using than OBS

Agreed - this is an issue with both the User's chosen software, and the users (lack of) understanding of how Windows OS handles cameras, and then blaming OBS.. sigh... PEBKAC

 

[synthmusic]

So here is my situation:

uninstalled obs and obs virtual camera from windows add/remove.

C:\Program Files\obs-studio\data\obs-plugins\win-dshow has a single .dll in it, no batch scripts

There are no services that either the program name or description start with OBS or Virtual Camera
There are no startup apps that have OBS or virtual camera in the name
There are no processes that the name starts with OBS or virtual camera
device manager -> Imaging devices only shows my camera

STILL there is a reference to an OBS virtual cam in the list of available cameras, and the main camera is processing a background.

ideas?

 

[TungstenPatron]

Hey guys,
I finally found a solution to successfully uninstall the OBS VirtualCam from the system!

In the folder C:\Program Files\obs-studio\data\obs-plugins\win-dshow there is a file virtualcam-uninstall.bat

If you run the file as administrator, the VirtualCam gets removed and WhatsApp, Teams etc. will work as usual again.
A system restart might be necessary though!

Thanks to PXMPGIN GAMERS for the hint! You can check this video for more details:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[BeatK]

Hello together

I am new here in the forum and have registered to share my experience with you.

After trying everything written above and the cameras were still not removed. I cleaned the registry with CCleaner https://www.ccleaner.com/.
After a reboot the cameras were gone.

Please be careful to use only the latest CCleaner version from the official home page. There are older versions in circulation, which contain malware.

I hope this tip helps one or the other.

Beat

 

[Videobuff]

I just had the same issue. Went to access teams and only integrated cam. No Logitech cam, only OBS virtual cam. Tried everything bar uninstalling OBS and even then, by the sounds of things, that wont help. Wtf OBS? I never agreed to installing this pos virtual cam thing in the first place. I switched to a new laptop after having my desktop 5 years with OBS the whole time, no virtual cam to be seen. New machine, new version, bam. No webcam.

Very frustrating and if I have to wipe my laptop to get it to go away I will be switching to another video capture tool.

Fix it, fast, OBS.

I’d suggest you avoid making demands and it might get you further, faster. OBS is a powerful, free piece of software, development of which is done on a part-time basis by people freely giving up their valuable time to improve the experience of streaming and video making for a very large number of people. There will always be cases which require effort to resolve and where everything doesn’t work exactly as planned, often as a result of user lack-of-knowledge, or system capabilities, and yes, sometimes due to bugs. Everyone who installs and uses OBS knows this up front so really, there’s no need for any drama or dramatic demand-making when things go wrong every now and then. Think of it as an opportunity to learn more, and if that’s not something you want to sign-up for then it’s probably best to avoid OBS and go down a pay route somewhere for something which you believe meets your needs better than OBS.

 

[Koshigawa]

I just missed a tip in all the tutorials that worked for me
I don't know if someone has already posted it too, but after uninstalling the camera restart the computer and chrome will work on your camera

 

[BobFossil]

PEBKAC

I have used the "official uninstaller". I have deleted everything listed. I have regedited. I have completely uninstalled OBS and everything associated with OBS. The OBS virtual camera STILL appears in ALL my browsers as an option, and in Chrome's case, some websites will ONLY let me choose OBS, not my (recognised in all other apps) webcam.

There are a lot of threads and topics about this. Hand waving away the issue as being because you think people are the problem is not helpful. This is clearly an issue if the provided uninstall tools do not work. Responses along the lines of "well it's free, you get what you pay for" also aren't particularly useful.

 

[raz415]

I’d suggest you avoid making demands and it might get you further, faster. OBS is a powerful, free piece of software, development of which is done on a part-time basis by people freely giving up their valuable time to improve the experience of streaming and video making for a very large number of people. There will always be cases which require effort to resolve and where everything doesn’t work exactly as planned, often as a result of user lack-of-knowledge, or system capabilities, and yes, sometimes due to bugs. Everyone who installs and uses OBS knows this up front so really, there’s no need for any drama or dramatic demand-making when things go wrong every now and then. Think of it as an opportunity to learn more, and if that’s not something you want to sign-up for then it’s probably best to avoid OBS and go down a pay route somewhere for something which you believe meets your needs better than OBS.

Get outta here!

This program causes all of our meeting programs to fail and you're telling us to chill? Wake me up when there's light on your nose again.

Super powerful free program, it will mess up your ability to have video meetings free of charge and without any user action. Wow, so impressive! Yeah sorry the users don't know how to fix problems they never asked for coming from a software that with 0 input decided to add a virtual camera that does't go away when the program is shut down or even uninstalled! I guess we should have take a course in OBS before recording something for 5 minutes.

 

[raz415]

Get outta here!

This program causes all of our meeting programs to fail and you're telling us to chill? Wake me up when there's light on your nose again.

Super powerful free program, it will mess up your ability to have video meetings free of charge and without any user action. Wow, so impressive! Yeah sorry the users don't know how to fix problems they never asked for coming from a software that with 0 input decided to add a virtual camera that does't go away when the program is shut down or even uninstalled! I guess we should have take a course in OBS before recording something for 5 minutes.

PS: NONE of the fixes above work. There is only one uninstall file now and uninstalling doesn't work.

 

[R1CH]

The virtual camera is removed when OBS is uninstalled properly, or when using the virtualcam-uninstall.bat. Note that you must be an administrator user to do both of these.

 

[raz415]

Where is this .bat file? I've used the uninstaller and also checked delete settings, is there anything I've missed?

 

[R1CH]

If you installed to the default location, it's in C:\Program Files\obs-studio\data\obs-plugins\win-dshow

It's also possible (though hopefully unlikely) another program is using the OBS virtual camera code for their own purposes but did not bother changing the name.

 

[raz415]

That folder still existed after the uninstall, but there was no .bat file there, only 1 dll. After deleting it I can no longer see OBS Virtual Camera as a source in Zoom, so I hope the problem is fixed. I'll know for sure next time I have a meeting.

 

[R1CH]

Hmm, that sounds like something was still using the virtual camera when you tried to uninstall it, I would still expect the unregister to succeed though.

 

[raz415]

It might be because it wasn't ran as administrator. Anyway, it's solved.

... I'd like to install OBS Studio again, any tips on how to still be able to use my regular webcam without the autoswitching?

 

[behaine]

Hi, i've trying to fix this aswell.
I've tried the .bat file using admin (It doesnt unistall, tf???)
Uninstalling obs, reinstalling drivers, all of that, why is a virtual camera installed on my pc on the first place????!!!

 

[Harold]

The screenshot you provided shows that you were not running the uninstall bat file as admin

 

[behaine]

The screenshot you provided shows that you were not running the uninstall bat file as admin

I did, but it just doesn't open as administrator, I rebooted my pc, reinstalled OBS 3 times, nothing actually works

 

[Suslik V]

@behaine You need to run Command Prompt as administrator (via right-click menu) and drag-n-drop the mentioned .bat file to the opened window (the window will have "Administrator" word in the title). Then you hit Enter key on the keyboard and all should work OK.

Install/uninstall scripts may not work if you are running OS in the Safe Mode or Server service is stopped in other way. They both will fail in administrator rights check...