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How to remove the .mac screensaver System
I find the .Mac screensaver really annoying and wanted to take it out of my screen saver list, because I use the "Random" screensaver and don't want it in my randomise list.

Problem: I couldn't find the screensaver on the hard drive. I searched the entire hard drive and came up blank.

Explanation and solution: The screensaver is called .Mac.slideSaver and it resides in /System -> Library -> Screen Savers/ ... but the "dot filename" of the screen saver hides it in the Finder! So off to the terminal we go! Tally ho - eh what! Just use the terminal to rename it with:
 % cd /System/Library/Screen\ Savers/
% sudo mv .Mac.slideSaver .Mac.go_away
And you are done. ;)
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How to remove the .mac screensaver | 13 comments | Create New Account
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Slight correction.
Authored by: cybergoober on Sep 30, '02 10:01:25AM
Just picking nits here, but it is Unix we're dealing with in this hint and the proper filename is .Mac.slideSaver (capital S in "saver", case-sensitivity). You should probably fix that, Rob. ;-)

I discovered this over the weekend when I saw someone over at macosx.com asking how to remove the .Mac saver. Realized the dot filename and that it would be invisible.

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Slight correction.
Authored by: whee on Sep 30, '02 09:36:11PM

It may be UNIX, but HFS+ isn't case sensitive, only case preserving. HFS+ does not care if a file is referred to as 'filename' or 'FiLeNamE' or 'FILENAME'.



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Another…
Authored by: cybergoober on Sep 30, '02 10:08:19AM
Also noticed that the cd command should read:

cd /System/Library/Screen\ Savers/ (or cd /System/Library/"Screen Savers"/)

you'll get a "Too many arguments" error without either the backslash or the quotes.

In short, the instructions should read:

cd System/Library/Screen\ Savers/
sudo mv .Mac.slideSaver .Mac.go_away


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Oops
Authored by: cybergoober on Sep 30, '02 10:12:18AM

Sorry.

Apparently this board software does away with the backslash for some reason.

Kinda makes me look like a idiot, huh?



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Here's a challenge…
Authored by: acroyear on Oct 01, '02 08:09:48PM

Where're the resources for the "computer name" screen saver? I ask since it appears to have Apple's new signature font, Myriad (right?) embedded in it--you can type in most any host name and get to see it in all its Myriad beauty, right? Once upon a time you could extract Espy Sans from Apple Guide and eWorld, so I'm wondering if there's a 21rst century equivalent!

Thanks, and happy hunting!
Acroyear



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Here's a challenge…
Authored by: keaka on Oct 01, '02 09:55:14PM

The Computer Name saver is located at:
/System/Library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Computer\ Name.saver

The Pictures Folder.saver is located there as well.

-Keaka



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Mayday! Mayday!
Authored by: karenwallace on Jan 24, '04 01:02:56AM

Ack!

I renamed those, loaded the Screen Saver pref pane and got a popup saying "Can't load screen saver: Screen saver Computer Name did not load properly. Please select another screen saver. Error: Can't load bundle". It ate the "Choose folder" option that you use to specify folders of pictures to show, and it ate the folders I had chosen.

I closed and reopened the pref pane, and it crashed.

I returned the Computer Name and Pictures Folder to their original names, and now the pref pane is stable, but the "Choose folder" option is gone. *sigh*



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I had a feeling...
Authored by: mm2270 on Sep 30, '02 03:40:11PM

you had originally included a backslash in there somewhere, otherwise you'd get the same "too many arguments" problem. :)



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All fixed...
Authored by: robg on Sep 30, '02 03:58:09PM

Sorry for the mistakes; take the weekend off and I lose my editing touch! ;-)

-rob.



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FreeWare: Diablotin will help also. No removal or terminal necessary.
Authored by: glowurm on Sep 30, '02 05:41:17PM
Directly from the MacUpdate.com descritpion:

"Diablotin is a Preference pane which allows you to manage items which have been added to Mac OS X in the Library folders. The source code is also available."

: : : : : MacUpdate page : : : : : Direct Download Link : : : : :


You'll have to check the box that says "Show System Library Items" and authenticate before you can disable the ScreenSaver module, but it avoids terminal use and permanent damage.

Also allows for enabling/disabling of fonts, Internet plug-ins, iTunes plug-ins, Preference Panes, Quicktime components, sounds, and Startup Items.

I've used it on two machines, both 10.2.1, with no trouble. Nice interface, straight-forward usage. Definitely recommended.

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FreeWare: Diablotin will help also. No removal or terminal necessary.
Authored by: DavidRavenMoon on Sep 30, '02 11:21:19PM

Very cool utility!



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FreeWare: Diablotin will help also. No removal or terminal necessary.
Authored by: karenwallace on Jan 24, '04 01:04:34AM

Cute, but it only lets you disable the .Mac screen saver. You're still on your own for Computer Name and Pictures Folder.



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FreeWare: Diablotin will help also. No removal or terminal necessary.
Authored by: fallenturtle on Feb 16, '04 02:39:09PM

I finally figured out how to kill the Pictures Folders and Computer name screensavers... log in as root (or do it all via terminal and SU)...

go to /system/library/Frameworks/ScreenSaver.framework/Resources

create a new directory called whatever you want, I called mine NotUsed

move Computer Name.saver and Pictures Folder.saver to this folder

the next time you go into the Screen Savers preference pane it might flip out when it can't find the screensavers, but just close and open the preferences and they should be gone!

the only odd side effect is that it thinks "flurry" is a folder... but I still get the screen saver when I do random... so I'm not too concerned...



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