.dmg File Will Not Go Away!

Yesterday when I was at work my wife downloaded Skype. She doesn't understand how to "install" programs on the Mac but she tried anyway with no luck. When I got home from work I clicked on the Skype .dwg (EDIT: .dmg) file and dragged the Skype program into the "applications folder". All was well.
Upon doing so, I moved the .dwg file to the trash and proceeded on.

I then went into Skype and unclicked the "start Skype at startup" option so that it would stay out of the way until needed.

This morning when my computer started up Skype opened again and the .dwg (EDIT: .dmg) file returned on the desktop. I've tried everything (deleted the Skype application, used AppDelete) and no matter how many files I delete or what I do, Skype starts upon starting the computer and the .dwg returns on the desktop.

Any ideas on how to get rid of it?

Are you sure it's a .dWg file? That's an AutoCAD database. I believe you mean you have a .dmg file (disk image).

lifeisabeach said:

Are you sure it's a .dWg file? That's an AutoCAD database. I believe you mean you have a .dmg file (disk image).

Click to expand...

Ya ya ya....it was a .dmg file. Sorry. Someone just asked me how to open a DWG file last week and I must have that on the brain. It's a .dmg...the file that looks like a little drive and when you open it there is a giant SKYPE icon with an arrrow telling you to drag that to the applications folder.

I've tried dragging the application to the trash and then seeking out all files with the name "Skype" in them using spotlight. Everything I can find goes into the trash and then get's deleted but when I restart, the .dmg file shows up again on the desktop and Skype starts up. There must be a part of it hiding somewhere that I'm not aware of.

That's odd that the disk image file keeps reappearing. I presume you "ejected" the disk image before deleting the .dmg file? Do you have some sort of auto-update preference turned on?

I uninstalled the application by dragging it to the trash and then I ejected/deleted the dmg file by tragging it to the trash (it turns into an eject icon when doing so).

I'll try again when I get home tonight. Does removing the application and ejecting the .dmg file have to happen in a certain order? Maybe the problem is that I was ejecting the image first and then reinstalling the application.

I'm new to the Mac world so I could very well be missing something.

Well ejecting the Disk Image does not delete the .dmg file itself. I'll over-explain the process here to be sure you know what is what.

When you download a .dmg file, you double click that and a new icon will show up on your desktop. This is a "virtual" drive that contains all the files and basically it acts just like a CD. The .dmg file itself doesn't go away... the virtual drive is only temporary.

You eject the virtual drive by dragging it to the Trash Can as you described (it turns into an arrow). Once you've ejected the virtual drive, you still have the original .dmg file there on the desktop. It doesn't go away until you delete it.

Okay, gotcha.

Let me clarify my issue then...I only have a virtual drive on my desktop and that's what keeps appearing and reappearing after I delete the application. That's also what I've been dragging into the trash/ejecting. Regardless of anything I've done, Skype starts up when the computer turns on and the virtual drive pops back onto the desktop as well.

I might be wrong here but it sounds to me like Skype has been added to your Startup Items but it isn't the real application that was added: more what the .dmg contains, the temporary application in the mounted .dmg if you will.

Unmount the DMG by dragging it to the Trash. (this will make the drive icon disappear).

Next, after you don't have any drive icon mounted for Skype, run Spotlight to find the file named "Skype_2.6.0.184.dmg"

When you have located it, drag that to the Trash (now your Trash will show that it has something in it)

Next, empty everything in your Trash.

Do another Spotlight search for "Skype_2.6.0.184.dmg"

If you find it, then follow these steps until it no longer shows up in a Spotlight search. Once it stops showing up, restart your computer and see if the DMG mounts again.

I did a search using Spotlight last night for "Startup" and "Start Up" and I did find a few folders but nothing with Skype in them. At least no files explicitly called "Skype".

The_Grudge said:

I did a search using Spotlight last night for "Startup" and "Start Up" and I did find a few folders but nothing with Skype in them. At least no files explicitly called "Skype".

Click to expand...

Don't use those as your search term. That isn't going to help at all.

Search for the term "Skype" or "Skype_2.6.0.184.dmg".
Then follow the steps I outlined in my previous post.

The only way this problem could be happening is if you have the original download on your computer. You will need to be sure that is gone.

No DMG to mount.... nothing to appear on the desktop when you start up.

I downloaded Skype and was fiddling around with that and some other ideas since my last post, and my best guess is exactly what MHC has since said. I think the .dmg file is sitting somewhere on your computer, and somehow the .dmg file got added to your user Login items (found in the System Preferences under Accounts). So check that and see if it's listed there. If so... remove it. Also search your computer using "Skype" as the search term (no quote marks) as suggested by DB and root out that renegade dmg file.

Yeah, it sounds like the .dmg file is lingering around somewhere. I can delete the virtual drive until I'm blue in the face but until the .dmg is gone I'm screwed.

As an aside, why is the .dmg starting Skype on it's own? I thought an application would have to be installed for that to happen?

Maybe the Skype app is in the Login items also. *shrug* Note that you don't really "install" apps for the most part like you do in Windows. You simply run them. The Applications folder is a mere convenience. You can run apps from anywhere.

When the disk image is mounted on the desktop, click on it and choose File > Get Info.

The window will display the location of the .dmg file. Find it and Trash it.

Just in case, and though it isn't likely the virtual drive is still kicking around somewhere, here's a graphic of the installation procedure. Your wife might better understand how it's supposed to work: Click here.

Found the problem. I use the Opera Web browser and the .dmg file was saved in the Opera downloaded files directory.

I deleted the .dmg and all is well.

Thanks guys! (and gals?)