How to uninstall programs from my macbook

stork · Jul 1, 2007, 12:24 PM

What is the best way to uninstall programs from Mac OS X, apart from dragging the icon to the trash can?
Is there a proper way to remove programs?

Father Jack · Jul 1, 2007, 12:24 PM

AppZapper or CleanApp will remove all traces ...... usually !!

IJ Reilly · Jul 1, 2007, 12:53 PM

Dragging to the Trash is the proper way of uninstalling most applications on the Mac. The applications suggested by Father Jack probably can't do any harm, but they don't do much good either.

killerrobot · Jul 1, 2007, 01:01 PM

Just trashing them is fine. If your paranoid about having something left on the computer, you can just as easily do a spotlight search for program you trashed and it will show all the folders it had been installed into. Basically the same thing the AppZap or the cleanapp will do, just another approach.

stork · Jul 1, 2007, 01:08 PM

thanks, i think trashing will be best then, i'am a new convert to Mac and with windows moving to the recycle bin still left alot of rubbish on your hard drive.

sfisher · Jul 1, 2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stork

thanks, i think trashing will be best then, i'am a new convert to Mac and with windows moving to the recycle bin still left alot of rubbish on your hard drive.

The difference is that with most MacOS X applications, all of the files they need are packed into that one icon. You can Control + click on an icon and select Show Package Contents to see what all is in there. A preference file or two is left over in your home directory, which the other tools mentioned can probably remove. In Windows, there are entire directory structures, registry entries and files installed into the Windows system directories.

Sandie Lee · Jan 7, 2009, 11:15 PM

I know this is an old thread, but I'm still getting acquainted with my new MacBook, and I am very thankful to have found not only this thread, but this site. I haven't had a Mac in about 15 years. This site is definitely a great resource!

Tutlewsk1 · Mar 26, 2011, 01:29 PM

Thanks for the help on removing programs from my Mac. There were a couple of responses to another members question. I just found this sight quite by accident. I was trying to figure out how to remove software and APPs from my Mac. When I got my first Windows computer, it was shortly after Windows 95 came out. I remember thinking then that this system was flawed because they did not have a Macro written to allow you to drag and drop software into the trash. I found this out the hard way though. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that Mac did go through this trouble to make life simpler for us.

I just got this about 2 weeks ago. I had been wanting a Mac for a few years now and finally got this Macbook pro a couple of weeks ago. I had a Sony Vaio for just over 2 years. It was a nightmare. It was in the shop more than a Fiat Spyder. I finally got the store to give me a replacement. I upgraded without a second thought and NO plans of looking back. So far I LOVE it.

Thank you, again, everyone who posted to the previous members question.

I look forward to sharing with you in the future.

tutlewsk1

ECUpirate44 · Mar 26, 2011, 01:32 PM

GGJStudios will soon post the reasons why apps like Clean my mac and App zapper may not be the best solution.

GGJstudios · Mar 26, 2011, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tutlewsk1

Thanks for the help on removing programs from my Mac. There were a couple of responses to another members question. I just found this sight quite by accident. I was trying to figure out how to remove software and APPs from my Mac.

Since you've revived this 2 year old thread, it's appropriate to address some of the posts made here. AppZapper, AppCleaner, CleanApp, TrashMe, and similar apps do not do a thorough job of removing all files/folders related to deleted apps. I tested several of these, using Skype as the app to be removed. Of 17 items to be removed:

AppZapper missed 13 items
AppCleaner missed 11 items
AppDelete missed 8 items
Hazel missed 9 items

I also tested AppTrap, CleanMyMac and a few others, but don't recall how many items they missed. All left files/folders behind. In most cases, they remove .plist files and a few others, but leave behind much larger files and folders. (you will find a discussion of these tests in the thread linked below)

One app that I would not recommend, based on the number of complaints that have been posted in this forum and elsewhere, is CleanMyMac. As an example: CleanMyMac cleaned too much

The only effective method for complete app removal is manual deletion:

Best way to FULLY DELETE a program

LightSpeed1 · Mar 26, 2011, 03:16 PM

Just got AppZapper. Haven't used it yet though.

GGJstudios · Mar 26, 2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LightSpeed1

Just got AppZapper. Haven't used it yet though.

Don't. Read the post just before yours.

mckait · May 20, 2011, 09:00 AM

I have App Zapper and App cleaner ..
It is impossible to delete them.. at least so far. I have tried everything I can find. They do not stay in the trash. I actually got the app zapper to rid myself of the other..

suggestions? I have tried all of above . I had Snow Leopard professionally installed last year and it is updated. Thank you !

vicshere · Jun 26, 2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tutlewsk1

Thanks for the help on removing programs from my Mac. There were a couple of responses to another members question. I just found this sight quite by accident. I was trying to figure out how to remove software and APPs from my Mac. When I got my first Windows computer, it was shortly after Windows 95 came out. I remember thinking then that this system was flawed because they did not have a Macro written to allow you to drag and drop software into the trash. I found this out the hard way though. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that Mac did go through this trouble to make life simpler for us.

I just got this about 2 weeks ago. I had been wanting a Mac for a few years now and finally got this Macbook pro a couple of weeks ago. I had a Sony Vaio for just over 2 years. It was a nightmare. It was in the shop more than a Fiat Spyder. I finally got the store to give me a replacement. I upgraded without a second thought and NO plans of looking back. So far I LOVE it.

Thank you, again, everyone who posted to the previous members question.

I look forward to sharing with you in the future.

tutlewsk1

That's spooky, exactly my situation, too! And I am equally delighted I did the switch. With an iPhone, too, life is a lot smoother, and quieter, and productive. And my gadgets look better as well.

GGJstudios · Jun 26, 2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mckait

I have App Zapper and App cleaner ..
It is impossible to delete them.. at least so far. I have tried everything I can find. They do not stay in the trash. I actually got the app zapper to rid myself of the other..

suggestions? I have tried all of above . I had Snow Leopard professionally installed last year and it is updated. Thank you !

Read the link in post #10 on fully deleting apps. Following those directions will delete them.

nathjg · Jun 28, 2011, 06:50 AM

Question on this topic.

I have been having a lot of trouble using my new Telstra USB internet stick.
Taking Telstra's advice i downloaded software from their website, turns out it isn't the correct version.
So i have now downloaded the correct version. When i attempt to install the software the wizard tells me it is unable to install on my hard drive due to a newer version already installed.
I have searched everything and looked every where i cannot find any more existing software.
Can some one help please?

Btrthnezr3 · Jun 28, 2011, 07:21 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)

Uninstall the old version by moving it to the trash and following the directions posted by GGJ Studios.

Then install your new one.

nathjg · Jun 28, 2011, 08:06 AM

I realise that. Sorry if i wasn't clear. I have searched for everything and looked every where for anything related to the device or device software and have deleted it all..
still the wizard says i have a newer version already installed...?

Peter Franks · Jun 28, 2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GGJstudios

Read the link in post #10 on fully deleting apps. Following those directions will delete them.

Is that easier or harder than the 'Microsoft Office' instructions to delete before I use the disc to reinstall just the parts I want, do you think?

GGJstudios · Jun 28, 2011, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Franks

Is that easier or harder than the 'Microsoft Office' instructions to delete before I use the disc to reinstall just the parts I want, do you think?

You can use the MS Office uninstallation process, but if you run into problems, the manual method may help.

arjen92 · Jun 28, 2011, 05:40 PM

And if you have time left and want to have a clean start, just reinstall your OS.
You can be sure there's no files left

.

Peter Franks · Jun 29, 2011, 05:55 PM

As in NOTHING at all you mean.....

ladytonya · Jul 19, 2011, 11:33 PM

Glad I found this before downloading clean my mac! I made the mistake of downloading Chrome and it was just eating up system resources so I started deleting it and there seem to be files everywhere! I hope I have found them all because when I search for google or chrome there are a ton of hits. Ugh!

ceciliadeline · Dec 15, 2011, 11:39 AM

Silly me, I downloaded the dislike button from this website :

http://www.getdislike.com/?y=FEZBqdz...&subid=dec13_c

Apparently its a scam and my Facebook is super slow on Safari and the Dislike button does not work. How can I really get rid of this "Getdislike" thingy from my Safari? I've tried all sorts of way but still fail

Help me please!

GGJstudios · Dec 15, 2011, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceciliadeline

Apparently its a scam and my Facebook is super slow on Safari and the Dislike button does not work. How can I really get rid of this "Getdislike" thingy from my Safari? I've tried all sorts of way but still fail

Help me please!

Did you try Safari > Preferences > Extensions > GetDisLike > Uninstall ?
That would be the common way to remove extensions. If that doesn't work, follow the instructions in the link in post #10 on fully deleting apps.

Jul 1, 2007, 12:24 PM	#2
Father Jack macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ireland	AppZapper or CleanApp will remove all traces ...... usually !! __________________ Father Jack Hackett Parochial house Craggy Island Ireland 2.66 GHz Mac Pro with 12 Gb ram + 30" Dell.
	0

Jul 1, 2007, 12:53 PM	#3
IJ Reilly macrumors G5 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Palookaville	Dragging to the Trash is the proper way of uninstalling most applications on the Mac. The applications suggested by Father Jack probably can't do any harm, but they don't do much good either. __________________ **The season starts too early and finishes too late and there are too many games in between.* Bill Veeck
	0

Jan 7, 2009, 11:15 PM	#7
Sandie Lee macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Cat Spring, Texas	Still Learning I know this is an old thread, but I'm still getting acquainted with my new MacBook, and I am very thankful to have found not only this thread, but this site. I haven't had a Mac in about 15 years. This site is definitely a great resource! __________________ Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. Anything on the floor is a cat toy. Anything not on the floor soon will be.
	0

Mar 26, 2011, 01:29 PM	#8
Tutlewsk1 macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2011	Removing Programs Thanks for the help on removing programs from my Mac. There were a couple of responses to another members question. I just found this sight quite by accident. I was trying to figure out how to remove software and APPs from my Mac. When I got my first Windows computer, it was shortly after Windows 95 came out. I remember thinking then that this system was flawed because they did not have a Macro written to allow you to drag and drop software into the trash. I found this out the hard way though. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that Mac did go through this trouble to make life simpler for us. I just got this about 2 weeks ago. I had been wanting a Mac for a few years now and finally got this Macbook pro a couple of weeks ago. I had a Sony Vaio for just over 2 years. It was a nightmare. It was in the shop more than a Fiat Spyder. I finally got the store to give me a replacement. I upgraded without a second thought and NO plans of looking back. So far I LOVE it. Thank you, again, everyone who posted to the previous members question. I look forward to sharing with you in the future. tutlewsk1
	0

Mar 26, 2011, 01:32 PM	#9
ECUpirate44 macrumors 603 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NC	GGJStudios will soon post the reasons why apps like Clean my mac and App zapper may not be the best solution. __________________ 2012 RMBP 2.3/8/256. 16Gb iPhone 5 Black & Slate.
	0

Jul 1, 2007, 12:24 PM	#1
stork macrumors member Join Date: May 2007	How to uninstall programs from my macbook What is the best way to uninstall programs from Mac OS X, apart from dragging the icon to the trash can? Is there a proper way to remove programs?
	0

Jul 1, 2007, 01:01 PM	#4
killerrobot macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: 127.0.0.1	Just trashing them is fine. If your paranoid about having something left on the computer, you can just as easily do a spotlight search for program you trashed and it will show all the folders it had been installed into. Basically the same thing the AppZap or the cleanapp will do, just another approach.
	0

Jul 1, 2007, 01:08 PM	#5
stork Thread Starter macrumors member Join Date: May 2007	thanks, i think trashing will be best then, i'am a new convert to Mac and with windows moving to the recycle bin still left alot of rubbish on your hard drive.
	0

Mar 26, 2011, 03:16 PM	#11
LightSpeed1 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Washington D.C.	Just got AppZapper. Haven't used it yet though. __________________ MacBook Pro 2.3GHz i5 \| iPhone 5 \| eBay
	0

May 20, 2011, 09:00 AM	#13
mckait macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2008	I have App Zapper and App cleaner .. It is impossible to delete them.. at least so far. I have tried everything I can find. They do not stay in the trash. I actually got the app zapper to rid myself of the other.. suggestions? I have tried all of above . I had Snow Leopard professionally installed last year and it is updated. Thank you !
	0

Jun 28, 2011, 06:50 AM	#16
nathjg macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2011	On this topic.. Question on this topic. I have been having a lot of trouble using my new Telstra USB internet stick. Taking Telstra's advice i downloaded software from their website, turns out it isn't the correct version. So i have now downloaded the correct version. When i attempt to install the software the wizard tells me it is unable to install on my hard drive due to a newer version already installed. I have searched everything and looked every where i cannot find any more existing software. Can some one help please?
	0

Jun 28, 2011, 07:21 AM	#17
Btrthnezr3 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Texas	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5) Uninstall the old version by moving it to the trash and following the directions posted by GGJ Studios. Then install your new one. __________________ iPhone 5, iMac, MBA
	0

Jun 28, 2011, 08:06 AM	#18
nathjg macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2011	I realise that. Sorry if i wasn't clear. I have searched for everything and looked every where for anything related to the device or device software and have deleted it all.. still the wizard says i have a newer version already installed...?
	0

Jun 28, 2011, 05:40 PM	#21
arjen92 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Below sea level	And if you have time left and want to have a clean start, just reinstall your OS. You can be sure there's no files left . __________________ Macbook Pro 13.3" HDD+SSD iPod touch G3 32 GB
	0

Jun 29, 2011, 05:55 PM	#22
Peter Franks macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: London UK	As in NOTHING at all you mean.....
	0

Jul 19, 2011, 11:33 PM	#23
ladytonya macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2008	Glad I found this before downloading clean my mac! I made the mistake of downloading Chrome and it was just eating up system resources so I started deleting it and there seem to be files everywhere! I hope I have found them all because when I search for google or chrome there are a ton of hits. Ugh! __________________ 2011 13" MacBook Pro i5, 64 GB white iPhone 5, 16 GB New iPad
	0

Dec 15, 2011, 11:39 AM	#24
ceciliadeline macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2011	Getdislike.com Silly me, I downloaded the dislike button from this website : http://www.getdislike.com/?y=FEZBqdz...&subid=dec13_c Apparently its a scam and my Facebook is super slow on Safari and the Dislike button does not work. How can I really get rid of this "Getdislike" thingy from my Safari? I've tried all sorts of way but still fail Help me please!
	0

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