Any way to find a software install path when finding a name doesn't work?

[Wie Gehts]

Yes, hi..

I installed a driver for an old external usb device someone gave me and the thing still doesn't mount. The last version of the driver was for Jaguar, but I figured what the hey since alot of older software works on OS 10.4

Anyway, I'll be damned if I can't locate the install path by using 'obvious' names of the gear in question. So, is there any other way to find out where stuff is installed...like a log file or by date or something?

I did find an install log but it only list one piece of software from a while back..

Thanks

 

[hughvane]

Cmd-F from Finder. The name of the USB device is, as you say, obvious, but more useful might be any secondary names or - worse still - numbers it used. The driver you seek will be in either User > Library, or Computer > Library; or even deeper Computer > System > Library.

Another method is to use AppCleaner or CleanApp. When you type the name of an application (in your case the name of the driver) the cleaner may reveal associated files and where they are.

Final suggestion - Date Modified - but for that to work you need to know more-or-less in which direction (folder) the driver went.

And you've used Console > Logs - right? I've got /Library/Logs > /var/log open and there are 4 install logs, some of them recording installations from 2 years ago.

Lastly, I thought many, if not most, USB devices would work natively under OS X. What device and brand is it?

 

[Wie Gehts]

Thanks yeah

Its a small 20 gig external drive...iogear ion drive. I thinks its from about 2003.

Their website only has drivers for 10.2. When I connected it my macbook wouldn't start up all the way...just a blue screen. But when I turned it off the computer booted all the way.
So I thought maybe installing the driver that came with it might help but it didn't....so I'm just gonna chuck the drive into the trash. I'm just (probably unjustifiably) concerned about a bit of driver sitting somewhere on my system thats old and not compatible with the current OS.

OK, didn't know about the Console. Looking around I can see a whole bunch of stuff from today that refers to the installation of a 'Cypress USB Storage Driver 1.4', but I can't see any destination folder.....except for "Registered /System/Library/Extensions/com_cy_driver_USB_Device.kext/Contents/Resources/ATASecurityHelper.app.'

But when I look in that folder I can't find anything like that..... hmmmmm

 

[NEAME]

OK, didn't know about the Console. Looking around I can see a whole bunch of stuff from today that refers to the installation of a 'Cypress USB Storage Driver 1.4', but I can't see any destination folder.....except for "Registered /System/Library/Extensions/com_cy_driver_USB_Device.kext/Contents/Resources/ATASecurityHelper.app.'

But when I look in that folder I can't find anything like that..... hmmmmm

I have a quick question. Isn't this something you can use spotlight to find if your on a mac?

 

[Wie Gehts]

Thats the problem. I used spotlight to find what should be obvious names of the driver but no such luck.

 

[hughvane]

Thats the problem. I used spotlight to find what should be obvious names of the driver but no such luck.

Which suggests to me that the file is hidden/invisible. You can make it visible. See: http://www.macmerc.com/articles/Power_User_Monday_Tip_of_the_Week/283

File Buddy will also show Invisibles: http://www.skytag.com/filebuddy/

Just be sure of what you're removing from the System, and record what you do. Park files on your desktop rather than in the Trash meantime, until you know that taking them out of action hasn't affected OS performance.

 

[Wie Gehts]

Thanks, I'll try the invisible.
I do have tinker tool that does it.