Cannot find an App that I just installed

[MacAlpha]

OK, I am new to Mac and I have just had my first Windows like experience (aka desire to chuck the computer through a window).

I have a late 2008 MBP and bought Spore to play. I installed it a few weeks ago and there was a problem with the patch. I went online and found out that the problem was with EA and so I uninstalled the software and let it be. I found out today that EA has come out with a new patch that fixes the problem. I went to reinstall the program and it asked me if I really wanted to install the software as it was already in the Apps folder. I went and looked. No Spore in the Apps folder, so I reinstalled the software (twice). Well the software is still not showing up in the Apps folder.

This is not an attempt to bash OSX but if this was Windows, I would be proficient enough to figure out what to do. I have no idea what needs to be done to find software that seems to be on the hard drive but is not showing up. Even if I can't get the game to work, it is annoying me that the game that I can't see is taking up 4GB of hard drive space.

Does anyone have a suggestion to rectify the problem?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

try using the finder (blue/white face) to search for "spore". Delete any entries that come up in folders such as Application Support, Preferences, etc. When you install an app and once you run it; it will place it's support files (caches, preferences (settings under windows), etc) into the HD in various places. The spore installer probably detected those traces. You need to flush them out of the system. I'd normally use AppCleaner (freeware) to delete the app, only if you have the icon in the App Folder, but seeing as you don't... Anyway, just try to delete as many Spore related files as you can, or use the uninstaller if there is one... I don't have spore so I don't know.. If there is, uninstall it and reboot the computer and re attempt the install.