Do the new iWork apps need iWork 09 support files?

[HandyMac]

When the new iWork applications (Keynote, Numbers, Pages) for Mac are downloaded, the old iWork 09 folder remains in /Applications. If iWork 09 is not needed, this latter folder can be deleted. But what about the various support materials that iWork 09 installs, in /Library/Application Support and elsewhere? Does anybody know if the new iWork apps use this materials, or can they be deleted also?

(Btw, when I tried to post this query at Apple Discussions, I was told: "You are not allowed to create or update this content". Weird. Not like I was asking for tips to hack Mac OS X or anything. I was able to post in another thread, but repeated tries to post even a shortened version of this question elicited the same prohibition.)

(Further btw, I've learned that the new iWork apps can be downloaded from the App Store onto a fresh install of 10.9 if the iWork 09 folder is simply copied into /Applications; no need to do the whole installation. Of course the iWork 09 apps probably won't run in this case, though I didn't try, as I planned to delete the iWork 09 folder as soon as the newer apps were installed. I know the new iWork apps are a "downgrade" from the previous versions, but for somebody just starting out with iWork I figure they're good enough and will get better.)

 

[Ledgem]

That's a good question. I can't say for certain, but I would guess not. You can try deleting them and see if it messes anything up; if it does, either restore from Time Machine or reinstall the newer versions of the iWork apps, which should replace those files during the installation process if they really need them.

 

[HandyMac]

...reinstall the newer versions of the iWork apps, which should replace those files during the installation process if they really need them.

Thanks, I don't know why I didn't think of that. Now to figure out just where iWork 09 puts all its stuff....

 

[HandyMac]

Oops, further research determined that the new iWork apps (Pages 5 et al.) won't open AppleWorks documents. Which is the immediate problem, as I'm upgrading a friend from a deceased iBook 4 (10.4) to a 2009 MacBook Pro (10.9). On which he's done a few docs in Office 2011, which (after the elegant simplicity of AppleWorks) he finds bewilderingly complex and hard to use. Boy, I guess AppleWorks really was "not created at NeXT". So I'm deleting the new iWork apps, keeping iWork '09. Also learned that LibreOffice (presumably OO & NO as well) will open AppleWorks docs (WP anyway), which is good to know moving forward.

 

[Altemose]

Thanks, I don't know why I didn't think of that. Now to figure out just where iWork 09 puts all its stuff....

Perhaps a program like AppZapper or AppCleaner can remove all of the support files in addition to the actual programs themselves.

 

[MisterMe]

Do not under any circumstances use either AppZapper or AppCleaner. Neither is needed. Either may do more harm than good.

 

[Altemose]

Do not under any circumstances use either AppZapper or AppCleaner. Neither is needed. Either may do more harm than good.

In normal scenarios they are not needed but they do a good job of removing support and library files from applications without a true uninstaller.

 

[HandyMac]

Now to figure out just where iWork 09 puts all its stuff....

Perhaps a program like AppZapper or AppCleaner can remove all of the support files in addition to the actual programs themselves.

Do not under any circumstances use either AppZapper or AppCleaner. Neither is needed. Either may do more harm than good.

I've never tried AppZapper or AppCleaner, so don't know if they actually do the job thoroughly. I've noted that the "Uninstall" option in some app installers often doesn't get e.g. preferences files that were created when the app was used. So I do my best to remove everything, based on 26+ years of Mac use and working on hundreds of clients' Macs.

To find out where an installer puts stuff, I open the package either by control-clicking it or in Pacifist (now that Apple's packages and some others won't open in the contextual menu) and go through all the elements in the installer. Tedious, but I did this once with the iWork '09 Installer, so I have a list. Though if I were to remove iWork '09 from a Mac now, I'd probably also double-check the 9.3 Update Installer (which includes all previous updates, so is the final and update needed to the original 9.0 install). And of course, there are .prefs and other files to be sought out, if the app has been used at all.

Tip: If you want to get the new iWork apps, you don't have to do a complete install of iWork '09; just copy the /Applications/iWork '09 folder to the target computer, and Software Update / App Store will download the new iWork apps for you, then you can simply delete that one folder without having to seek out all the other stuff.

In normal scenarios they are not needed but they do a good job of removing support and library files from applications without a true uninstaller.

I wonder how these utilities identify all the "support and library files". Do you have to have the original installer on hand for them to look at?

 

[Altemose]

I wonder how these utilities identify all the "support and library files". Do you have to have the original installer on hand for them to look at?

I am not sure how they work but they do their job well.

 

[osnola]

Hello,

Oops, further research determined that the new iWork apps (Pages 5 et al.) won't open AppleWorks documents. Which is the immediate problem, as I'm upgrading a friend from a deceased iBook 4 (10.4) to a 2009 MacBook Pro (10.9). On which he's done a few docs in Office 2011, which (after the elegant simplicity of AppleWorks) he finds bewilderingly complex and hard to use. Boy, I guess AppleWorks really was "not created at NeXT". So I'm deleting the new iWork apps, keeping iWork '09. Also learned that LibreOffice (presumably OO & NO as well) will open AppleWorks docs (WP anyway), which is good to know moving forward.

concerning iWork, yes, you need to have iWork 09 if you want to convert AppleWork 6.0's WP, Presentation, Spreadsheet files.

Concerning LibreOffice, the version 4.2 tries to open WP and draw/paint file while the latest version 4.3 tries also to open spreadsheet and database files. After the quality of conversion may ok or not for some documents ( depending on the complexity of the documents), so you must test.

Note:
- OpenOffice and NeoOffice do not include the filter used by LibreOffice to convert AppleWorks/ClarisWorks documents, so ...
- you can find other available solutions to convert AppleWorks files in http://www.wilmut.webspace.virginmedia.com/notes/aw/page1.html .