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How Do I Delete an App Icon From Desktop?

T

Tissue Paper

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 18, 2012
176
6
Hi,

I would like to delete some apps from my desktop but I don't want to delete them COMPLETELY from my computer. I just want the Desktop icon to disappear and only use the same app's icon in my dock. I hate seeing the same app having two icons one in the dock and one on the desktop.

When I tried to delete the icon from the desktop, it deleted the app completely from my computer.

How do I fix this?
 
Do you know how to install applications in Mac OS X? It is probable, that what you see, are the mounted DMG files. Ordinarily you open the downloaded DMG file, drag the application into your Applications folder and then eject the DMG file via Finder (Sidebar for example) and then either delete the DMG or store it according to your sorting ways. Thus the application is only started from the Applications folder and NOT the mounted DMG, thus no icons on the Desktop should be visible.

Also have a look here.
 
Yes I think I know what you mean but when I right-click on this app's icon, there is no "eject" option. I just tried deleting it and then tried opening the same app from my dock and it told me it cannot open it because it is in the trash :{
 
Tissue Paper said:
Yes I think I know what you mean but when I right-click on this app's icon, there is no "eject" option. I just tried deleting it and then tried opening the same app from my dock and it told me it cannot open it because it is in the trash :{
Click to expand...

And is the application in the Applications folder or how do they end up on the Desktop? Have you looked at the first link and followed its instructions? Or can you at least describe how you normally install what exact applications?
Maybe make a screenshot or two and attach it/them to your next post.
 
Yes the icon and app is already in the application folder. I think I remember it first appeared on the desktop when I installed it. I can't delete it now.
 
Tissue Paper said:
Yes the icon and app is already in the application folder. I think I remember it first appeared on the desktop when I installed it. I can't delete it now.
Click to expand...

And how do you normally start an application? From the Dock (if so, how did the application get into the Dock)? Can you provide screenshots?
 
I think I dragged the icon to the dock and that's how it ended up there. If I delete the one on the desktop the one in the dock is useless. It wont open.

I'm not currently on my computer. I can't provide a screen schot at the time being but will do so later if I still can't fix it.
 
Tissue Paper said:
I think I dragged the icon to the dock and that's how it ended up there. If I delete the one on the desktop the one in the dock is useless. It wont open.

I'm not currently on my computer. I can't provide a screen schot at the time being but will do so later if I still can't fix it.
Click to expand...

That is probably the problem. Install the application like mentioned in post #2 (and linked to too), eject the DMG, then go to the Applications folder (while in Finder press CMD+SHIFT+A) and drag the application from there to the Dock.
 
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