Is there a way to disable Launchpad?

[tweaknmod]

I don't use Launchpad at all. Instead I use DragThing, which allows me to customize the look and which apps are where (3x4 in centre of screen) while maintaining similar functionality.

I have disabled Dashboard for similar reasons; I don't use it and it uses precious resources.

Is there a way to disable Launchpad via Terminal, etc? I know it's probably not the biggest resource hog in the world, lol... I just like to tweak everything to be juuust right

P.S. Please, no: "Just don't use it" responses, lol...

 

[charlieegan3]

I'm not sure you can do much other than turn off the gesture.

Edit: you have a 2012 MBA 8gb, it won't make any noticeable differnece.

 

[Edie Brickell]

Open System Preferences, select "Mission Control" from the "Personal" section, Click the "Hot Corners" button and with the drop down list change the definition of the bottom left from "LaunchPad" to "-" (which means 'do nothing')

 

[Heisler98]

CleanMyMac (paid) or AppCleaner (free), go to /Applications and drag the Launchpad.app to either one of those two applications. AppCleaner is pretty straightforward--it finds all of the other directories on your system and then deletes all of them. CleanMyMac has an "uninstall application" pane. Both of them will remove Launchpad completely, then you can remove it from your dock and gestures/hot corner/keyboard shortcuts.

 

[GGJstudios]

CleanMyMac (paid) or AppCleaner (free), go to /Applications and drag the Launchpad.app to either one of those two applications. AppCleaner is pretty straightforward--it finds all of the other directories on your system and then deletes all of them. CleanMyMac has an "uninstall application" pane. Both of them will remove Launchpad completely, then you can remove it from your dock and gestures/hot corner/keyboard shortcuts.

In most cases, app removal software doesn't do a thorough job of finding and removing files/folders related to deleted apps. For more information, read this and this. If you just want to delete the app, drag the .app file to the trash. No other software needed. If you want to completely remove all associated files/folders, no removal apps will do the job.

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

Best way to FULLY DELETE a program​

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

 

[Heisler98]

In most cases, app removal software doesn't do a thorough job of finding and removing files/folders related to deleted apps. For more information, read this and this. If you just want to delete the app, drag the .app file to the trash. No other software needed. If you want to completely remove all associated files/folders, no removal apps will do the job.

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

Best way to FULLY DELETE a program​

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

You are completely right in the case that CleanMyMac sometimes "cleans too much". I apologize to the thread starter for advising that. My experiences with CMM were not too great either, and that must've slipped my mind.

I'm only advising an app-deletion program for the sake of possibly finding a few more kilobytes of plist files that might make their way out of the hard drive. I always like a clean sweep of an app, whether that be data in the ~/Library folder or somewhere else. Deleting the app file itself can certainly do the trick as well. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[GGJstudios]

I'm only advising an app-deletion program for the sake of possibly finding a few more kilobytes of plist files that might make their way out of the hard drive.

That's just the problem with those apps. Many times they delete the .app file and the .plist file, but leave behind much larger files. The Finder method gets them all.