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gumblecosby

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 22, 2010
298
6
How do you do this? Dragging to the trash while in Launchpad does not work. I have duplicate apps from 2 partitions on it.


Also, swiping with 2 fingers over a dock icon activates expose for each app. I did not know that.
 

jaygen

macrumors newbie
Feb 25, 2011
1
0
I figured out how to do this but it's kinda technical. For me, I wanted to delete all the old Parallels windows app links. :cool:

First, you're going to need an SQLite database editor. I suggest SQLite Database Browser from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/sql..._200_b1_osx.zip/download?use_mirror=softlayer

The Database that has Launchpad items is located in:
~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/

It is named something like XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db

You need to copy that database over to your documents folder and edit it from there like this:
cp XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db ~/Documents/XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db.bak

Then open it in the SQLite browser and execute a query that will delete the items you don't want from the items and apps tables.

Example for Parallels windows app links:
DELETE FROM `items` WHERE `rowid` IN (SELECT `item_id` FROM `apps` WHERE `bundleid` LIKE 'com.parallels.winapp%');
DELETE FROM `apps` WHERE `bundleid` LIKE 'com.parallels.winapp%';

After that is done, you save the file and copy it back to the folder it came from... making sure to back up the original.
cp XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db.bak
mv ~/Documents/XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db

Then you need to open up terminal and do a killall Dock... or force the Dock process to quit from the Activity Monitor. Then those problem icons will be gone. :D If you have any questions let me know.
 
Last edited:

Maclver

macrumors 68030
Nov 23, 2008
2,658
2,013
New Mexico
How do you do this? Dragging to the trash while in Launchpad does not work. I have duplicate apps from 2 partitions on it.


Also, swiping with 2 fingers over a dock icon activates expose for each app. I did not know that.

Go to ~/Library Application support Dock and delete the file in there, log out and back in.....

That will reset the launchpad and erase the apps you don't have..
 

grgarside

macrumors newbie
Feb 10, 2010
13
0
adding apps and deleting folders

Great, thanks a lot. Do you know a trick to add apps and to delete folders ?

To add an app, drag it to the launchpad icon, or add it to the /Applications folder and it is added automatically.

After deleting the icons from a folder, you are left with an empty folder. Drag an item into it, and then out again. The folder is deleted.
 

stuckwithme247

macrumors regular
Jan 14, 2003
112
9
Has anyone figured out a trick to get rid of extra apps that appear there? I'm talking about a game folder in Applications -- StarCraft II. It has all these little apps inside it, so what I get is like 10 SC2 icons that you can't delete or hide...
 

PowerGamerX

macrumors 6502a
Aug 9, 2009
673
1
Has anyone figured out a trick to get rid of extra apps that appear there? I'm talking about a game folder in Applications -- StarCraft II. It has all these little apps inside it, so what I get is like 10 SC2 icons that you can't delete or hide...

I'd like to know this as well. When am I ever going to use the plane maker in X-Plane? Never.
 

ssn637

macrumors 6502
Feb 12, 2009
452
48
Switzerland
I figured out how to do this but it's kinda technical. For me, I wanted to delete all the old Parallels windows app links. :cool:

First, you're going to need an SQLite database editor. I suggest SQLite Database Browser from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/sql..._200_b1_osx.zip/download?use_mirror=softlayer

The Database that has Launchpad items is located in:
~/Library/Application\ Support/Dock/

It is named something like XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db

You need to copy that database over to your documents folder and edit it from there like this:
cp XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db ~/Documents/XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db.bak

Then open it in the SQLite browser and execute a query that will delete the items you don't want from the items and apps tables.

Example for Parallels windows app links:
DELETE FROM `items` WHERE `rowid` IN (SELECT `item_id` FROM `apps` WHERE `bundleid` LIKE 'com.parallels.winapp%');
DELETE FROM `apps` WHERE `bundleid` LIKE 'com.parallels.winapp%';

After that is done, you save the file and copy it back to the folder it came from... making sure to back up the original.
cp XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db.bak
mv ~/Documents/XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX.db

Then you need to open up terminal and do a killall Dock... or force the Dock process to quit from the Activity Monitor. Then those problem icons will be gone. :D If you have any questions let me know.

Wow! What a pain in the butt...has anyone found an easier way to delete unwanted icons from LaunchPad? Running an SQL query for every icon I'd like to remove is gonna take forever :D
 

basher

macrumors 6502a
May 27, 2011
571
136
Glendale, AZ USA
I agree there should be a better way to delete apps from launchpad, but why not just place the apps you want to get ride of into a launchpad folder? Maybe even name it DELETE. Then when a better solution comes along you can easily find them to nuke them.
 

Saladinos

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2008
1,845
4
Also, has anybody found a way to make the launchpad icons bigger? They're waaaaay too small for my MacBook. I have absolutely no idea what's in a folder by its icon.

Almost can't believe this is the GM. So far, it's a mixed bag: in some places brilliant, and in others I think it rivals the worst product Apple's ever shipped.
 

ShadowZephyr

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2011
3
0
From what I can tell, if the app is installed using an installer, then it is unremovable for now for some reason. I installed FCPX and it was a drag and drop deal, and it has the little "x" next to it when I hold the ALT key.

Just my two cents :D
 
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