removing apps from Launchpad

[Cabron]

I think launch pad is the worst feature in lion
this seems like an unfinished application / feature

I couldn't find any way to remove applications too, maybe because there are not one for us

We dont have any options to configure it in system preferences

The blurry background grab a screenshot from your wallpaper and add some blur in it, for example, if you open an full screen or maximized window, them active launch pad, this gonna show the blurry wallpaper and not the desktop background (maybe to save proccessing and rendering optimization?)

we can't add folder inside folders (something like folder enhancer cydia app for iOS), that is just weird such of simple feature doesn't supported by default, we probably will have to wait hacks or third party applications to do this.

some cosmetic issues: they drop a "bloob shadow" for any app or folder (again, this also should done to get best performance results)

but, some icons doesn't look good with this shadow, as you can see.

 

[stefan1975]

can't you just touch and hold the icon on your screen until it wobbles and then click the X to remove it?

 

[baryon]

I love how user-friendly Lion is when it comes to simple things like removing icons

 

[terrancewonga]

i have got the problem with duplicated 'photo booth' and 'chess' apps, the mentioned method 'control,option,command' key does delete icons of apps installed by user, however, it doesn't delete preinstalled app, i have tried to find a way to delete them but nothing seems to work, this really annoys me as i am a freak on organizing computer's folders.

 

[RossMc]

can't you just touch and hold the icon on your screen until it wobbles and then click the X to remove it?

That only works for Apps downloaded from the App Store.

 

[dilpreet28]

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.

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. If you have any questions let me know.

Bro thanks so much, that worked but i still have pages left over from where the apps where, any idea how to get rid of them?

Don't worry, worked out after i quit the dock process, cheers man

 

[Nitrus]

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.

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. If you have any questions let me know.

You can also just goto "Browse Data" in SQLite, and delete them from there.

The Apps are stored in: "apps"
The Folders are stored in: "groups"

You can select either from the drop down. After that, it's just a matter of deleting the one's you don't want.

 

[iamthereforipad]

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.

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. If you have any questions let me know.

This worked! Thanks.

 

[Mere]

LaunchpadCleaner 2

Guys, check out LaunchpadCleaner 2, the Missing Apple Launchpad Manager!


Features

• Delete any App icons or Containers
• Edit App Label
• Edit Container Label
• Create new Container
• Backup/Restore Launchpad layout
• Restore Default OS X Lion launchpad
• Select/deselect all Apps and Container
• Transfer Launchpad layout to another Mac!

 

[twmnsca]

I just removed some with CleanMyMac

 

[GGJstudios]

I just removed some with CleanMyMac

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