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Three amateur questions regarding usage

Suno

Suno

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 12, 2011
252
1
1. Is there a way to open up a list of currently running processes, including ones in the background?

For example, the Windows equivalent would be Ctrl+Alt+Del/Task Manager, and on the 'Processes' tab, you see a list of every process that's running on your computer. I ask because I downloaded Razer Synapse and I want to turn it off, but I can't find a way to.

2. Is there a built-in Mac uninstaller? If not, any good alternatives?

For example, Windows has Control Panel->Programs->Uninstall or Change a program. From there, I can quickly see a list of all the programs I have installed and easily uninstall it from there without having to go through the trouble of manually looking for uninstallers and whatnot. Basically I feel like my mac has gotten cluttered with a few unused trash apps and I would like to clean it up.

3. Is there an Alt-tab equivalent?

I know Command+Tab scrolls through currently opened programs, but not multiple windows within a program. For example, If I have multiple Chrome windows open, Command+Tab only shows one Chrome icon indicating that, yes, Chrome is open, but not show the multiple Chrome windows. Ctrl+Tab just shifts tabs on Chrome.
 
Suno said:
1. Is there a way to open up a list of currently running processes, including ones in the background?

For example, the Windows equivalent would be Ctrl+Alt+Del/Task Manager, and on the 'Processes' tab, you see a list of every process that's running on your computer. I ask because I downloaded Razer Synapse and I want to turn it off, but I can't find a way to.

2. Is there a built-in Mac uninstaller? If not, any good alternatives?

For example, Windows has Control Panel->Programs->Uninstall or Change a program. From there, I can quickly see a list of all the programs I have installed and easily uninstall it from there without having to go through the trouble of manually looking for uninstallers and whatnot. Basically I feel like my mac has gotten cluttered with a few unused trash apps and I would like to clean it up.

3. Is there an Alt-tab equivalent?

I know Command+Tab scrolls through currently opened programs, but not multiple windows within a program. For example, If I have multiple Chrome windows open, Command+Tab only shows one Chrome icon indicating that, yes, Chrome is open, but not show the multiple Chrome windows. Ctrl+Tab just shifts tabs on Chrome.
Click to expand...

1 Activity Monitor in /Applications/Utilities, choose 'Show All Processes' to show all.

2. Not really, not from Apple anyway, there are uninstallers like Appzap though, be careful with them.

3. Expose, see screenshot below.
 

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1. Activity Monitor. Search it with spotlight.

2. Just delete the applications with right click move to trash

3. You can slide up with three fingers on your trackpad and see all open windows.

Hope this help !
 
CocoSS said:
1. Activity Monitor. Search it with spotlight.

2. Just delete the applications with right click move to trash

3. You can slide up with three fingers on your trackpad and see all open windows.

Hope this help !
Click to expand...

JUST NO, many times this is true but there are plenty of programs which install in more places, not only that, there are other files related to this App which will still be there.
You simplify too much.
 
Regarding applications and uninstalling.

Most - or at least correctly behaving - OS X applications are self-contained bundles consisting of data and code. This is what you see as an application icon in Finder. You can move/delete/copy the bundle and the whole application moves with it. For these applications, you don't need an uninstaller because uninstalling is as simple as moving the icon to trash (but see the note below).

Many unix utilities are provided as installation packages (.pkg files) - these will often install to multiple locations on your machine and uninstalling them is a problem (a common issue of plain Unix/Linux). They usually come with an uninstaller/uninstall instructions though.

Some badly packaged OS X applications also come as .pkg - they also don't have an uninstaller and are generally a terrible mess. One notable example is Adobe Acrobat Reader for OS X, one of the most horribly packaged and behaving applications I have had the 'pleasure' to work with. As far as I am concerned, these applications should be considered malware, as they do things they do not advertise and do not install in spec-conforming locations. Uninstalling them means manually removing all components - google will help you. Please note that this is not a problem of OS X, but rather of the incompetent and lazy software developer.

Final note: applications will save their configuration and additional data in your Library/Application Support folder (opt+click Go menu in Finder to see it, Library is hidden by default). When you have deleted an application, you can look here for a similarly named folder and delete it as well. However, when you decide to install the application again, you will lose all your previous data.
 
leman said:
Regarding applications and uninstalling.

Most - or at least correctly behaving - OS X applications are self-contained bundles consisting of data and code. This is what you see as an application icon in Finder. You can move/delete/copy the bundle and the whole application moves with it. For these applications, you don't need an uninstaller because uninstalling is as simple as moving the icon to trash (but see the note below).

Many unix utilities are provided as installation packages (.pkg files) - these will often install to multiple locations on your machine and uninstalling them is a problem (a common issue of plain Unix/Linux). They usually come with an uninstaller/uninstall instructions though.

Some badly packaged OS X applications also come as .pkg - they also don't have an uninstaller and are generally a terrible mess. One notable example is Adobe Acrobat Reader for OS X, one of the most horribly packaged and behaving applications I have had the 'pleasure' to work with. As far as I am concerned, these applications should be considered malware, as they do things they do not advertise and do not install in spec-conforming locations. Uninstalling them means manually removing all components - google will help you. Please note that this is not a problem of OS X, but rather of the incompetent and lazy software developer.

Final note: applications will save their configuration and additional data in your Library/Application Support folder (opt+click Go menu in Finder to see it, Library is hidden by default). When you have deleted an application, you can look here for a similarly named folder and delete it as well. However, when you decide to install the application again, you will lose all your previous data.
Click to expand...

Now, this already sounds much better.

A few notes though, aside from the mentioned Application Support folder there are also preference files in the Preferences folder in your home folder.

Some applications also install so called LaunchDeamons and/or LaunchAgents and aare mostly located in the main Library folder which is invisible by default, now if you just drag an App to the Trash and it installed a file in these folders they are still active yet can not find the Binaries, this can give problems, mostly not but they should be removed, most apps which install in these folders have uninstallers.

About Adobe, at last someone I can completely agree with, Adobe sux big time, after all these years they just don't learn, it should be in same box as Norton which is another rubbish program.

The best way to remove all traces is actually to open the installer with Pacifist, look where it installs and delete the files accordingly.
 
Suno said:
1. Is there a way to open up a list of currently running processes, including ones in the background?

For example, the Windows equivalent would be Ctrl+Alt+Del/Task Manager, and on the 'Processes' tab, you see a list of every process that's running on your computer. I ask because I downloaded Razer Synapse and I want to turn it off, but I can't find a way to.

2. Is there a built-in Mac uninstaller? If not, any good alternatives?

For example, Windows has Control Panel->Programs->Uninstall or Change a program. From there, I can quickly see a list of all the programs I have installed and easily uninstall it from there without having to go through the trouble of manually looking for uninstallers and whatnot. Basically I feel like my mac has gotten cluttered with a few unused trash apps and I would like to clean it up.

3. Is there an Alt-tab equivalent?

I know Command+Tab scrolls through currently opened programs, but not multiple windows within a program. For example, If I have multiple Chrome windows open, Command+Tab only shows one Chrome icon indicating that, yes, Chrome is open, but not show the multiple Chrome windows. Ctrl+Tab just shifts tabs on Chrome.
Click to expand...

1. Applications --> Utilities --> Activity Monitor.

2. No, but there are several that have been mentioned in this thread.

3. You can use Exposé/Mission Control. However, if you're looking for a keyboard shortcut to do it, Command + ` will cycle through the windows of the foreground application.
 
command + option + escape

Doesn't this open the Activity Monitor, when the machine is unresponsive? (I left my MBP at home.)
 
niteflyr said:
I've been using this uninstaller for app removal.
Click to expand...
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, as simsaladimbamba posted, is manual deletion:
 
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