Trash vs Recycle Bin

[GovtLawyer]

I'm the same switcher who posted the Dock question and I'll also be posting a DMG question in a follow up thread.

As I was trashing folders and apps and other stuff while looking for an answer to my Dock problems, I discovered that Trash doesn't seem to act the same way my old PC recycle bin did. There is no function to restore anything; rather, it seems you just open the trashed item. (Also seems that you don't delete in Finder, you just "move to the Trash," is that the same?) Can you trash a program App and simply change your mind and reinstall it from the Trash?

In that regard I tried Time Machine, but in the Apple tutorials I saw, it seemed that Time Machine is designed to restore files and folders, not applications. At least, it doesn't mention applications, so I was afraid to attempt to go back in time to just restore apps. I didn't want to go back to restore the entire system as there was work I had from yesterday which I wanted to keep..

I was led to believe that OSX/Unix doesn't have the same registry clutter remnants of programs which PCs do. Therefore, I thought you could simply open, trash, reinstall, trash, etc., at will, and not worry about your system becoming "PC like."

So, what are the parameters/limitations of Trash and Time Machine as far as applications are concerned?

 

[kajitox]

Sending something to the trash and the recycle bin is the same. In Snow Leopard they added the ability to restore, however in Leopard, you have to manually drag it back to where it was. Nothing should be harmed after doing that, even if you deleted an application.

Time Machine may not be working if you told it (within the settings) to not backup applications and settings.

 

[GovtLawyer]

It may have working

I only had Time Machine exclude my data file from within Lightroom; I back that up manually. It may be that Time Machine could have restored the application. The Apple tutorial concentrated on lost files, not older applications, so I was uneasy about doing it.

 

[i.shaun]

Trash is actually a little different than the MS Recycle Bin


It is a last line of defense in the way Windows' is, as it stores files you "deleted" or moved there, until you "empty" it.


The only difference it has -- which I really wish was changed, is that files moved to the trash are still accessible. There is also no "Restore" option, so you have to manually drag files out and place them where they belong.


The reason I wish files were 'cut off' or 'deleted' is because I've accidentally deleted iTunes tracks before, but they still played in iTunes (it automatically re-directed to the trash to play them). It was only after emptying the trash that I realized the music was gone.




An app gone in the trash can simply be dragged back into the applications folder. As for Time Machine -- I don't have that program on this older mac so I don't know

 

[kajitox]

I only had Time Machine exclude my data file from within Lightroom; I back that up manually. It may be that Time Machine could have restored the application. The Apple tutorial concentrated on lost files, not older applications, so I was uneasy about doing it.

Time Machine should be able to do this just fine. Just use TM as you usually would in the Applications folder and get it to restore the application.