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un-installing programs

cb911

cb911

macrumors 601
Original poster
Mar 12, 2002
4,134
4
BrisVegas, Australia
i've been downloading heaps of demo games and software lately and now i want to get rid of them. i was just wondering if i have to do some sort of uninstaller, or can i just delete the files without leaving bits and pieces of the program on my HD.

i'm hoping i can just delete them, because i can't find any un-installers....
 
Yup, just trash the folder/file and you're done.

If you really want to clean things out you can remove preference files that are associated with them as well, but that's not really neccessary.:)
 
Some programs come with an uninstaller. You'd be able to find it in the same folder as the program itself. If there is one, use it. If not, just delete the folder.

Isn't that just so much simpler than on a pc? :p
 
Some installers even come with the option of uninstall/remove if you select the type of install you want to do. I know that NAV/NSW is one such installer. You can select 'easy', 'custom' or 'uninstall' (might be called remove, it's been a while).

If the game installers don't come with that function, then all you need to do is what has been pointed out above. In OS 9.x just delete the folder and then hunt down the preference file and delete that too. Most games don't have any extensions associated with them, so you don't need to worry there (unlike the dll files found in too many peecee games :rolleyes: ).

Yet another reason to stick with the Mac. :D
 
thanks for the help everyone. so i just trash the program and get rid of the prefrences. there aren't any hidden files, or other tricky stuff?
 
TRES COOL

I was on a PC for a long time.. it was a prison sentence.

Now on the mac, I keep thinking that to uninstall something, I have to go through some kind of magic act.

Its just SO hard to believe that I can uninstall a proggie JUST by deleting the folder itself and find its preference file! INcredible!

Would anyone care to explain why that is so easy and how Macs install programs to make this unbelieveable, believeable!
 
Yet another way that the Mac OS is superior to windblows... :D

Being able to remove software that easily has always been part of the Mac OS, at least as far as I have been using it (from 1988 forward).

I'll leave it to anyone that knows programming (for the Mac) or that has built software to get into the gorey details about why it is so. Suffice to say, when you install something on a Mac, there are only so many places to put things. Most software just needs to have a preference file along with the software package. Some applications also require extensions to be placed into the system folder, but if you use your brains, you can usually figure out which those are. You don't have to go through the software remove pain that windblows forces on you with the Mac (even with OS X, it's better then windblows). Some installers do include remove features, to allow you to rapidly remove an application, and all of it's parts, but those are very rarely needed.
 
Does this mean that you can install programs from other computer by merely
draggin the entire folder and then copying it to your HD.

This would explain to me the story about some kind ising an iPod to rip warez from a computer at a store.

Do you need the preference files also....

Thanks Alpha
 
Re: TRES COOL

Originally posted by Grokgod
I was on a PC for a long time.. it was a prison sentence.

Now on the mac, I keep thinking that to uninstall something, I have to go through some kind of magic act.

Its just SO hard to believe that I can uninstall a proggie JUST by deleting the folder itself and find its preference file! INcredible!

Would anyone care to explain why that is so easy and how Macs install programs to make this unbelieveable, believeable!
Click to expand...

Hey Steve! Look over here! Another 'Real People Ad'!

:D

k.
 
Originally posted by Grokgod
Does this mean that you can install programs from other computer by merely
draggin the entire folder and then copying it to your HD.

This would explain to me the story about some kind ising an iPod to rip warez from a computer at a store.

Do you need the preference files also....

Thanks Alpha
Click to expand...

If you kwow what you are doing, you can do that with many applications. Some place items in other locations, and really do need to be installed with the installer. Some ask for serial numbers at that point. Quark XPress is one application that you CAN simply drag and drop into the Applications folder and be fully functional.
 
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