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Uninstalling an app... doesn't remove it all?

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Kaitlyn2004

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 17, 2008
117
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Super new to macos and really just trying everything out and getting the lay of the land

I had installed MonitorControl and was trying it out, but then quit the app and went to the Applications folder, dragged the app to the trash. Then I installed BetterDisplay. I went to the accessibility settings so BetterDisplay could adjust something... and noticed MonitorControl with its icon was still there?

Did I do something wrong? how do I avoid this / fix this? Any way to prevent installing and uninstalling apps from making a mess of the hard drive leaving breadcrumbs everywhere?
 
Deleting an app does not remove any of the files it has created anywhere on your Mac nor many background services it may have created. There are lots of threads discussing the best app to assist with cleaning. AppCleaner (free) is the most often suggested.

I don't know the MonitorControl app, but I suggest you reinstall it, uninstall with AppCleaner and reboot.

By consistently using an uninstall app, I have kept my Mac clear of nearly all the breadcrumbs for 5 years.
 
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gilby101 said:
Deleting an app does not remove any of the files it has created anywhere on your Mac nor many background services it may have created. There are lots of threads discussing the best app to assist with cleaning. AppCleaner (free) is the most often suggested.

I don't know the MonitorControl app, but I suggest you reinstall it, uninstall with AppCleaner and reboot.

By consistently using an uninstall app, I have kept my Mac clear of nearly all the breadcrumbs for 5 years.
Click to expand...
I am… shocked macOS is this way. Seems so incredibly disorganized?

Windows is certainly not perfect with uninstallers, but at least that process does exist and does get more of the app files?

Thanks though will look into appcleaner
 
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Kaitlyn2004 said:
I had installed MonitorControl and was trying it out, but then quit the app ... and noticed MonitorControl with its icon was still there?
Click to expand...
On macOS, closing the main window of an app does not close the app. For apps that are not visible in the Dock, only in the menu bar, you have to select quit from menu of that app.
Quit apps on Mac https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchl834d18c2/mac
How to force an app to quit on your Mac https://support.apple.com/102586
What’s in the menu bar on Mac? https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchlp1446/mac
 
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Kaitlyn2004 said:
I am… shocked macOS is this way. Seems so incredibly disorganized?

Windows is certainly not perfect with uninstallers, but at least that process does exist and does get more of the app files?

Thanks though will look into appcleaner
Click to expand...
MacOS isn't too bad to do manually.

  • Remove the app
  • Browse to the Library folder (in finder, go menu, then while holding option key select "Library")
    • Look for folders named after the app you removed, and remove them
That's mostly it.
 
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bogdanw said:
On macOS, closing the main window of an app does not close the app.
Click to expand...
That's not entirely correct. If you follow Apples HIG, closing a single-window application should quit it. Closing a window in a multi-window application should keep it running. Note, Apple doesn't always adhere to this anymore themselves, but they used to.
 
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throAU said:
MacOS isn't too bad to do manually.
Click to expand...
You can't be serious! haha!
throAU said:
Look for folders named after the app you removed, and remove them
Click to expand...
The folders in question are likely 3 levels down. Good luck finding them by hand.
Not to mention they might be /Library as well as ~/Library, not forgetting /private/var/...

An uninstaller app is essential to keep your Mac tidy.

Kaitlyn2004 said:
I am… shocked macOS is this way. Seems so incredibly disorganized?
Click to expand...
Sadly - yes.
 
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gilby101 said:
You can't be serious! haha!

The folders in question are likely 3 levels down. Good luck finding them by hand.
Not to mention they might be /Library as well as ~/Library, not forgetting /private/var/...

An uninstaller app is essential to keep your Mac tidy.


Sadly - yes.
Click to expand...

Yeah i was keeping it relatively simple for someone new to macOS.

The bulk of the app is contained within the app container, the other stuff is generally app data (i.e., stuff you might want to get back like mail you downloaded in outlook, etc.).

I’ve never run a mac cleaner in 15 plus years and have had zero issues. They’re not essential at all.


And macOS is certainly far better than Windows, where apps leave trash all over windows\system, in the users app data folder, maybe elsewhere on the C: drive, contamination of the registry, etc.
 
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I'm another proponent of AppCleaner. Does what it says on the tin. Sometimes it will miss the odd straggler file location but if given full disc access it pretty much kills every last trace of most normal apps. In my experience anyways. Sticky stuff that uses system extensions like Little Snitch or the like I couldn't say, but personally I never use such apps anyway. There are obviously whole system cleaners that appear to offer more bells and whistles but the bigger question then becomes: how much unwanted junk do they install and leave behind until the end of time?
 
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T'hain Esh Kelch said:
That's not entirely correct. If you follow Apples HIG, closing a single-window application should quit it. Closing a window in a multi-window application should keep it running. Note, Apple doesn't always adhere to this anymore themselves, but they used to.
Click to expand...
"Quit YourAppName - Quits your app. Pressing Option changes Quit YourAppName to Quit and Keep Windows."
"Close - Closes the current window or document. Pressing Option changes Close to Close All. For a tab-based window, Close Tab replaces Close.
In a tab-based window, consider adding a Close Window item to let people close the entire window with one click or tap."
https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/the-menu-bar
As far as I know, the only Apple app that quits when closing its main window from the red buttoin is Calculator.
 
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Side note RE: AppCleaner. It's my understanding that it's of no use for cleaning up after apps that were already previously removed by other means. As far as I am able to ascertain, it only searches for data planted by apps that are currently on the system. In which case it's hopefully fairly trivial to re-install an app and then have AppCleaner nuke it.
 
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throAU said:
MacOS isn't too bad to do manually.

  • Remove the app
  • Browse to the Library folder (in finder, go menu, then while holding option key select "Library")
    • Look for folders named after the app you removed, and remove them
That's mostly it.
Click to expand...
Oooooor, use a free app that does the same thing but better and without any of the manual labour. You can still miss files or remove ones you shouldn’t have, especially when deleting one app of a suite.
ESPECIALLY when you’re new to the system.

However, I get your point.
 
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Parowdy said:
Oooooor, use a free app that does the same thing but better and without any of the manual labour. You can still miss files or remove ones you shouldn’t have, especially when deleting one app of a suite.
ESPECIALLY when you’re new to the system.
Click to expand...
Installing crap you don't need is how you end up needing to uninstall and clean up things in the first place...
 
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throAU said:
Installing crap you don't need is how you end up needing to uninstall and clean up things in the first place...
Click to expand...
How do you know what you need until you use it? Most of the time people delete stuff that didn’t do what they wanted it to.
It’s valid to not know if the software you’ve downloaded will do what you want it to, or if some features are pay walled off.
It’s even more valid to remove the software in that case. I don’t think people are willingly downloading „crap“ and filling up their storage.

In essence, you’re saying it’s everyone’s own fault they are not all knowing about what app they’re getting…
It’s impressive that you never had to manage left over files on your Mac’s and it would be great if everyone shared that experience, but that’s not how the world works.
 
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stillcrazyman said:
Easy Find
Click to expand...
already worth it :D
Screenshot 2024-11-28 at 14.50.07.jpg
 
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When I need to "get rid of" an app, I use the free "AppCleaner".
Get it here:

Then, do this:
1. Open AppCleaner
2. Open your Applications folder (in the finder)
3. Grab the app you want to delete, and "drag and drop" it into AppCleaner's window.
4. AppCleaner will "look around" and gather up all the files related to the app.
5. If any are "unchecked", put a check into them.
6. Click the "remove" button, and they're ALL moved to the trash.
7. Close AppCleaner and empty the trash.
8. Gone!

I'm guessing there might be a few applications that AppCleaner can't "clean out" (perhaps Adobe stuff, Microsoft stuff, etc.). Those software publishers usually make available a standalone "uninstall" utility to get rid of them.
 
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