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Add/Remove ?

T

triton

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 15, 2003
172
0
I'm a new mac user guys, so take it easy on me.

How do you uninstall programs? I know in Windows there is an Add / Remove function which displays most of the programs you have, and allows you to physically remove them (should the program come w/o a uninstaller). Is there something similar to this in OS X ?

Thanks ! :)
 
For most applications, all you need to do is drag the programs' folder from your application directory into the trash. Thats all there is to it. Unlike windows, Programs in OSX don't install hundreds of DLL files all over the place, so there is generally no need for an uninstall program.
 
In some cases there might be an uninstall app but in most cases just dropping it in the trash should be good enough. What are you trying to remove?

D
 
trash

some times there are some files left behind after a 'drag-to-th-trash" application removal. But they are just libs and preffrences. They wont hurt anything... just take up some space.

One thing I have always loved about the Mac OS.. is no Registery! You can just drag and drop install and remove. With Windows... once in install something, you can never really get rid of it... unless you re-format. Even using a Registery edditor!
 
You can also do a search for whatever the name of the application is, and drag those to the trash. That seems to get rid of most of your excess stuff. It's not like accidently deleting a .DLL. Not that you should just go deleting files, but it's not anywhere near as bad as Windows.
 
pkg files

if the installer was a .pkg file you can got to the folder 'Library' and then 'Receipt'. in this folder all pkg installers are listed. by deleting the pkg file you want it should also remove the program that was installed with it.
in addition you can download 'desinstaller' from www.versiontracker.com' which will do the same thing for you like written above.
the most time it will really be enough to delete the program folder.
the very nice thing about all this is that installing works also by just copying the program folder ;)
 
I can't get pkginfo and pkgrm to work. Do you have to install something first before they'll work? Or do you have to cd to a particular directory?
 
can't remove folder in SyncServices

Did FIND/FILE to remove ALL files with same name as orig. prog. Still some left in this area:
SystemX/Library/SyncServices <--and name in this folder is:
x(program name)Conduit.bundle
Dragging to trash not work- says "cannot be deleted."
Even chose GET INFO and changed user to my name and privileges to READ AND WRITE. Still not allow trashing. Anyway around this? Any program one can download to allow MAIN USER to delete any files they want in 10.2?
 
Re: can't remove folder in SyncServices

Originally posted by Strgzr
Did FIND/FILE to remove ALL files with same name as orig. prog. Still some left in this area:
SystemX/Library/SyncServices <--and name in this folder is:
x(program name)Conduit.bundle
Dragging to trash not work- says "cannot be deleted."
Even chose GET INFO and changed user to my name and privileges to READ AND WRITE. Still not allow trashing. Anyway around this? Any program one can download to allow MAIN USER to delete any files they want in 10.2?
Click to expand...

first i'm not a console knower so i will show you the gui way. second i'm at the moment not in front of a mac so the answer may be vague in some ways:

1. got to the application folder and then utilities folder and open netinfo manager.

2. in netinfo got to the menu authentification (i'm really not sure how the menu is called) and choose activate root account. you may have to authenticate yourself first by choosing authentification in the same menu.

3. you will be asked for a password for the root user. give it a password.

4. make sure that you have activated the root account by looking still in the same menu if there is an option like 'deactivate root account'. if this is ok you can quit netinfo.

5. got to system preferences and users or my account...somewhere there should be an option like 'show all other accounts at the login screen'. activate this option.

6. logout of the systemsession and choose 'others' from the accounts list and type username: root and password: the password you entered in netinfo. if you don't have icons at the login screen you can directly type usernam: root etc.

7. now you will log in as root and you can delete whatever you want on your harddisk.
 
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