Duplicate apps in "open with" menu

[usagora]

Noticed this starting a couple months ago. Running "Rebuilding: Launch Services database" in OnyX fixed it temporarily, but the problem came right back within hours. I definitely only have one instance of each of those apps in my Macintosh HD/Applications folder and I even used Find Any File to search my entire drive to be sure another instance wasn't hiding anywhere.

What gives? How do I permanently fix this issue (one I've never had in my 17 years of exclusively using Macs until now)?

 

[bogdanw]

That usually happens when another macOS version is installed, a dual-boot setup. If that’s the case, you can try to exclude the Applications folder of the previous macOS from Spotlight and rebuilt “Open with”.

 

[usagora]

That usually happens when another macOS version is installed, a dual-boot setup. If that’s the case, you can try to exclude the Applications folder of the previous macOS from Spotlight and rebuilt “Open with”.

I only have one version of macOS installed (Monterrey), so something else is causing this.

 

[bogdanw]

I only have one version of macOS installed (Monterrey), so something else is causing this.

You can notice that there are two different versions for apps (GIMP 2.10.20 and 2.10.14), so the entries are not duplicates, but reflect the existence of previous versions of the apps somewhere on your hard drive or on an external hard drive that you connect to Monterey.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I haven't had this problem for years...but when I did, rebuilding the launch services database was the cure. There are many google hits for doing this but they are all quite old, so no idea about Monterey.

 

[bogdanw]

Using lsregister still works in Big Sur, probably in Monterey too.
https://osxdaily.com/2013/01/22/fix-open-with-menu-mac-os-x/
I have Big Sur and Catalina installed and I use this command

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/Current/Support/lsregister -r -f -u /Volumes/1015/Applications/*

to remove Catalina apps, stored on the volume 1015, from the Open With menu. They show up again if I open the 1015 volume in Finder.

 

[usagora]

You can notice that there are two different versions for apps (GIMP 2.10.20 and 2.10.14), so the entries are not duplicates, but reflect the existence of previous versions of the apps somewhere on your hard drive or on an external hard drive that you connect to Monterey.

When I said "duplicates" I meant the same app, not the same version of the app. Yes, I noticed they were two different versions and assumed it was after the app had been updated that somehow macOS was keeping a record of the previous version. But you just solved my issue - I had my previous iMac's SSD attached via a dock. I had no idea macOS would look for apps on external media to populate the "open with" list - thought it only looked on the system drive. Once I deleted the Applications folder from the external drive, all is back to normal. Thanks!