[Keiretsu]

If I right-click (or ctrl-click) for example on a .JPG file and go to the "open with" menu I see certain apps listed more than once (e. g. Safari, MSIE, QuickTime ...).

How come?
And how do I fix this (e. g. delete whoch prefs file or what internal DB?

[-Q-]

I get multiple versions listed only when I have copies of the same app on the drive. Have you done a search to make sure the apps only appear once?

If so, I'd start with deleting the finder prefs.

[Keiretsu]

No duplicates (not even classic versions of MSIE). Here's a shot that show the problem (sorry for the size):

[K++]

Originally posted by Keiretsu:
No duplicates (not even classic versions of MSIE). Here's a shot that show the problem (sorry for the size):

You have duplicates, period. Use find to find them then delete them. LaunchServices is pretty smart about these and will not show the same thing twice, they are both unique.

Did you do an archive install? If so then the old apps are in previous system folder. Do you have OS X installed on another drive? If so those are the duplicates your seeing. Do you have copies made by users on your system to thier local directory or just somewhere that isn't the aapplications folder? In any case there are duplicates on your system somewhere.

[Keiretsu]

Originally posted by K++:
You have duplicates, period.[...]

Nope, I dare say. No archive install, but a scratch install (wiped the disk). There are no dupes on that box.

[homgran]

Originally posted by Keiretsu:
Nope, I dare say. No archive install, but a scratch install (wiped the disk). There are no dupes on that box.

Why not try opening a document with, say, Safari (use the higher of the two icons in your `Open With' menu). Now return to the Finder and repeat this porocess, only this time select the lower Safari icon. Now look at your dock.

Does the dock contain two Safari.app icons instead of one (they won't be adjacent to each other, one will likely be at the bottom/right, depending on where your dock is situated)?

If there are two separate Safari.app icons in your dock, ctrl-click --> "Show In Finder" each one to see where each application is loacted. This will determine whether or not you have duplicate copies of Safari on your HD.

Oh yeah, and you don't happen to have an external drive connected to your Mac, do you?


-Matt

[Jerome_69]

Originally posted by Keiretsu:
a scratch install (wiped the disk). There are no dupes on that box.

I have exactly the same problems.
And people ! Please believe us when we tell you that we have NO duplicate apps.

[CambAngst]

In general, is there any way to control which apps appear in the "Open With" submenu? Sometimes apps that I would like to see are notably absent from the list. Is this something that's user-controllable somewhere or does Steve know what's best for me?

[Mediaman_12]

There really neads to be a control for this menu, Some files come up with enormous great lists, with loads of apps you wouldn't dream of opening the file with. e.g. with .HTM files on my computer the 'open with' menu comes up with (after a few second delay) IE, Safari, Dreemwever, BB edit, Word, Quark(?), InDesign(?), Photoshop(?), Illustrator(?), Parsec(?), Quake3(?), and others in a giant list.

[dampeoples]

I find a reboot fixes most of my weird problems like this

[poocat]

i hate this list recently, because i get every little thing. it's like it can't tell what is an app and what's a part of an app. strange.

for example i get a thousand parts of photoshop that could be used to open something. but... i also get photoshop.

weird.

i wish we could edit this list.

poocat.

[aehaas]

Sometimes older programs were put in the trash and still show up in the open with box. Try emptying the trash and restarting.

aehaas

Sometimes I am absolutely certain there are no duplicates but when I do a search I do a in fact find some dups. Do a search and state that it finds no dupes. Then we will believe that there are none with certainty.

[Mr Scruff]

Originally posted by poocat:
i hate this list recently, because i get every little thing. it's like it can't tell what is an app and what's a part of an app. strange.

for example i get a thousand parts of photoshop that could be used to open something. but... i also get photoshop.

weird.

i wish we could edit this list.

poocat.

It's actually possible to edit what appears on this list. It's actually controlled by each app advertising it's services in it's info.plist for what document types is can open.

Note, make sure you back up the app in question before proceeding with this!

So, to remove an application (eg. Quake 3) from this list do the following:-

1. Select the application and from the contextual menu do 'Show Package Contents'.

2. Open the 'Contents' folder and double click the file 'Info.plist'

3. Find the section of the file you need to remove. It will probably be the relevant file extension (eg. htm or html) enclosed with <string></string>. Delete this section (including the <string></string> bit.

This should be all you need to do but the information will likely be cached so you may need to move the application to the desktop and back to reset the cache.

This would be a good opportunity for a 3rd party developer - I'd have a look but I'm too busy at the moment!

[Keiretsu]

Originally posted by homgran:
Why not try opening a document with, say, Safari (use the higher of the two icons in your `Open With' menu). Now return to the Finder and repeat this porocess, only this time select the lower Safari icon. Now look at your dock.

Does the dock contain two Safari.app icons instead of one (they won't be adjacent to each other, one will likely be at the bottom/right, depending on where your dock is situated)?

If there are two separate Safari.app icons in your dock, ctrl-click --> "Show In Finder" each one to see where each application is loacted. This will determine whether or not you have duplicate copies of Safari on your HD.

Oh yeah, and you don't happen to have an external drive connected to your Mac, do you?


-Matt

I have no dupes! I'm smart enough to check this myself.

Both links work and I get only one instance running (which is located at the default location in the Applications folder).

[Keiretsu]

Originally posted by Jerome_69:
I have exactly the same problems.
And people ! Please believe us when we tell you that we have NO duplicate apps.

Cool my first "follower" in the non-dupe-but-still-too-apps guild ;-)

[Keiretsu]

Originally posted by dampeoples:
I find a reboot fixes most of my weird problems like this

I did
- reboot
- update prebinding
- kill my caches (~/Library/Caches)
- check/repair permission
- fsck the drive
- empty the trash
- search for dupes (e. g. sudo find / -iname "*Safari*")
...

[Keiretsu]

Originally posted by aehaas:
Sometimes older programs were put in the trash and still show up in the open with box. Try emptying the trash and restarting.

aehaas

Sometimes I am absolutely certain there are no duplicates but when I do a search I do a in fact find some dups. Do a search and state that it finds no dupes. Then we will believe that there are none with certainty.

Since when will a Safari upgrade (disguised a a Security Patch) put anything in the trash ... but rest assured I did empty the trash!

I did even search for Safari dupes all over the place:
sudo find / -iname "*safari*" -print

[Keiretsu]

/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

[Jerome_69]

Originally posted by Keiretsu:
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

Wow ! It's working for me ! Thanks !

[ReggieX]

Originally posted by poocat:
for example i get a thousand parts of photoshop that could be used to open something. but... i also get photoshop.

Those are ImageReady and Photoshop actions. (Make GIF 128.exe, etc.)