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finboy · Nov 30, 2005, 07:51 PM

Does anyone have a utility that they use to delete program installs in OS X? I know that we're supposed to be able to just drag and drop, but everything I've removed has left little files throughout the Unix file structure that I have to hunt down and kill one by one.

Sorry tooki, I just read your sticky about "what belongs here" -- I kinda figured that removal utilities was an OS question, not an application question. But move it if you have to.

lookmark · Nov 30, 2005, 08:01 PM

What are these programs that leave little files? If you mean .plists and the like -- seriously, just forget about them. They take up next to no room and are completely harmless. Or, if you're really OCD about it, do a Spotlight search.

Also, don't quote me on this, but if you install a program with Apple's Installer, I believe you can run Installer again to uninstall.

Big Mac · Nov 30, 2005, 08:03 PM

Unless you used a package installer like Fink to install those Unix programs, you're not going to find any uninstaller for them.

Concerning the previous post, for some reason the uninstall function of Installer was removed before OS X 10.0.

CharlesS · Nov 30, 2005, 08:34 PM

Heh, there's probably money to be made in a utility that writes and deletes files in a temporary location fast enough to make the disk churn a bit (to make it sound like something is happening) and then moves an app to the Trash. Uninstaller 1.0!

Tesseract · Nov 30, 2005, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Heh, there's probably money to be made in a utility that writes and deletes files in a temporary location fast enough to make the disk churn a bit (to make it sound like something is happening) and then moves an app to the Trash. Uninstaller 1.0!

Or a disk image with an alias to the Trash in it, with a suitable "application-looking" icon and labelled "Uninstaller.app - drag application onto me to uninstall it!"

$5 per download!

tooki · Nov 30, 2005, 09:14 PM

Hehehe.

But as for the original question: because Mac OS X doesn't use a registry, it's neither necessary nor possible for a single uninstaller to be made.

Some programs include uninstallers: these know what to uninstall because the installer told them precisely what was installed to begin with. Under no other circumstances can an uninstaller work.

tooki

finboy · Dec 1, 2005, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

Hehehe.

But as for the original question: because Mac OS X doesn't use a registry, it's neither necessary nor possible for a single uninstaller to be made.

Some programs include uninstallers: these know what to uninstall because the installer told them precisely what was installed to begin with. Under no other circumstances can an uninstaller work.

tooki

I wondered, too, if Unix had a provision for keeping up with what files were associated with whatever *.app . I mean, there are so many OTHER flags, why not one for that too?

finboy · Dec 1, 2005, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Heh, there's probably money to be made in a utility that writes and deletes files in a temporary location fast enough to make the disk churn a bit (to make it sound like something is happening) and then moves an app to the Trash. Uninstaller 1.0!

It isn't that simple. Symantec put stuff into startupitems, and it put things into services. I'd like one drag and drop to remove everything it installed. I thought it was supposed to be easier in OSX than in Windows, so I'm shocked to find out that it isn't.

Big Mac · Dec 1, 2005, 05:28 PM

Your mistake was installing anything Symantec.

himself · Dec 1, 2005, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Your mistake was installing anything Symantec.

Actually, I've used a utility that does exactly what he's asking for... OSXPM

It apparently works by reading the package receipts for any installed apps that have any, and deletes the files they point to.

I guess this will only work on apps that are installed from .pkg's and/or leave receipts behind (and if a user didn't decide to delete those receipts manually, for whatever reason).

I've used it to remove a couple of installations that placed dozens of files (like extensions and various frameworks and such) in various places... including files buried deep in those hidden folders at the root of the HD. incidentally, one of those apps was the Norton Utilities suite. it seems to work as advertised.

CharlesS · Dec 1, 2005, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by finboy

It isn't that simple. Symantec put stuff into startupitems, and it put things into services. I'd like one drag and drop to remove everything it installed. I thought it was supposed to be easier in OSX than in Windows, so I'm shocked to find out that it isn't.

Well, the Symantec crap is the kind of stuff that should come with its own uninstaller. The vast majority of apps do not work this way. I will second the person who said that Symantec apps should not be installed in the first place.

As for OSXPM, Desinstaller, etc., I do not recommend the use of such utilities. If a package updates something in the /System folder and you uninstall it with one of these programs, you could render your system non-bootable or introduce other very strange behaviors.

Love Calm Quiet · Dec 2, 2005, 01:37 AM

Originally Posted by himself

Actually, I've used a utility that does exactly what he's asking for...
...
I've used it to remove a couple of installations that placed dozens of files (like extensions and various frameworks and such) in various places... including files buried deep in those hidden folders at the root of the HD. incidentally, one of those apps was the Norton Utilities suite. it seems to work as advertised.

Please tell us WHAT apps do that. I'd like to avoid them. ESPECIALLY if they don't come with a button that reads, "Install carp all over my HD."

ntsc · Dec 2, 2005, 01:32 PM

to be fair anything that comes with a button that says "Install" is much the same thing, these days the preferred method for installation is a drag and drop install.

anything else except in a few cases should be reasonably unnecessary.

production_coordinator · Dec 2, 2005, 02:42 PM

IMHO, it's a good thing there isn't a uninstall. If there was, programmers could simply say "well, it's OK if we blast files all over the OS... there IS an uninstall"

production_coordinator · Dec 2, 2005, 03:02 PM

Also, to have an Uninstaller program presumes you NEED an uninstaller.

SydeffeX · Jan 5, 2006, 03:11 PM

Suprisingly, I'm havign similar troubles with the Final Cut Studio. the installers on the disks don't have the uninstall option. Some of them took close to 3 gigs during the install but the program in the application folder is around 300mb. so i'm assuming there are more files floating around there somewhere.

wataru · Jan 5, 2006, 03:30 PM

Look in /Library/Application Suport.

rjenkinson · Jan 5, 2006, 03:56 PM

http://www.macsnpods.com/index.php/w...nts/appzapper/

-r.

typoon · Jan 6, 2006, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by rjenkinson

http://www.macsnpods.com/index.php/w...nts/appzapper/

-r.

Sweet. I'll have to check this one out.