Deleting programs

[Barry Garsson]

Just purchased a new Mac Mini and currently setting it up. There are lots and lots of programs installed in it that I don't need and will never use.

When I used to use Windows, I had to go to "Start -> Control Panel -> Remove Programs" and click on the one I wanted to remove, click on the "remove" button, and it would be deleted.

In the Mac I do not see any such uninstall routine. I know, for example, that I have the program icon for Firefox in the Finder Applications window, but there is also a default folder in the library.

If I want to delete a program completely, how do I find all of the components? Or is there an application in here I am not aware of?

Barry

 

[bobw]

Just drag the application to the trash and empty. Firefox and some other programs put folders in the User/Library/Application Support folder. Drag those to the trash.
There may also be a preference file, but it's so small I wouldn't worry about it.

You can get EasyFind and use that to find any files.

 

[ex2bot]

To give more information, most Mac programs are actually in a special kind of folder. When you double-click on their icon, for example iMovie's, it runs the program. So if you want to uninstall iMovie, simply drag it to the trash and you have gotten rid of almost all of its support files. Convenient.

This Application Support nonsense is making things a bit more complicated. For example, if you don't want Garageband, look in /Library/Application Support/ and trash the Garageband folder there. It's enormous. **EDIT: Looks like with iLife '06 the 1 GIG of audio loops are in /Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple

Ouch! That's, if anything, worse.

Doug

 

[fryke]

If you're currently setting up the Mac mini, I'd go the other way 'round. Start the Mac from your installation DVD and re-install OS X with only the apps and languages you really need. There's some sort of "customize" button during the installation where you can deselect stuff.

 

[Satcomer]

If you really want a remove any trace of a program a dead simple shareware program called AppZapper that will bring back the "remove" function you were used to in Window's Add/Remove pane.

Also maybe you should go out to your local big box book seller and look for the book Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition by New York Times tech columnist David Pogue. Trust me when I say it will help you well along the way to becoming a Macintosh geek and it is very easy read. If you don't believe me, read the the Amazon reviews I linked to.