In Mac OS or Mac OS X, what steps should I use to remove an application?

You can remove many applications from Mac OS or Mac OS X simply by throwing the application's icon in the Trash. However, sometimes you must do more than this to completely remove the application from your system. Other components, such as control panels, extensions, libraries, and preference files, may still remain on your computer. Three ways to remove an application entirely are described below:

Use the installer program

If the application you are trying to remove has an installer program, see if that installer also has an uninstall or remove function. In some cases, this option won't be immediately apparent, but many of the newer installers do have this capability.

Use a generic uninstaller

If the installer doesn't have an uninstall function, try a generic uninstaller. Smith Micro makes one such program, Spring Cleaning, which is available for purchase at the mysmithmicro web site.

Remove the application manually

If you don't have an uninstaller, you can manually remove the application pieces:

Mac OS X

Frequently, applications native to Mac OS X are installed as self-contained packages. To throw them away, all you need to do is drag the application icon into the Trash. If the application is installed inside a folder, throw away the entire folder. Also, look for pieces of the application in the subfolders of the Library folders, which are in your home directory, as well as in the top level of your startup disk. But be very careful with what you discard from here, as it is possible to disable your system if you remove the wrong files.

To search for application files, while in the Finder, from the File menu, select Find... . In the window that opens, you can specify conditions for the search, including the search location, words or letters that the name should include, and whether or not to include invisible files. For more information on searching for invisible files, see In Mac OS X, how do I view invisible files? Once you have made your selections, click Search. The results will appear in a separate window.

Mac OS 9.x and earlier

1. Although not essential, it is a good idea to rebuild your desktop before uninstalling a program. This helps ensure that your computer will correctly associate components with their parent applications. For instructions, see On a Mac OS or Mac OS X computer, how do I rebuild the desktop, and why would I want to?
   
   
2. Remove the application, as well as any other pieces of it that you can find, by moving them to the Trash. Often, the components of an application will be included in a folder.
   
   
3. Use the Find utility to locate other pieces of the application by following these steps:
   
   
   1. In the Finder, from the File menu, select Find... . (In System 6, from the Apple menu, select Findfile.)
   2. Search for the name of the application you wish to remove.
   3. Move the files that the Find utility locates to the Trash.
   
   
4. Search for any disabled pieces of the application in these folders: System, Control Panels, Extensions, Preferences, Startup Items, Shutdown Items, and Control Strip Modules. Also, search for any disabled versions of these folders.

   To find components more quickly, in Mac OS 8.0 and later, with the folder open, from the View menu, select as List. In the folder's window, click the Kind header. In Mac OS 7.6 or earlier, with the folder open, from the View menu, select By Kind.

5. Remove any other disabled pieces of the application that you find in your search.

Also see:

• In Mac OS X, why can't I empty the Trash or throw away a particular file or folder?
• On a Mac OS or Mac OS X computer, how do I rebuild the desktop, and why would I want to?
• In Mac OS or Mac OS X, how do I uninstall Microsoft Office?