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Uninstall a mac os x program. Removing programs from a MacBook. How to uninstall a program on Mac OS X. Uninstalling via the Recycle Bin

Detailed instructions for removing programs, games and applications on a computer or laptop running the Mac OS operating system using the standard method and using third-party software.

People who have been using personal computers running the Windows operating system for a long time, when they switch to a MacBook, often cannot immediately figure out how to remove a program or game from the computer. The problem is that the Mac operating system implements many functions completely differently than Windows. In the Mac operating system, the " Installation and removal of programms" is simply missing, and many programs do not have an executable file " Uninstall».

From our article you will learn how to remove an application, program or game from a computer running an operating system Mac standard means and using third-party software.

How to completely remove a program, game, application on MAC OS in the standard way: instructions

So, as mentioned above, deleting games and programs in the operating system Mac happens a little differently than in the Windows operating system. However, the removal process itself is much more convenient and takes only a few seconds. To remove any program you need to follow a few simple steps:

Step 1.

  • First, you will need to open the directory with all the programs, games and applications installed on your device. To do this, click on the file manager icon Finder, which is on the panel Dock From the left side.

Image 2. Launching the Finder application on the Mac OS operating system.

Step 2.

  • In the window that opens on the left side, go to the section “ Programs" All applications and games that are installed on your computer are displayed here. Find among them the one you want to delete.

Image 3: Finding the application to be uninstalled in the Programs section.

Step 3.

  • With the left mouse button, select the program to be removed and press the "" button on the keyboard. Del».
  • You can also right-click on the program and select the line “ Move to cart».

Step 4.

  • This is actually the entire removal process. If in the Windows operating system only the shortcut is removed in this way, then in the Mac operating system the entire program is uninstalled.
  • To permanently remove the program and free up space on your hard drive, click on the trash can icon in the panel Dock right-click and from the context menu that appears, select the line “ Empty trash».

Program for uninstalling programs on MAC OS: how to download, install, use?

Despite the fact that the process described above for removing games and programs from a computer running an operating system MacOS much more convenient than what is present in the Windows operating system, it has one big drawback. After moving the application's executable file to the trash and then emptying it, a lot of configuration files, folders and other garbage remain on the computer's hard drive.

Over time, garbage accumulates and clogs the hard drive, which leads to a significant decrease in the performance of the operating system. Due to the fact that in MacOS There is no built-in mechanism for cleaning up garbage; users have to resort to third-party software, which, preferably, should immediately clean up all residual files after the program being deleted.

Image 6. Program for removing applications “AppCleaner”.

One such cleaning program is the program AppCleaner, which is freely available and optimized for operating system versions Mac OS X 10.4+ And Mac OS X 10.6+. You can download the program from official website developer by selecting the required version on the right side of the main page.

In order to completely remove a game or program via AppCleaner, You need to do the following:

Step 1.

  • Go to official site programs AppCleaner, download the version that suits you, extract it from the archive and install it by dragging the icon AppCleaner to the section " Programs».

Image 7. Installing the AppCleaner application on a MacBook.

Step 2.

  • Find the app via Launchpad, launch it and on the main screen click on the “ Programs».

Image 8. Search and launch the AppCleaner application.

Step 3.

  • From the list of displayed programs, mark with a marker the one you want to delete and click on the button " Search».

Image 9. Search for associated files with the program to be removed using the AppCleaner application.

Step 4.

  • AppCleaner will start the process of searching for files on the hard drive that are in one way or another related to the program being removed. After completing the process, click on the “ Delete».
  • Thus, you will get rid of not only the program itself, but also all the extra garbage that it leaves behind.

Image 10. Removing the program and residual files using the AppCleaner application.

VIDEO: How to completely remove programs on Mac OS using the AppCleaner application?

Owners of Apple laptops and desktops may know how to remove a program in the Windows operating system, but are not sure how to do it on a new device.

The operating principle of Mac OS differs significantly from Windows, including the process of removing unnecessary software. There are several options for how to properly uninstall software.

Method No. 1

The easiest method to remove a program for Mac OS. Instructions:

  1. Go to the Programs menu from File Explorer.

  1. Select the application you want to remove.

  1. Drag its icon to the trash. Another option is to right-click on the program to bring up the context menu and select the “Move to Trash” option. This also works for various files.

After emptying the Recycle Bin, the uninstallation process is finally completed.

Method No. 2

The software can also be removed using the LaunchPad itself, built into the system. You can activate it by pinching four fingers on the touchpad.

  1. To enter delete mode, go to the application menu and hold your finger or the cursor on any of the icons. Each of them will begin to vibrate, and a cross will appear at the top.

  1. Click on the cross of the application that you want to remove.

  1. Give agreement for uninstallation.

To check, you should go to the “Library” folder and make sure that the program has not left traces in the form of unnecessary files and folders. To get into it, just follow a couple of simple steps:

  1. Open the user folder.

  1. Hold down the Options key. In the menu that opens, select “Go” - “Library”.

If you are sure that you will not use this application in the future, delete everything related to it in this window. Also check the “Application Support” and “Preferences” folders, because most often this is where the software stores files necessary for work, which later turn into “garbage”.

Conclusion

Uninstalling a program on Mac OS is easy and rarely causes difficulties for users who installed it using the Apple Store. However, even if you use a third-party installer, you should not be afraid - usually, even using simple methods, you can completely uninstall the application.

Keep in mind that software that requires additional system files to run is more likely to leave traces behind (for example, Adobe CC). But even so, you will already know how to deal with it.

Video instruction

We also suggest watching a video on the topic under consideration.

One of the benefits of using OS X or macOS is the ease of common tasks. One of the common tasks that you will probably encounter at some point is removing unnecessary programs, also known as applications. If you've ever had to uninstall an app from a MacBook, then you'll know that the process is quite simple. But, for those who are faced with this task for the first time, we decided to describe in detail 2 ways to remove a program on a MacBook!

Method 1: Uninstall an application using Launchpad

Uninstalling programs on the macOS operating system using the Launchpad application is one of the simplest ways. Well, to do this, launch Launchpad (press F4 on the keyboard or the corresponding icon in the Dock bar). Once Launchpad is launched, you need to press and hold the app icon until it starts to shake and an "x" icon appears in the top right corner, just like on iOS. As you may have guessed, now you need to press the “x” button and confirm your choice, after which the application will be deleted from the MacBook forever!

Method 2: Uninstall an application using Search

While the first method of deleting an application does not provide for a return, method 2 is a little more loyal. Instead of launching Launchpad, open a new search window. This can be done by dragging the corresponding icon on the Dock bar or pressing the key combination ⌘ + N. In the “Favorites” menu on the left side of the window you will see the “Applications” tab. If not, you can find it by using the Spotlight app (⌘ + Space) and find the program you want.

You should know this:

Once you are in the applications folder, you can now simply drag an unnecessary program (application) to the trash can icon in the Dock bar. If you change your mind or accidentally delete the wrong files, you can return the application from the Trash back to the Applications folder. Or use the command ⌘ + Z to undo the action. To permanently remove a program on your MacBook and free up disk space using this method, you need to right-click on the Trash icon and select “Empty Trash” from the drop-down menu.

Perhaps you know other ways to remove programs on a MacBook? If so, tell us about it!

Stay tuned, there is still a lot of interesting things ahead.

In the Mac OS operating system, there are several ways to remove utilities from your device. You can use both standard tools and third-party programs. The uninstallation process is significantly different from what is familiar to users of Windows-based computers. Therefore, before you remove the program from your Mac, read the detailed instructions. Our material will help you understand this issue if you are just getting acquainted with Mac OS.

Differences between the procedure and Windows

In a Microsoft operating system, you can only remove a program by running the uninstallation process. If you manually delete application files to the Recycle Bin and then clean them, information about the utility will still remain in the system. In Mac OS, due to a different architecture, deletion is carried out using a different method.

Options for uninstalling programs in Mac OS X?

Methods for deleting applications are presented below:

  • via Trash;
  • through the Library;
  • via Launchpad.

Since all applications in Mac OS are presented in the form of a closed folder with the APP extension, deleting this folder is enough to completely get rid of unnecessary software, games, etc.

How to remove a program from a MacBook or iMac to the Trash?

The principle of the recycle bin works the same as in Windows. Drag the utility icon onto the Trash icon and release. With a characteristic sound, the file will fit in Trash. Next, you need to delete files from the Recycle Bin. To do this, right-click on the icon with your mouse or touchpad and select “Clear” or Empty in the context menu. Useful hotkeys:

  1. to move a file to the trash, use Cmd+Del;
  2. to clear use Cmd+Shift+Del;
  3. To clean without popping up confirmation of the procedure, press Cmd+Shift+Opt+Del.

How to remove a program on Mac OS through the library:

  • open Finder;
  • go to “Programs”;
  • find the utility you need and right-click on it;
  • in the menu, select the line “Move to Trash”;
  • then clean the basket again.

To remove the software using the third method, you need to click on the Launchpad icon.

Find the software icon and hold the cursor on it. A cross will appear at the top. This method only works for applications from the App Store. Now you know how to remove a program from Macbook Air, Pro, iMac and .

Let's look at all the existing ways to quickly uninstall a program on Mac OS. The peculiarity of this operating system is that even after uninstallation, program files remain on the computer. All of the methods described below will completely uninstall the software from your computer.

Mac OS does not have a registry Accordingly, the program removal functionality is completely different from the Windows algorithm. As you know, in Windows applications are uninstalled using the Control Panel window. In OS X, in order to erase software, you just need to move it to the Trash. This method is considered standard, but as a result of its execution, temporary program files remain on the system.

Over time, these files clutter up your Mac, so we recommend removing programs using one of the methods described below.

Method 1 - Removing fromLaunchpad

The Launchpad (also known as Launchpad) in Mac OS is the same as the desktop in Windows. This window contains shortcuts to all applications that the user himself has added there.

With Launchpad you can very easily uninstall a program that you no longer need. Just drag its icon to the Trash. This action conditionally deletes the application, and you can return it at any time without losing all saved game or project data.

If you want to permanently remove the utility, simply open the Trash and delete the program file or the contents of the entire Trash at once. This uninstallation method is suitable for ordinary client programs, small games and office applications.

Please note that if the program is part of an entire software package or the game constantly works with the server, creating new files in the OS, it is better to use additional cleaning methodsMac OS.

After emptying the Recycle Bin, you need to make sure that there are no more saved utility settings left in the file system. If there are any, you just need to move them to the Trash in the same way and then empty its contents.

The file manager in OS X is called Library. It stores files of all installed applications, data about running processes, their settings and current configuration.

To clean up any remaining files from an app, go to Finder. The main menu is displayed in the window header. Click on “Go” and then on “Library”, as shown in the image below:

In the window that appears find the folder with the name of the deleted application and move it to the Trash, which you then empty.

If you are unable to delete a directory because the “Try again” message keeps popping up, restart your computer and delete the folder again.

Method 2 - UseFinder

Finder is a system utility for searching files and configuring your OS X, which runs in constant mode. Can't close Finder, because it is responsible for displaying the entire computer interface.

Also, with its help you can remove installed programs.

Follow the instructions:

1. Find the Finder icon on your computer's toolbar and click on it;

3. Now select the item you want to erase from your computer, and right-click on it. In the context menu that appears, click on "Add to cart";

A program is deleted the moment its name disappears from the list in the Finder. Note that disk space has not been freed up because the files are still in the Recycle Bin. Return to your desktop and right-click on the Trash. In the list of options, click on “Clear”. Thus, the application will be completely removed from the OS. If the program creates temporary files, you just need to restart your computer to delete them.

Method 3 – Using an uninstaller

If the application was not installed from the official App Store, it is not advisable to delete it using the methods described above. After installing such software, a special uninstaller also appears on the system - a utility that correctly removes a specific program from your PC.

Follow the instructions to find and run the uninstaller:

  • Go to Finder and open the section "Programs";
  • Click on the software name. In the list of files related to the software that opens, click on the icon labeled Uninstall;
  • Run the uninstaller. Follow all the instructions in the window that appears to complete the software removal.

Method 4 – Third Party Uninstallation Programs

In addition to standard uninstallation methods, you can use third-party cleaning programs. Let's look at the most popular of them.

App Cleaner

App Cleaner is the most popular utility for deleting data from your Mac.

Download software you can from the official website of the developer at the link https://freemacsoft.net//appcleaner///.

After installing App Cleaner, open the utility window. Then click on the tab Applications:

Next, wait until the utility downloads information about all the software that is installed on the system. Then you will see the window shown in the figure below. Move the icons of the programs you want to remove into it.