Uninstalling an app on your Mac isn't as straightforward as you would think. When you drag and drop an app into the Trash, then empty it, the main app itself may be gone, but many associated files and folders are left behind. So how do you get rid of them? There are a couple of ways. To completely delete an application and all of its linked files and folders, you can either do it manually or let another app do it for you. This guide covers both.
Either way, you're on your way to a spot-free Mac OS X computer. How to Manually Uninstall Apps & Their Files This method relies on you doing the work to purge all associated files from your Mac. If you don't want to do any work, and don't mind installing another app to do your dirty work, then jump down to the next method. Step 1: Drag & Drop App into Trash Apps will usually reside in the Applications folder, but if not, you can use either Spotlight or Finder to locate it. Find the app you want to delete and drag it to Trash—I'll be getting rid of Samsung Kies. Now you've seemingly uninstalled the app, but unfortunately you haven't rid your Mac of all the files associated with it, such as cache, framework, and PLIST files. Navigating through your Library folder, I'll show you how to get rid of these files and folders in the next step.
Steam folders are not in available in: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/. I can only find the steam app in Applications. Of either clicking the 'remove. The next time you run Steam, all your games will be there and you can start playing anything you want right away, no need to redownload or restore anything from a backup. Moving Your Steam Library on a Mac. If you’re using a Mac, the process is different, but no more difficult. Again, shut down Steam first before you begin.
Step 2: Get Rid of Associated Files Through Library Application resources—files which an app needs to function properly— can all be located within the Library folder on your hard drive. Unfortunately, after Mac OS X 10.7, Apple decided to hide this folder on your computer. So let's unlock it first.
First you'll need to open Finder, click on 'Go' in the menu bar, hold down on the Alt/Option key to bring up the Library option, then click on it. Don't Miss. Since I had over 50 folders, it took me a bit of time to go through everything and find the files I wanted to delete. To save you some time, these are the folders I found associated files of deleted apps:. Application Support.
Caches. Containers. Frameworks.
Logs. Preferences. Saved Application State. WebKit Below you can see some of the files that Samsung Kies left behind on my computer, including two framework files that I found in the Frameworks folder and three cache files that were inside of a Kies folder in Caches. All in all, I found loads of empty folders and files pertaining to apps that I had deleted long ago, in the folders I mentioned above.
Inside of Application Support, I found several local files for games from Steam that I didn't need, so I deleted those. In Containers, I wiped preference settings for. Saved Application State had numerous data files, for apps such as and, all of which had to go. As I mentioned earlier, going through each folder could be time-intensive, but luckily there's an easier way to hunt down rogue files from applications past. Step 3: Use Search in Library Instead of manually going through each folder in Library, enter the app's name into the search bar at the top right of Finder.
You'll see files with that app's name show up, as long as the 'Library' option is selected next to 'Search.' How to Uninstall Apps & Their Files Using Third-Party Apps If you'd rather not bother with the above process, these two apps will do the work for you.
Because neither of these files are on the Mac App Store, make sure to, if you haven't already. App #1: AppTrap With the free app, all you have to do is place an app into your Trash and all of its files associated with it will automatically go with it. Just download AppTrap for your OS X version, unzip the file, open the AppTrap.prefPane file, then click on 'Install.' Which Process Works Best for You? While deleting associated files will free up space on your computer, you need to be careful about what you delete from the Library folder. You can cause some damage if you're not well-acquainted, so make sure that what you get rid of won't cause any damage. If you're not quite sure, I suggest you use one of the two apps I mentioned above, both of which are free and incredibly easy to use.
With AppTrap and AppCleaner, you don't have to worry about any harm occurring to your iMac, MacBook, Mac mini, etc., other than completely nuking data from your deleted apps. Follow Apple Hacks over on and, or Gadget Hacks over on, and, for more Apple fun.
Thanks to frequent sales and tantalizing multi-game bundles, many Steam users have libraries containing hundreds, perhaps even thousands of games, and the one realization that all Steam users face at one point or another is that there are at least some games in their massive libraries that they will never, ever play. Rather than waste space with unwanted games, Steam recently introduced a way for users to permanently remove a game from their library, although it comes with a few big catches. Here’s how to remove a game from your Steam library, as well as some alternative steps you can take to keep your Steam library more manageable. Remove a Game from Your Steam Library When it comes to cleaning up and taming your sprawling Steam library, we’ll start with the most drastic solution: permanently removing a game from your library.
We’ll note up front that our use of the word “permanent” in the previous sentence was intentional. While we’re sure that someone in Steam Support may be able to help you restore a game to your account, this is intended to be an irreversible process that removes your access to a game without any refund or compensation, so make sure you’re truly willing to part with your chosen game, and don’t count on Gabe & Co. being willing to help you out if you make a mistake. Once you’re ready to remove a game from your Steam library, first fire up the Steam client and find it in your library list. In the example presented in our screenshots, we want to remove the that was included in a game bundle purchase from years ago. We don’t play the series much at all anymore, and we certainly don’t have much use for an. With the name of the game you wish to remove noted, click Help at the top of the window and select Steam Support. From there, select Games, Software, etc.
You’ll see a list of your recently purchased and played games, but you can search your entire Steam library using the search box at the bottom of the window. In our example, we’ll search for “Left 4 Dead,” which reveals the Left 4 Dead 2 Beta we wish to remove. Select your desired game and you’ll see a page with the game’s purchase details and links to common support issues ( Tip: this is also where you can request technical support for specific games, or request a refund if your purchase date and play time meet ). As you may have guessed, the option we’re looking for is I want to permanently remove this game from my account. Here’s where things can get tricky. If the game you’re trying to remove was a single, standalone purchase, you’re all set. But if the game is part of certain bundles or discounted packages, Steam will require you to remove all of the games in that bundle in order to remove just the one undesired title.
In our example, our Steam account acquired the Left 4 Dead 2 Beta in July 2011 as part of a bundle that included the full versions of both. In order to remove the Left 4 Dead 2 Beta from our Steam library, we’re required to also permanently remove access to both full games in the series. For the sake of this tip, and because we never play these particular games anymore, we’ll select OK, remove the listed games from my account permanently. You’ll receive a brief confirmation message and when you head back to your Steam library, you’ll see that the game(s) are gone. That’s one drastic way to stop seeing a game you don’t like, but there are a few other options that might be a better solution. Continue on to page 2 for some alternative solutions that still allow you to keep access to your games.