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Uninstalling software

Whats the safest way to uninstall old applications on a Mac-book pro 2012 running Mojave 10.14.2

Posted on Aug 28, 2019 10:33 AM

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Posted on Aug 28, 2019 10:38 AM

Depends on which apps you want to uninstall.


Most can be dragged to the Trash but some must be uninstall with a procedure from the developer of the app.


Maybe if you provide the names of these apps, we might be able to provide more details.

10 replies

Aug 28, 2019 2:53 PM in response to FEO1429

FEO1429 Said:

"Whats the safest way to uninstall old applications on a Mac-book pro 2012 running Mojave 10.14.2"



Uninstaller:

Use the uninstalling method that is instructed directly from the developer, and none other. A pure example is Microsoft Office. You can drag it into the trash, but you would need to uninstall other items aswell.


Time Machine Recovery:

This method would be 100% safe, if you have nothing installed that you are concerned of losing. But, always create a Time Machine backup prior to an uninstallation. That way you can recover your entire Mac or just particular files. You can then use the Migration Assistant to bring particular items over.

Aug 28, 2019 10:56 AM in response to FEO1429

Most Mac OS applications can be dragged to the Trash and emptied, that's because most of the associated files are in the application bundle itself. The only "leftovers" would ordinarily be in ~/Library/Preferences and ~/Library/Application Support folders. These don't take up much space and can be deleted or just left alone.


IF third party apps came with a built-in uninstaller use that or check with the developer.

Uninstalling software

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