I usually install app just to try. And I cannot help me with that junk the apps left. Is it better to backup before install the app and revert the system with time machine after the trial? Is there a easy way to do this? Just recover the part the app mess.
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Marçal Nardelli
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How Do I Cleanly Uninstall an App In MacOs High Sierra?
Comments: 4 Responses to “How Do I Cleanly Uninstall an App In MacOs High Sierra?”
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Restoring to a previous backup is a very extreme measure. You'd lose any files and work you did as well, plus it would be very time-consuming. Not a good idea for many reasons.
Just uninstall. Are you talking about App Store apps? Then it is easy to uninstall using Launchpad. If you are not talking about App Store apps then you follow the uninstall procedure for that particular app. Some have uninstallers. Many are just drag-to-the-trash. Others have a list of steps provided by the developers, but this should be rare. For the most part uninstalling is easy on the Mac, but people expect it to be harder and so feel that there must be more steps.
As for the "junk the apps left" -- what do you mean? If you created documents with the app, then delete those as well. An uninstaller would not delete those for you as it can't assume you don't want those documents. If you mean any preference files, then sometimes uninstallers get rid of those for you as well. But otherwise don't worry about them. Worrying about them is like worrying about the dirt from your shoes on the mats on the floor of your car -- the added weight will hurt your gas mileage, right? A 500 byte preference file is not something you'll notice on a 500GB drive. Apps on Mac don't really create junk the way that apps on other systems do (or did, years ago).
But if you are installing lots of apps from outside the App Store on a regular basis "just to try" then that is a habit you'll need to stop. That just isn't safe. You should only install non-App Store apps from developers and sources you trust. Which means an occasional install from a big company (Adobe, Microsoft) or a rare instance from a developer with a reputation (Smile, Panic). But other than that you are just asking for trouble. You'll have adware or some other sort of malware very soon and those are intentionally difficult to uninstall.
Marçal, while not recommended by Gary, I use an app uninstaller called AppDelete by Reggie Ashworth for macOS. I have been using it for several years and on several versions of macOS. It is free to try and costs $7.99 to buy. I should point out that while writing this comment I found out that the developer died in a car accident in 2017 and someone else is supporting the app, at least according to his website and Facebook Page. It has been a little more than a year since the app was updated.
Hey! Thanks for the answers!
That’s was exactly what I would like to know.
Such an honor to be replied by Gary. I follow you since I bought my MBP in 2011.
Keep the great job!
I've used AppCleaner from freemacsoft for years. It protects OSX apps and gets rid of all the cruft.