Forget the Leopard Bells and Whistles, Just Give Me an Uninstaller

by Chris Howard Feb 28, 2007

Latterly, I’ve been looking at alternatives to iPhoto, and there are a large number. But since none have satisfied, I won’t name names—except for Apple’s Aperture. If I write too much about my needs and why no apps have fulfilled them, I’ll be too far off track. Maybe I’ll save that for another article when I do find one that meets my needs. On that note, any developers who think they might have something, shoot me an email at chrish at the Apple Matters domain.

Now, back to the problem at hand. In a month or so, Apple will release Leopard, the whizz-bang-Vista-thumping new operating system. We’ll all be ooo-ing and ahhh-ing and saying it’s the best thing to hit planet Earth since the sun’s first rays. “Vista who?” we’ll say. We’ll scoff arrogantly at our poor cousins in the Windows world with their oh-so-2005 Vista OS.

However, unless it’s Steve’s big secret, there is one area where Vista will make OS X look oh-so-1994. And that’s uninstalling applications.

We Mac users like to brag about the simplicity of installing applications: simply drag and drop to the Applications folder. (Not that this is worth bragging about since most Apple applications use an installer…)

But when it comes to uninstalling, it’s not just a simple case of drag and drop to the trash. Well, it is, say some of the more zealous Mac users when talking to their poor cousins in the Windows world.

Now, the last time I used Windows’ uninstaller I can’t say it was a pretty experience, as often it doesn’t have a clue which files you should and shouldn’t remove, but at least it tries.

On OS X, where things are much simpler, with no DLLs, no registry, and few necessary third-party device drivers, uninstalling with an uninstaller should be a doddle.

And if you’ve ever run AppZapper or CleanUp, you’ll know that’s almost true. Often they identify only three files that need to be removed: the application, its preference file, and a folder in the Application Support folder. Some applications, though, burrow a bit deeper and have bits missed by these uninstallers.

Aperture, I discovered, is one of these. (It’s a shame that whoever develops Aperture doesn’t talk to Apple… wink) It only seems to go a smidge deeper, but it’s enough to rankle me again about the absence of an uninstaller in OS X as I had to manually hunt for other files to delete. This also makes me a little nervous about what else might get left behind.

The accompanying image for this article may seem a bit odd, but it is what appears in my screensaver preferences after deleting Aperture. And just to be sure, I even rebooted my Mac. It didn’t take much hunting around until I found the Aperture library that still existed and deleted it. As I said, it’s annoying that the user has to do that.

I had tried to make the process one-step by using AppZapper, which identified several files to remove; however, the Aperture library was not one of them.

It’s possible, even probable, that the screensaver preference has it built-in to look for the Aperture library. Okay then, but let’s not put the blame on AppZapper for not finding the Aperture library. Application uninstalling should be a part of an operating system.

In Googling for “How do I uninstall Aperture,” I uncovered another uninstaller application called Yank, which uses specific uninstallers for each application. It is an interesting approach, and although not getting favorable reviews on MacUpdate, it is one to watch; unlike an AppZapper which is reliant on a search of your hard disk, Yank should be much more accurate.

But, of course, the question still remains: Why?! Why doesn’t Apple provide this feature itself? Why should Joe Average User be expected to root around his/her system looking for preference files, caches, and other miscellaneous files just to remove an application?

It’s bad practice to encourage users to delete files they know nothing about. Next they’ll be hunting around the system folders to see where they can save space. And don’t think they can’t do any harm because they’re not an administrator. If it’s their Mac, they’ll be its administrator. And just to prove a point, in a fit of masochism—and absolute faith in SuperDuper—I did exactly that and deleted my system keychain from the main Library folder. All it took was the administrator password. (I then restored it from the trash.) There are probably much worse files to delete than that, but it does show how easy it is. So, Apple, let’s not encourage users to delete files they know nothing about.

This is one time when I don’t think it’s the responsibility of third-party developers to come up with a solution. Uninstalling applications should be a function of the operating system. So come on Apple, you conceded on the two-button mouse, Intel processors, and Windows on Macs, now it’s time to bring OS X all the way into the 21st century and provide an application uninstaller. (And one that gets all files and shows Windows how easy it should be.)

 

Comments

  • I don’t know, most of the apps I handle use drag and drop as an installation procedure.  But then, I don’t use a lot of high priced apps.  Maybe that’s the difference!

    I think the reason why you could delete the keychain file is that it isn’t a system level file.  It is a user file, specific to you.  Deleting it may give you a world of hurt as in restoring all those forgotten passwords when the system creates a new copy when you log in next, but it won’t crash your Mac.

    That said, I agree that Apple should provide some way to delete old app files.  I don’t know just how good they could make it, but I agree that it should be batter than Windows, if they just try…

    rahrens had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 18
  • The easiest way should be an uninstaller executable inside the .app package. When you delete the application, the uninstaller executable is started. That’s simplicity we expect from Apple.

    aToMac had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 5
  • Have you tried AppDelete?

    Here’s the link:  http://reggie.ashworth.googlepages.com/

    blkroz had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 1
  • In addition to uninstallers, and as much as I hate to admit it, I favor a registry of sorts.

    Not for settings as in windows, but more specifically so an uninstaller can locate the files to uninstall, and so that Softare Update can also locate installed packages.

    This annoys me greatly, because I like to organize /Applications into a hierarchy by category.  I know, I know, spotlight, saved searches, etc.  But some habits are hard or impossible to break.

    It would also be a treat if 3rd party developers could provide an update URL in said registry, and Software Update would iterate through said URL’s, such that one single Software Update mechanism is used for all software.

    pheller had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 1
  • @ pheller

    “... and as much as I hate to admit it, I favor a registry of sorts.”

    Do you mean something like the contents of your Receipts folder?

    brotherStefan had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 3
  • The easiest way should be an uninstaller executable inside the .app package. When you delete the application, the uninstaller executable is started. That’s simplicity we expect from Apple.

    You could even have something at build-time (or even run-time) that kept track of files automatically created by an application. These could be erased as an application bundle is dragged to the trash, or if automatic file-tracing isn’t feasible you could be prompted to confirm file & folder deletion. Apple could make a good interface for this, too. Hell, it could even have its own pref pane to avoid the bother for lazy users.

    You’re right, Chris, this is something that OS X sorely needs. It’s just plain unseemly to have app installation leaving files around by default.

    Benji had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 927
  • Some good suggestions in there guys, and it’s nice to see universal support for this one. Hopefully Apple will come to the party.

    rahrens, the one I deleted was in the main library. I’m not sure on the correct way to write that as a file path, but it definitely wasn’t in my user library. It would be some thing like: \Library\Keychains\System.keychain

    Chris Howard had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 1209
  • Chris, did I miss something in all the reviews of Vista? Are you saying that Vista does a better job of uninstalling Apps than XP did?

    My experience with uninstalling Apps in Windows was one where it left DLL’s all over the place and if you did uninstall them, there was a good chance that you were removing a DLL that another App actually used.

    Has Vista done something to fix this problem so that when you install an App in Vista that installs DLL’s, the uninstall process removes the DLL’s cleanly and safely?

    VesperDEM had this to say on Feb 28, 2007 Posts: 4
  • No idea, Vesper! All I’m saying is OS X should have an uninstaller and (for the reasons you mention) it should show Windows how it should be done.

    PS My experience of uninstalling in Windows was it would suggest to remove critical DLLs because it thought no other app was using them!

    Chris Howard had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1209
  • “However, unless it’s Steve’s big secret, there is one area where Vista will make OS X look oh-so-1994. And that’s uninstalling applications.”

    How can you make a claim like that and not know if Vista does a better job? One thing you have to remember here is that no incarnation of Windows actually has an uninstaller. It simply has a place where users can go to add/remove programs. When a user requests to remove a specific program, they are running a program that the developer installed along with the rest of their application that removes the program. Windows doesn’t know how to remove the program.

    Now, if you are asking Apple to create a program that allows users to “add/remove” programs like Windows, fine. However, I pretty much think OS X has the right idea with it leaving it up to the user and developers.

    “My experience of uninstalling in Windows was it would suggest to remove critical DLLs because it thought no other app was using them!”

    This is true, and yet, when you remove those DLL’s, either Windows or an App becomes unstable.

    VesperDEM had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 4
  • Simple. Windows has had uninstall in the OS since Windows 95. Thus, we have to go back to 1994.

    Even if Vista’s uninstall is worse than XP’s, the fact is Microsoft still provides it.

    Granted, as you say, that uninstall is Add/Remove, but your argument almost single-handedly proves how and why OS should have uninstall.

    The Windows uninstall works on install logs (as far as I remember).

    If OS X keeps install logs, then uninstall should be a doddle for Apple to implement.

    So let’s say it is the application installer in Windows that actually manages the uninstall, Windows still provides a frontend to users

    For the reasons I specified in the article, I don’t believe hunting through your system (the OS X way) is the best, safest or most efficient way to uninstall.

    The OS X philosophy is all about the user not having to get down and dirty with their computer.

    Forcing them to search through various library folders just to delete an app goes totally against that philosophy.

    Chris Howard had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1209
  • Sorry but I disagree. Many applications are drag and drop install and remove. Those that use installers, include uninstaller, just re-run the installer.

    But the bigger issue here is, if you just remove the application, does it hurt the system to leave the rest? Pref files are not a major problem. Some of the Application Support folders are a bit larger than I would leave lying around but the naming convention makes removing them easy if I didn’t use the uninstaller.

    This is just a non issue.

    Doug Petrosky had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 26
  • Doug, if it was a non-issue, there wouldn’t be so many uninstaller apps being written.

    Chris Howard had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1209
  • Wow Chris I have been randomly and I thought a lone voice trying to get a bit of interest in an OS based installer for X. I don’t care if windoze has it or not, if Linux has or not or even if Be was going have one that made coffee, the simple fact is if I decide it get rid of something I want it gone. If my near tech illiteriate family members want an app to be gone they ought to be able to turn to the OS to do the job consistently, completely and simply. I can guarantee Doug and those of like mind that it’s so daunting for some people that they’re not switching from one OS to another - they’re just not switching a computer on at all. If a toaster accepted bread but didn’t pop up when it was toast - would you buy it? To me this is the same thing an OS that aids installation but not deletion is only doing half the job.

    Teds had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1
  • Windows does not and has not ever provided an uninstaller outside of their own software.  It’s just a place to look at installed/registered apps.

    I’m not sure I want Apple adding a registry, or another database to my machine; do you want more artifacts??  Once you do this, you are requiring all developers to write to it, which isn’t going to happen (certainly not out of the box).  You do have to actually install to the Windows registry.  I could certainly write a program which does not register and just leaves all sorts of files around your machine, about which Windows has no idea.  This item WILL NOT show up in the add/remove list.  Now you’re back to the same problem all over again; this is all about the developers.

    Frankly, I’d rather deal with manual uninstalls rather than a Windows registry.  Windows registry is also why an installer is required, whereas we just drag and drop in X (don’t need to script any registry entries).

    I really just want good installer/uninstaller apps with the applications I choose to install, as necessary.

    Then again, after looking at the Time Machine in Leopard, I wouldn’t be surprised if Steve™ could figure out an entirely new and superior method.

    noise had this to say on Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1
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