Learning how to uninstall programs on Mac is a very simple task, but this is something that confuses many users’ especially first timers. Removing programs from a Windows computer operating system based machine requires the user to go to the Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel and the select the programs that the user which to uninstall. But in a Mac this process is very different.
Uninstalling programs is one such task, and there are two different ways in which you can achieve this. Remember that there are two kinds of programs that will be presented on your Mac namely bundled programs and unbundled programs.
The bundled programs can be removed very quickly because all their bundled files are in one single location. Unbundled programs will require some extra manual work of removing preferences, saved data and other such files. If you fail to remove these other files, they will take up unnecessary space on your hard drive and create clutter in the future.
As mentioned earlier, there are methods of removing programs and applications from your Mac. This article will give you details about both of these methods.
Method# 1 for Bundled Programs
There are few steps involved in this method, but this is more suitable for your bundled programs. Since all the additional files are in the same location it is easier to get rid all of them at the same time. Here are the steps for carrying out the same.
Double click on the “Macintosh HD” button on the desktop. You will then see all the contents on hard drive in the form of Applications, System and Library.
Double click n the “Applications’ icon”. This will show you all the applications and programs that are installed on your machine.
Click on the applications that you wish to remove and drag them to the Trash Bin on your desktop. This will successfully uninstall them.
Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl button when you are reviewing the list application. Click on the “Move to Trash” option and then select the applications that you wish to uninstall.
Please note that if you are using this method, you will need to go to their folders and move all those file to the Trash Bin separately as well. Leaving these files on the hard drive is not advisable.
Method # 2 for Unbundled Programs
This method will use some third party application or removal tool. This is more suitable for unbundled programs, as these tools remove all associated files and data as well. Most of these tools work in a similar fashion to the Add/Remove option on Windows operating system. You just view all the applications that are on your machine (bundled and unbundled) and then you proceed to remove them from a common and easy to use interface. You can even use the features of these tools to find all the associated files and then remove them easily.
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.
The form collects name and email so that we can add you to our newsletter list for project updates. Checkout our privacy policy for the full story on how we protect and manage your submitted data!
