What keeps breaking LaunchServices and how can I prevent it?

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V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

What keeps breaking LaunchServices and how can I prevent it?

Hi all,

my system is this:

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013), 16 GB RAM, El Capitan 10.11.6

My question and problem is this:

Whenever I choose a file Finder and then right-click on „Open with…“ I see a total chaos of apps… including those I have long since deleted from my system and/or several version in a row of those still present (s. screenshot).

I then repair LaunchServices using a terminal script (several of which I found here in this forum), e. g. this one:

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain u -domain s -domain l -v

… then re-boot the computer and all is well - for a very, very short time after which the „Open with…“ chaos is there all over again.

What is it? What keeps breaking the LaunchServices all the time? How can I prevent it (instead of having to repair it over and over again)?

Many thanks for all and any help!

iMac 21.5", OS X 10.11

Posted on Apr 29, 2019 8:48 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eric Root

Level 10

684,057 points

Apr 29, 2019 9:24 AM in response to V.E.

Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. Please post back on whether or not this worked. Also try the Safe Mode. Please post back on whether or not this worked.

Isolating an issue by using another user account

Safe Mode - About

If it works in the Safe Mode, try running this program when booted normally and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown. If the log won’t post, try posting it in Pastebin and provide a link in a reply Pastebin

Etrecheck – System Information

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Answer 2

V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

May 5, 2019 1:25 PM in response to Eric Root

Hello again, Eric!

This thing with LaunchServices displaying a total chaos on „Open with…“ seems to be an old and rather well known problem which, very luckily, can easily be cured.

(Lest I forget: creating a new user account did not change anything.)

The best cures I have found are here:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/150392/why-does-open-with-display-so-many-instances-of-an-app/150396#150396

and here:

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/39912/how-to-omit-apps-from-external-drives-in-open-with-menu

and here:

https://superuser.com/questions/348930/how-to-prevent-applications-on-an-external-hard-drive-from-showing-up-in-the-op

At last, my problem with LaunchServices has been solved. Very much hoping, other people with derailed

LaunchServices will find the above advice helpful as well.

Many thanks for your help all the same!

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Answer 3

V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 29, 2019 10:19 AM in response to Eric Root

Thank you so much, Eric, for your reply!

1) Safe mode doesn't change anything, I tried it several times already...

Terminal --> LaunchServices repair script --> shut down --> boot in safe Mode --> (optional) run the a. m. script sgain --> reboot normally --> LaunchServices are OK --> after several minutes (using Mail, Firefox, what else... in the meantime) the LaunchServices chaos is there again...

2) I have not tried the option of another user account yet - will do.

3) The EtreCheck report is attached:

EtreCheck report of 2019-04-29 17:17:49

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Answer 4

V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 30, 2019 1:05 PM in response to Eric Root

I deleted everything *LaunchServices* from my ~/Library/Preferences --> restarted the computer --> rebuilt LaunchServices with a Terminal script --> restarted the computer --> this is how it looks like now in my ~/Library/Preferences:

But when I right-click on a file in Finder and choose "Open with..." the whole chaos is there all over again (seems to me even worse than before)...

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Answer 5

V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 29, 2019 11:15 AM in response to Eric Root

Nothing...

Dragged the mega.mac.megaupdater.plist from LaunchAgents to the desktop, uninstalled the Mega app, ran the LaunchServices rapiair script, rebooted the computer:

The "Open with..." chaos is there again.

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Answer 6

V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 30, 2019 5:00 AM in response to Eric Root

Hello again, Eric!

For lack of time I still have not been able to test the system with a new user account (but will certainly do).

In the meantime, could you please kindly comment on my yesterday’s posting with the question

„Why do I have so many entries of LaunchServices in my ~/Library/Preferences? Could this be an answer to my problem?“

incl. the screenshot?

Many thanks!

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Answer 7

V.E. Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 29, 2019 10:38 AM in response to V.E.

PS: Why do I have so many entries of LaunchServices in my ~/Library/Preferences? Could this be an answer to my problem?

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Answer 8

Eric Root

Level 10

684,057 points

Apr 29, 2019 10:40 AM in response to V.E.

You are welcome. Try dragging the files to you Desktop, restart the computer, and test.

 mega.mac.megaupdater.

Try uninstalling the above using the Developer's uninstall instructions.

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Answer 9

Eric Root

Level 10

684,057 points

Apr 30, 2019 11:13 AM in response to V.E.

You are welcome. I don't know why. The only one I have is com.apple.launchservices.secure.plist. Try dragging the others to your Desktop, restart the computer, and see if things change.

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Answer 10

Eric Root

Level 10

684,057 points

May 6, 2019 9:43 AM in response to V.E.

You are welcome. Thanks for posting the fix.

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What keeps breaking LaunchServices and how can I prevent it?

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