in Applications Folder there is a Firefox.app that keeps reappearing when deleted

Question

in Applications Folder there is a Firefox.app that keeps reappearing when deleted

I'm currently running Monterey 12.4 on an M1 Mac mini. The problem that I'm having has followed me from Mojave, Catalina, and Big Sur.

In Mojave I installed Firefox and then decided to delete it. Since then there is a Firefox.app icon in the Applications folder. I can delete it and the icon pops right back up. I've tried to sudo delete in Terminal with no success. I've deleted other users of the computer and still no success. The Firefox.app comes back. When I get info, it has zero bytes. I've also deleted anything related to Mozilla, hidden or not, on my machine with no effect.

I've migrated from a MacBook Air 7,2 to an M1 Mac mini and the problem migrates with me.

Any help would be appreciated.

TIA

Mac mini, macOS 12.4

Posted on Jul 9, 2022 2:12 PM

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Answer 1

Mal-S

Level 5

5,062 points

Jul 9, 2022 2:15 PM in response to FreddyMacBook

What I would do is to download and install Firefox again and once it is installed delete it.

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Answer 2

Jul 9, 2022 2:53 PM in response to FreddyMacBook

I installed Firefox. In copying it to the Applications folder from the .dmg it renamed the app to Firefox2.app. I deleted the empty Firefox.app and renamed the Firefox2.app to Firefox. The old empty Firefox.app did not reappear. I Opened Forefox briefly and then closed it. Then restarted.

After the restart, I deleted Firefox with AppCleaner 3.6.4. The Firefox.app did not immediately reappear. After a few minutes I checked the Applications folder and the empty Firefox.app had reappeared.

Help!

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Answer 3

leroydouglas

Level 10

200,268 points

Jul 9, 2022 3:06 PM in response to FreddyMacBook

FreddyMacBook wrote:

I'm currently running Monterey 12.4 on an M1 Mac mini. The problem that I'm having has followed me from Mojave, Catalina, and Big Sur.

In Mojave I installed Firefox and then decided to delete it. Since then there is a Firefox.app icon in the Applications folder. I can delete it and the icon pops right back up. I've tried to sudo delete in Terminal with no success. I've deleted other users of the computer and still no success. The Firefox.app comes back. When I get info, it has zero bytes. I've also deleted anything related to Mozilla, hidden or not, on my machine with no effect.

I've migrated from a MacBook Air 7,2 to an M1 Mac mini and the problem migrates with me.

And what is this category you are showing in the left column...? Recents are some such(?)

How about showing this ghost from the Applications folder itself for a better references

Finder>Shift Command A

Have you tried to delete it from the Launchpad?

Ghost in the Launchpad if click often turn to a ? Here you physically drag it to the trash can, and compare your results.

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Answer 4

Jul 10, 2022 5:15 AM in response to leroydouglas

I have my finder in the Column view and the image in my post above is of the Applications folder and the category on the left is of the sidebar in the finder window.

The empty Firefox.app icon (ghost?) does not show up in the Launchpad.

I'll try to find the process that activates when the Firefox.app icon reappears in Activity Viewer. Maybe that will help.

Any other suggestions are appreciated

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Answer 5

Jul 9, 2022 2:29 PM in response to Mal-S

Thank you for the suggestion. I have done that on two other occasions but not in Monterey. I will try it.

Thanks

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in Applications Folder there is a Firefox.app that keeps reappearing when deleted

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