How to Remove Login Items for Uninstalled Apps?

Question

Level 3

571 points

How to Remove Login Items for Uninstalled Apps?

Hello. I have an app that I, recently, tried out on my 2023 MacBook Pro (Ventura 13.5.1). I opted to uninstall the app (using AppCleaner). The app is no longer installed. However, one artifact still remains. Under "Allow in the Background" under "Login Items", a toggle for the deleted app still remains.

I found an article that suggests a plist file could remain in one of three locations:

The LaunchAgents folder in the user Library
The LaunchAgents folder in the system Library
The LaunchDaemons folder in the system Library

I checked all three. I found nothing related to this app.

So how do I get rid of this? Anyone have any ideas?

I also emailed the developer. Still waiting for a response.

MacBook Pro 16″

Posted on Aug 19, 2023 9:02 AM

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Answer 1

Cerebro Author

Level 3

571 points

Aug 19, 2023 9:36 AM in response to Cerebro

Searching the discussions for similar issues, I hit upon a solution. Per one user, I installed a nifty little app called Find Any File (FAF). I ran a search there, and managed to find a plist file buried in the "Group Containers" folder inside the user Library. I deleted this, and the toggle went away.

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Answer 2

ku4hx

Level 7

23,716 points

Aug 19, 2023 9:40 AM in response to Cerebro

Try a restart.

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Answer 3

Apr 25, 2024 11:27 AM in response to Cerebro

Open Finder, click Go > Go to Folder. Enter /Library/LaunchAgents or /Library/LaunchDaemons. Find the file or folder to remove and drag it to the bin.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

123,462 points

Aug 19, 2023 10:13 AM in response to Cerebro

You should use the uninstall app provided by the developer, or the instructions they have provided.

If the app doesn't have an uninstaller or clear instructions on how to completely uninstall, you shouldn't install the app in the first place.

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Answer 5

Arombard

Level 1

27 points

Nov 3, 2023 7:42 AM in response to Barney-15E

So, by your advice you can't install most of the apps, because most of the apps don't have the uninstaller and no instructions. BTW, I used Autodesk provided uninstaller, to uninstall AutoCAD - the toggle is still there...

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

123,462 points

Nov 3, 2023 9:38 AM in response to Arombard

Arombard wrote:

So, by your advice you can't install most of the apps, because most of the apps don't have the uninstaller and no instructions.

Yes. If the developer is so incompetent, why trust them?

BTW, I used Autodesk provided uninstaller, to uninstall AutoCAD - the toggle is still there...

Then you should tell them their uninstaller is defective.

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Answer 7

Cerebro Author

Level 3

571 points

Aug 19, 2023 9:50 AM in response to ku4hx

A restart, alone, did nothing. The "Allow in the Background" toggle still persisted. I DID just restart after trashing the plist file I found, per my post above, and the toggle is still gone.

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