How to safely uninstall programs in OS X 10.3.9?

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Level 1

9 points

How to safely uninstall programs in OS X 10.3.9?

I realize this may be a dumb question, but how do I safely remove programs from my computer? My iBook came with a lot of pre-installed software (such as a now-expired trial version of MS Office) that I don't need, and I would like to free up some disk space. Is it safe to just throw the program in the Trash? I'm used to the complicated world of Windows where you have to use the Add/Remove Programs utility - simply deleting the program seems too "easy" to me.

Thanks, any help is appreciated!

iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Dec 4, 2005 5:01 PM

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Answer 1

--JB--

Level 5

4,087 points

Dec 4, 2005 5:19 PM in response to Scott Gibson

Hi Scott,

Welcome to Apple Discussions

Here is what Microsoft has to say about uninstalling their Test Drive for 2004. The other thing to do is to search you computer for MS office and delete everything manually, preferences and all. But your best bet is to do what Microsoft says. theXlab has this to say.

I hope that helps,
Jon

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Answer 2

John Huber1

Level 6

17,745 points

Dec 4, 2005 6:58 PM in response to Scott Gibson

Hi Scott,

There's no special uninstaller for most applications on a Mac. Windows is different because many programs put bits and pieces in the OS. On a Mac most are "packages" and are self contained. Just drag the app to the trash. The only things left behind are usually preference files and they don't take up much space. MS Office Test Drive is an exception. Follow the links JB provided and uninstall it properly or it will cause problems if you ever install any Office apps.

John

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Answer 3

--JB--

Level 5

4,087 points

Dec 4, 2005 7:32 PM in response to John Huber1

Right John,

The best way to do it is with the installer it came with it. Look around for it. Use +F and search for the office uninstaller. The other thing is, if you must uninstall it like I said before just drag it to the trash, and then look for the different .plists that are with it. That way is the safest.

Jon

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Answer 4

Scott Gibson Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 4, 2005 11:01 PM in response to --JB--

Thanks guys, that pretty much answers my question.

One thing though, what is a preference file and how do I find/remove them? Or should I just leave them alone? I'll probably replace MS Office with Sun's Open Office suite, if that makes any difference.

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Answer 5

Adi

Level 1

35 points

Dec 7, 2005 5:03 PM in response to Scott Gibson

Scott, another suggestion is to use Spotlight to search for the name of the application and remove any files that you find. This varies in effectiveness depending on the application though... for example, I got rid of everything related to Opera this way, but don't know how well it would work for MS Office, as the Office products tend not to be so clearly labeled.

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