How can I remove a Question Mark icon from Dock?

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How can I remove a Question Mark icon from Dock?

Long story short, I installed GeekTool from the AppStore.

The first thing I noticed was it put a unremovable icon on my dock.

So, I found and deleted the app (in Finder), and then I ended up with a Question Mark Icon on my Dock:

If I try and Drag/Drop it off my Dock, it floats back If I control click/right click on it, I get an 'Options' menu, with nothing under it.

After searching and searching and searching the Support Communities I found and tried the following: removed the com.apple.dockfixup.plist file, and did the 'killall Dock' command in terminal, both failed..

To make matters worse... I said to myself, perhaps if I reinstalled it again, and tried from scratch, I could find some 'uninstaller' either in the app, or in the AppStore. I found out the hard way, the AppStore does not have an Uninstaller. Now I have TWO icons I can not remove:

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jay

Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Sep 25, 2011 8:55 PM

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Answer 1

Sep 25, 2011 8:58 PM in response to VA-Jay

Long shot here but try right clicking and going to options-->remove from dock. If it wasn't letting you drag it off that probably won't work but try it.

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Answer 2

VA-Jay Author

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Sep 25, 2011 9:01 PM in response to uselessSABOTAGE

uselessSABOTAGE wrote:

Long shot here but try right clicking and going to options-->remove from dock. If it wasn't letting you drag it off that probably won't work but try it.

Nogo.. as I said before, I get an 'Option ->' menu, and nothing under it. Thanks.

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Answer 3

Sep 25, 2011 9:03 PM in response to VA-Jay

does geektool still appear in your applications folder?

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Answer 4

Sep 25, 2011 9:05 PM in response to VA-Jay

Try appcleaner http://freemacsoft.net/

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Answer 5

VA-Jay Author

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Sep 25, 2011 9:05 PM in response to uselessSABOTAGE

uselessSABOTAGE wrote:

does geektool still appear in your applications folder?

Well, yes... As I said in my OP, I now have TWO unremovable Icons. One is the Question mark, and one is GeekTool, because I reinstalled it. So, yes, GeekTool is currently in my Applications Folder.

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Answer 6

Sep 25, 2011 9:07 PM in response to VA-Jay

I mostly meant was the "uninstalled" one still there. For instance do you have two geektools in applications?

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Answer 7

VA-Jay Author

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Sep 25, 2011 9:08 PM in response to uselessSABOTAGE

uselessSABOTAGE wrote:

Try appcleaner http://freemacsoft.net/

Thanks for the suggestion. I'd like to figure this out without going through a 3rd party application.

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Answer 8

Sep 25, 2011 9:08 PM in response to VA-Jay

Appcleaner should find all files that belong to geektool and get rid of them good and proper.

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Answer 9

VA-Jay Author

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Sep 25, 2011 9:10 PM in response to uselessSABOTAGE

uselessSABOTAGE wrote:

I mostly meant was the "uninstalled" one still there. For instance do you have two geektools in applications?

I see what you mean. No, the uninstaller was not included from the AppStore. I also checked the "Package Contents" and did not see an uninstaler inside the orginal application either.

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Answer 10

Sep 25, 2011 9:14 PM in response to VA-Jay

Let me know if you give up and you want to try appcleaner

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Answer 11

VA-Jay Author

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Sep 25, 2011 9:15 PM in response to uselessSABOTAGE

uselessSABOTAGE wrote:

Let me know after you tried appcleaner

Thanks again, but if it came from Apple, I'd try it.

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Answer 12

Sep 25, 2011 9:29 PM in response to VA-Jay

what about http://www.reggieashworth.com/appdelete it is offered in the macapp store?

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Answer 13

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Sep 25, 2011 9:33 PM in response to VA-Jay

Have you checked your Accounts login items for geektool? If so remove it.

Did you check your Activity Monitor to see if geektool.app is running (maybe two since you said you reinsalled two). If so kill it (or them).

Log out and log back in. Then see if you can drag the icons out of the dock.

Update: Actually if you do find them in your login items then you don't have to kill them, just log out and back in and try clearing the dock.

You also want to delete the preference pane in your ~/Library/PreferencePanes.

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Answer 14

Apr 10, 2014 9:48 PM in response to VA-Jay

While holding down command, click and drag the question mark off of finder. This goes for any item on the topbar of finder.

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Answer 15

Mar 11, 2015 9:56 AM in response to VA-Jay

If you are not able to remove the question mark, that means you don't have sufficient privilege to do that. Go the "System Preferences", click on the Current User and check "Allow user to administer this computer". Log out and log in back. Now, you will be able to drag the question mark from the dock to Trash. Hope this helps! 🙂

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