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Level 1

8 points

Deleting Pre Installed Mac Apps (Chess, etc.)

Hello all, I'm new to mac, but have alot of computer background and feel as if I'm learning my way around pretty well. I have a 13" Macbook Pro (Feb 2011) with OSX Lion.

My question is this - can I delete unneeded and unused applications that come pre installed with OSX Lion (Chess, Photo Booth, etc.)? I never have and know I never will use these, I know this because I have no clue how to play chess and could download a different chess game if I want it back. As for Photo Booth I have owned and worked on computers for around 10-11 years and never saved more than backgrounds or the occasional emailed picture to my computer, which are usually deleted within a few days. I guess I'm just not a picture guy. Lol. I've got facebook if I want to keep them around, and a iPhone to take pictures of myself with.

I have found how to delete them, by going to get info and changing the permissions to read and write, and actually did delete chess with no issues. However after a few minutes I chickened out and put it back from the trash can and fixed the permissions back the way they were.

Will deleting them cause future updates to fail?

Anyone else done this?

If I can do so, what apps are deff. DO NOT TOUCH applications? Any?

I don't plan on deleting things that have obvious system connections, like font book or dictionary, of course.

I don't mean to sound like a you-know-what but please don't reply if you haven't done this or don't know from past experience. I don't need nor want any "it could" or "it might" answers. Again, not to be a horses rear. 🙂 😝

Also this isn't a HD memory issue... it's a OCD issue. Lol. I just like keeping my computer neat and tidy and see no reason to waste HD space (even if it's a very small amount) on stuff I do not want or use.

I know I can hide them, move them into folders, etc. I've read that on other forums. But thats not what I want to do.

Go ahead and say it, overkill right? I can't help it. 😝 Lol. Thanks in advance for anyones help.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Jan 10, 2012 5:02 PM

38 replies

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Jan 10, 2012 6:54 PM in response to chadwalters

BTW, don't look in /usr/bin, you'll see many more app's you will never use (i.e, zip, cal, gnutar, and many, many more) 😉

chadwalters Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 10, 2012 6:55 PM in response to Tony T1

Nope, I use those.

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Jan 10, 2012 6:55 PM in response to chadwalters

Sure you do 😉

chadwalters Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 10, 2012 6:56 PM in response to Tony T1

Lmao.

steve359

Level 6

17,169 points

Jan 10, 2012 6:58 PM in response to Tony T1

Tony T1 ...

We need to leave the OP to his/her fate.

I mentioned backups (TimeMachine/clone) and hardware resets as relevant topics, and the OP said "what others call important may not be important to others".

We will be getting a "Logged into root user .... deleted /usr/bin .... now the system will not boot!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!" posting soon enough. Then the real education will begin.

chadwalters Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 10, 2012 7:01 PM in response to steve359

I'm bowing down to the computer at this very moment, marveling over your intelligence oh great one.

I'm not an idiot. I just had a question.

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Jan 10, 2012 7:09 PM in response to chadwalters

chadwalters wrote:

I just had a question.

The answer is:

chadwalters Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 10, 2012 7:10 PM in response to Tony T1

Thank you Tony T1. I just knew in previous versions it could be deleted, didn't know if Lion required a "work around".

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Jan 10, 2012 7:18 PM in response to chadwalters

Yes, this is new with Lion. If Apple has a reason to lock down the permissions, best to just keep it in Apps (though I hardly think that deleting it will cause any issues). Anyway, it probably would be re-installed when the OS is updated.

chadwalters Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 10, 2012 7:18 PM in response to Tony T1

Okay. Thank you.

Mar 18, 2014 10:20 AM in response to chadwalters

I totally agree with your earlier coment Chad, about people jsut answering the question that was asked..and nto asking why..grrr that ****** me off...almost as mcuh as having to repeat what i have said 6 times becasue peopel do not read the question.

Well I deleted, many 'crap' unused apps too, for OCD reasons llike you . Do the same with a Windows system and you can remove almsot half the OS1 and about 60% of the running backgroudn seervices and still have a perfectly usable system with no noticable difference...apart from a speed increase and reduce vunerability.

Stuff like, iChat, Photobooth, Chess...yes jsut delete many of them.....Get info and chnage permission and delete away. Did this to some of this crap and never notieced a difference in performance ..certainly no degredation in performance.

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Mar 18, 2014 12:44 PM in response to Neil Paisnel

Zombie! 🙂 (2+ year-old thread)

Mar 18, 2014 2:58 PM in response to Tony T1

Yes, I agree, raising the dead...but no less relevant than when th OP first asked it.

I did see the age of the thread, but did not bring it up as I did not thing it relevant...see parargraph 1 of my previous reply 😉

This all goes back to Chads 6th's post. on the first page of this thread..

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Mar 18, 2014 3:39 PM in response to Neil Paisnel

Well, if you have to go back 2+ years for a reference, then it's not much of an issue 😉

manowar

Level 1

0 points

Feb 28, 2015 10:23 PM in response to Tony T1

Funny, I was just looking into this topic sooooo, I guess it's about as much of an issue as it was when it was originally posted.

Never understood why people care whether or not a thread is raised from the dead. If the forum allows it why should you care?

Deleting Pre Installed Mac Apps (Chess, etc.)