Why can't I uninstall programs using CCleaner?

Allan Jones wrote:

The only way you can get admin privileges is to have someone who IS an admin for that computer to change your account status to also be an admin.

Well there is the hidden "root" user which it's files can't be deleted unless a admin password is given and a "sudo window" of five minutes is opened to perform such "superuser do" aka (root level user) tasks.

Either Ccleaner is not giving sudo access to Admin user, perhaps wisely doing so to prevent accidental deletions of mis-interpreted files OR

the OP really doesn't have Admin access, just General User and doesn't know it as they never seen the Admin user.

Like you suspect, if the OP's true intention is to remove a program legitimately, why don't they use the developers uninstaller? Why insist on cludgy Ccleaner?

It's because they seem to be up to no good, and using Ccleaner to remove programs from a machine they don't have authorization.

Unix in OS X of course is preventing that.

This is the window that appears if one doesn't have permissions in Ccleaner under General User.

A file Ccleaner is attempting to remove has higher privilege level, likely root, which is higher level than the Admin user level your using.

How Ccleaner is removing associated files of programs is unknown, if it's using only a search function, then it could be accidentially flagging wrong files which may be system level or root level files.

Uninstalling the wrong root level files is highly dangerous and can brick your machine.

Always try to use the developers installer / uninstaller for programs your trying to uninstall, they know what they put into your machine and thus they are the best ones' to take it all out again.

If it's a Apple program your trying to remove, Apple might have locked it to prevent doing so.

Contact Ccleaner and inform them their program didn't work on your deleted program, that there are know problems with "app deletion" programs using only a search feature flagging wrong associated files.

My intitial reaction to this is that if a utility that "claims" to be an uninstaller detects files it considers it needs admin privleges for, and is too stupid to prompt for it (and tell you why it needs it), then it's time to find another uninstaller program.

Just searching for "uninstaller" on macupdate produces a whole bunch which have a longer track record on the mac than cleaner. Try using one of them.

Full disclosure: I don't use any uninstallers because I don't trust them to (a) delete everything a particular app might install and (b) might think it needs to delete something it has no business deleting.

It sounds like this is a school, work or your parents' computer (guessing in the last on, so advance apologies if I'm wrong). The only way you can get admin privileges is to have someone who IS an admin for that computer to change your account status to also be an admin.

TTro787 wrote:

When I try to uninstall a program using CCleaner I get this message "You do not have privileges to perform this operation". I am the only user on this computer.

What program are you trying to uninstall using Ccleaner?

If it's a anti-virus or some other "root level" installed program, your going to need to use the developers uninstaller which then of course will require the Admin name and password.

TTro787 wrote:

Is there any way I can make myself the "top dog" of it and have privileges over everything?

IMO Ccleaner has incorrectly flagged a associated root level file/program for deletion.

This is highly dangerous if it was allowed and if Ccleaner didn't ask for a admin password, it's likely that ability is not enabled to protect those root level files intentionally.

Ccleaner will clean up programs in the Applications folder (if your Admin) and any support files in that user it's run in, that's it.

The message you got is Ccleaner has flagged a file for deletion that the permissions are not set to Admin user, it could be the original program did this or the program has Admin priviledges and you don't, or the file flagged has root privildges and Ccleaner can't delete it.

Some Apple installed programs have very high level privildges and therefore can't be deleted as OS X needs it.

Use the developers uninstaller, it knows what it gave what and ask you for the correct password it needs.

With ccleaner in particular or in general?

Very basically and generally you can, at the minimum, trash the application, prefPane, or whatever it is you want to uninstall. But you should be aware of some other details:

1. Apps may install login items or other startup items. Hopefully the ones the install other startup items will also supply their own uninstallers. Use the third party uninstaller whenever possible if it is supplied.

2. Preferences are usually stored in ~/Library/Preferences generally as .plist files. You could, if you can't identify the plist file just leave it alone. If there is no program to use it the plist is just taking up space.

3. Many apps also can create stuff in ~/Library/Application Support. Like the preferences these to could be ignored.

4. Like 2 and 3, some apps might use ~/Documents, ~/Movies, etc.

5. Apps installed with .pkg or .mpkg installers usually will install their apps into /Applications. But except for stupid authors who for some odd reason want to supply their apps with .pkg installers where it only installs a single application, .[m]pkg's will usually "spray" other stuff into your system into any of the places I mentioned previously but also may install into system level places if they request the admin password. Hopefully these installers will also supply some kind of uninstaller, either installed as part of the installation or supplied separately.

Some additional references:

The X lab: Uninstalling applications

Uninstall Mac Applications

I had the same issue and I fixed it by running ccleaner as sudo from terminal (open terminal and put it there):

$ sudo /Applications/CCleaner.app/Contents/MacOS/CCleaner

It will ask you to enter your password and will open ccleaner. In opened ccleaner you can uninstall the soft easily

I can't seem to run CCleaner, it tells me to exit Safari. I have and it still doen't allow me to run it.

Also was it a good step to download this program if I my MAC is a 10.7.3?

Is it ok to unistall?

Any suggestions?

hi there. just closing the safari wouldn't help. you have to quit it. or from bottom menu(Safari >> Quit Safari) or second click on it's icon and quit it.

Yes your mac os x version seems to be ok. I have the same version

I know it's an old thread but it's just so darn refreshing to find someone (sehrbaz) who provided a solution. Too many people chime in with smug, condescending crap or some other drivel yet somehow never answer the question that's been asked.

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