Remove Items Services Menu

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Level 4

1,836 points

Remove Items Services Menu

I like to experiment with new software. Most I end up deleting but occasionally I end up with some cool stuff. The problem, however, is that some of these add services in the Services Menu and I can't get rid of them.

I've removed the apps with AppZapper, I've done a search with EasyFind and removed any other traces of these apps. I've even gone in manually and looked through all three libraries (user, system, hard drive) and looked in Application Support, Preferences, Caches, Services (seems obvious but there are only 6 items total in there) and every other folder that might relate to this.

Nothing of these programs exist anywhere in my system or hard drive, yet their services are still in the Services Menu. If anyone knows how to get these things out I'd really like to know.

In the mean time web searching came up with this:

http://www.petermaurer.de/nasi.php?section=servicescrubber

A nifty little program called Services Scrubber that lets you turn off any services you don't want, really quite handy. So they are no longer in the menu, which is a big improvement, but I want them out of my system too.

Quicksilver dual 1.5 gig, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jul 4, 2006 11:45 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Dr. Smoke

Level 9

56,586 points

Jul 5, 2006 1:34 AM in response to Kevin Horn

Hi, Kevin.

Take a look at the System Services documentation, particularly the section "Items in the Services Menu", to understand how the Services Menu functions.

I suspect you may have to perform a restart after uninstalling an app that adds items to the Services menu in order for it to be cleared. The documentation appears to be a bit light as to where the menu is actually saved, though it appears to be built dynamically.

I suspect Service Scrubber's author may be scanning for the info.plist files of installed applications to find potential services, as well as checking any "Library/Services" directories extant (Macintosh HD > Library > Services, Home > Library > Services, Macintosh HD > System > Library > Services, etc.). You'd have to discuss this with him or check his site.

AppZapper may also not be doing its job fully. You should consult with the author concerning the Services issues you are seeing.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

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Answer 2

Jul 5, 2006 2:21 AM in response to Kevin Horn

The ones I have experimented with offer their services by way of the NSServices item in the info.plist file inside the application package. I believe the system polls these lists at start up to add items to the services menu, so even if you delete the service from the info.plist (which I have done), or toss the application you would still have to restart to see a change.
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 3

Kevin Horn Author

Level 4

1,836 points

Jul 5, 2006 7:16 AM in response to Dr. Smoke

Hi, Kevin.

Take a look at the System
Services documentation, particularly the
section "Items in the Services Menu", to understand
how the Services Menu functions.

Thanks, Doc. I've saved it as a web archive to read later since it's 6 am and I haven't even finished my first cup of coffee yet and it's a bit too much to deal with right now.

I suspect you may have to perform a restart after
uninstalling an app that adds items to the Services
menu in order for it to be cleared.

Already done a restart. Some of these are months old and my Mac has been restarted several times, even had Disk Warrior and other repairs and updates (Repairing Permissions and Rebuilding Launch Services database, deleting caches) more than once as well.

I just left all those Services sitting there because I didn't have time to deal with it and they didn't seem to be hurting anything. I always assumed I just needed to go into the various services folders and delete them, so when I went to do that yesterday I was quite surprised to not find any of them there. Had a similar problem with Contextual Menus with many of the same programs, but those I did find in the correct folders and removed them and they are gone like they should be.

I suspect Service Scrubber's author may be scanning
for the info.plist files of installed applications to
find potential services, as well as checking any
"Library/Services" directories extant (Macintosh HD >
Library > Services, Home > Library > Services,
Macintosh HD > System > Library > Services, etc.).
You'd have to discuss this with him or check his
site.

The problem with that is I've removed all traces of these apps, even going through and looking for scraps manually after doing a search with EasyFind. They no longer exist so how can Service's Scrubber change anything in them? And I've looked through all the services folders and none of these programs exist there either. Here's what's in the folders:

User services:
ChronosNotesService.app
ChronosNotesService.bundle
Those are supposed to be there as StickyBrain is one of those apps I kept and want the services.

System services:
AppleSpell.service
ChineseTextConverterService.app
ImageCaptureService.app
Spotlight.service
SummaryService.app

HD/Library doesn't even have a services folder.

The lack of services placed in services folders is puzzling. I just installed Yojimbo yesterday and it added a service yet it doesn't show up either. Where are they putting these?

But, clearly, Service's Scrubber can find these and turn them off.

AppZapper may also not be doing its job fully. You
should consult with the author concerning the
Services issues you are seeing.

It sounds like I need to contact AppZapper, Service's Scrubber AND the various apps causing the problems. Sigh.

They aren't causing any problems and aren't even cluttering the Services Menu any more since I used Service's Scrubber, I'm just curious as to what's going on.

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Answer 4

Kevin Horn Author

Level 4

1,836 points

Jul 5, 2006 7:58 AM in response to Francine Schwieder

Like I told the Doc, some are months old and had several restarts.

I did a search on info.plist and found most of them in system/library/frameworks. Interesting, I wonder if these apps placed their services functions somewhere like in frameworks and used a name other than the apps name.

I suspect I'm going to have write to the creator of Service's Scrubber, he must know where these things are hidden and maybe write to the individual apps to find out where they put that function.

So I'm going to do some research and come back, might take a few days, though, the long weekend is over.

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Answer 5

Dr. Smoke

Level 9

56,586 points

Jul 5, 2006 8:16 AM in response to Kevin Horn

1. You wrote:

"I've saved it as a web archive to read later"

You should have simply downloaded the PDF version of the System Services document. 😉 Note that PDF is a link at the top of the Table of Contents (TOC) in the left margin. If the TOC isn't displayed, there's a link near the top that states "Show TOC."

2. You wrote:

"User services:
ChronosNotesService.app
ChronosNotesService.bundle
Those are supposed to be there as StickyBrain is one of those apps I kept and want the services."

I presume you mean those are in your Home > Library > Services folder (~/Library/Services directory).

3. You wrote:

"System services:
AppleSpell.service
ChineseTextConverterService.app
ImageCaptureService.app
Spotlight.service
SummaryService.app"

Yes, those are all located in the Macintosh HD > System > Library > Services folder (/System/Library/Services directory). One would not find those with Spotlight as Spotlight does not index the System directory.

4. As best I can recall from reading your posts on this topic, you've not stated what services you want to remove or what apps added them. Perhaps you should consult with the developers of the apps that added the services.

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

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Answer 6

Kevin Horn Author

Level 4

1,836 points

Jul 5, 2006 11:29 AM in response to Dr. Smoke

1. You wrote:
"I've saved it as a web
archive to read later"
You should have
simply downloaded the PDF version of the System
Services document. 😉 Note that PDF is a
link at the top of the Table of Contents (TOC) in the
left margin. If the TOC isn't displayed, there's a
link near the top that states "Show TOC."

I realized that later, but hey, it was 6 am and I didn't have my coffee or my contacts in yet.

2. You wrote:
"User services:
ChronosNotesService.app
ChronosNotesService.bundle
Those are supposed to be there as StickyBrain is one
of those apps I kept and want the
services."
I presume you mean those are
in your Home > Library > Services folder
(~/Library/Services directory).

Yeah, user library.

4. As best I can recall from reading your posts on
this topic, you've not stated what services you want
to remove or what apps added them. Perhaps you
should consult with the developers of the apps that
added the services.

I didn't figure the apps themselves were that important. I was checking out all kinds of note/info management apps, all of which put in Services, about four of them put in but did not go out, especially Notebook & Mori. Also Omniweb put one in.

I have a letter in to the creator of Service Scrubber so I'll wait and see what he says. The immediate problem of too many things in the Services Menu has been solved with Service Scrubber, so I'm in no hurry.

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