Deleted launch agent and lauchdaemon files

Question

Level 1

40 points

Deleted launch agent and lauchdaemon files

Unfortunately I had some frankly unhelpful man from Apple support telling me today to delete contents of launchagents and lauchdaemons folders in library, on the basis that I didn't need them. The problem started with an issue with iTunes store not loading properly and foolishly I contacted Apple (what a mistake). After telling me to delete these items and the cache folder and reinstall iTunes, the issue persisted and in the end he told me to reinstall my whole system from scratch as the problem was in the OSX (mavericks). Luckily I didn't have time and told him that I'd do it later, which turned out to be completely unnecessary as later iTunes was working fine.

My issue is I think I put the launchagent and launchdaemon files back in the correct places, but not 100% sure, and have since deleted the contents of the trash, so can't check if anything in there that shouldn't be. I have checked in TM backups and the folders have all the same content and all seem to be there, but having read that you do need these files, am now paranoid.

Why do Apple have technical support that have frankly not got a clue (this is not the first time I've had problems with them and you'd have thought I would have learnt my lesson by now!).

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), null

Posted on Oct 12, 2015 1:59 PM

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Answer 1

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,472 points

Oct 12, 2015 2:45 PM in response to The Blues

Have you considered calling back and speaking to another agent or requesting that your issue be escalated rather than flaming?

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Oct 12, 2015 7:54 PM in response to The Blues

Whether you need the files or not depends entirely on what they are. If you care to provide that information, I'd be willing to comment. Nobody here can help with customer-service issues.

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Answer 3

The Blues Author

Level 1

40 points

Oct 13, 2015 1:06 AM in response to rkaufmann87

Unfortunately my experiences with them have been so bad, that I should have learnt by now not to bother and to just go to the genius bar. They have a very gung-ho attitude and just get you to delete things, without knowing what they're doing. Suffice to say, it turns out there was nothing actually wrong with my mac and the issue was with iTunes store, but they had me deleting files that turns out should not have been deleted.

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Answer 4

The Blues Author

Level 1

40 points

Oct 13, 2015 1:13 AM in response to Linc Davis

Hi Linc the had me delete the files from LaunchAgents were com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist and com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist and the ones from LaunchDaemons were com.adobe.fpsaud.plist, com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist, com.leapfrog.connect.shell.plist and com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist. I've checked my TM backup and these match what was in the folders before I contacted Apple.

They also told me to delete the files from the cache in library and some other files, which unfortunately I can't remember what they were or where they were from and I've since emptied trash. They had me look in the compositions folder, which is now empty, but not sure if it should be. I think they were to do with the App Store. I'm hoping that my system will have automatically replaced them.

Thanks for your help.

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Answer 5

The Blues Author

Level 1

40 points

Oct 13, 2015 1:16 AM in response to Linc Davis

They also had me delete things from the Saved Application State folder in the home/library.

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Answer 6

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Oct 13, 2015 5:45 AM in response to The Blues

the files from LaunchAgents were com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist and com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist and the ones from LaunchDaemons were com.adobe.fpsaud.plist, com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist, com.leapfrog.connect.shell.plist and com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist.

All of those should be restored from a backup. The other files that you specifically mention don't need to be restored. I hope it was really Apple Support you were speaking to, and not one of the fake tech-support scams that infest the search engines.

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Answer 7

The Blues Author

Level 1

40 points

Oct 13, 2015 5:45 AM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks Linc. Yes it was definitely Apple support that I spoke with, so it's all the more galling that they told me to delete files they shouldn't have.

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