Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I have noticed that Mac OS and this includes the current high sierra as well as older Mac OS do not completely uninstall applications when moved to the trash. Files are always left in the directory
/Users/User account name/Library/Application support.
Why is the Application support portion of the application never removed when an application is dragged to the trash?
MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.5)
I know how the Mac OS works. I have been using Mac Os since snow leopard.
I find it unacceptable that a simple thing like completely uninstalling an application doesn't exist either using the drag and drop or amazingly applications with uninstall app. Correct me if I am wrong.
Is there an application that uninstalls itself completely? I am not talking about applications designed to perform that task but an App that you install and in that app an uninstaller uninstalls itself completely from all parts of the Mac OS?
I have reported this issue to Apple but it still exsits on High sierra.
Even when uninstalling a App from the Apple store files are not deleted.
Here is an example I downloaded Bitdefender then went to "Launchpad" held down the "alt/option" key and deleted the app. When I search for the components I find in /user/library/Containers folders with the name bitdefender as well as .plist files.
These files use up disk space and pose a security flaw as it might be possible for another app to use the files.
macfrombrampton wrote:
Even when uninstalling a App from the Apple store files are not deleted.
Here is an example I downloaded Bitdefender then went to "Launchpad" held down the "alt/option" key and deleted the app. When I search for the components I find in /user/library/Containers folders with the name bitdefender as well as .plist files.
These files use up disk space and pose a security flaw as it might be possible for another app to use the files.
That is normal and expected. People sometimes delete apps and still expect to be able to download the app again and pick up where they left off.
These files don't take up much space. I don't see how they could be any more of a security flaw as any other files on your system. Other Mac App Store apps will not have access to the containers of other apps.
When I search for the components I find in with the name bitdefender as well as .plist files.
That's your data. The Containers are essentially the sandboxed version of preferences.
it might be possible for another app to use the files.
No, that's not possible. As mentioned, that is part of the sandbox.
No Comment.
App installed from the Mac App Store can create folders in your home directory though, and those folder don't go away when you drag the app to the trash.
That seems like an excellent observation! 🙂
What's sad is BitDefender is in The App Store.
Malwarebytes 3.4.12. Look under the Help menu for the uninstaller menu item.
uninstalling applications completely
