can't delete a partially downloaded app on macbook air Question: Q: How to remove partially downloaded files in 10.6. I could not find any recent helpful answers via Google, but eventually discovered, by trial and error, that you need to delete the failed downloads in three places namely: /Library/Updates (this is probably unnecessary) and the *two* files here:- /private/var/folders// where ends in .pkg and also in .pkg.resumeData (i.e. the "same name" twice) I found out where these were being saved by (*immediately* after the update-failure), typing. find /private/var/folders -newerct "1 minute ago" -name "*.resumeData" and sure enough, these corresponded to the failed downloads. I removed them with. sudo rm /private/var/folders/.pgk. sudo rm /private/var/folders/.pgk.resumeData. and then the software update started working again instead of always aborting with e.g. "iTunes: partially downloaded" etc. The reason for the original failure is my poor internet service that constantly breaks halfway through any long-ish downloads. An example of the actual filepath on my 10.6.8 Mac OSX is: /private/var/folders/02/027LjtRMGXSZNggzpqLQg++++TI/-Caches-/com.apple.SoftwareU pdate/swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/ in other words, really long winded and very difficult to find (I have been trying to do this all day and could not find anything via the www) - I hope it helps you! Question: Q: deleting a partially downloaded app. I don't want it taking up space or for the files to be half way on my computer. MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.6.8) Posted on Aug 22, 2012 9:09 PM. All replies. Loading page content. Page content loaded. All downloaded apps whether partial or not will show in Purcahses but you can, "hide" a purchase. And check your Applications folder. If the app is there and you don't want it, use this free utility to uninstall > Download AppCleaner for Mac - Uninstall your apps easily. MacUpdate.com. Aug 23, 2012 12:55 AM. You can't delete an App like that. You have to finish downloading it first. You can't just cancel a que, that has to be done at the iTS if you really want. Aug 23, 2012 1:12 AM. I figured it out - it was showing up faded on m - I right clicked on the faded icon and clicked cancel app and it didn't show up again! How to Delete Installer Files on a Mac. Mac users often find their Downloads folder filled with disk images that they previously downloaded from the internet, files that – having already installed the apps – they forgot to delete after unmounting the image. As you may already know, files for macOS come with a DMG file extension – otherwise known as an Apple Disk Image – and are similar to ISO files. To install an app – the majority of which just require dragging and dropping – users need to mount this .DMG file just as you might mount a CD when putting it into a CD drive, which makes its contents visible on the Mac. The required software is packed into a special and carries an invisible “.APP” extension. Download CleanMyMac X from MacPaw’s website and clean up to 500MB of junk data from your computer while enjoying all the features of the software without major limitations. Users tend to forget about the existence of these disk images after they install the software. The same is true for iOS installer files (IPSW), although using .IPSW to apply an iOS software update is considered to be a more advanced function and therefore more appropriate for tech-savvy users. Even so, it can still happen that even advanced users forget about these storage-hungry installer files . How To Remove Installer Files. Having one or two installer files in the Downloads folder shouldn't cause any issues unless these files occupy gigabytes of space – Adobe Creative Cloud installer packages, for example. But when you realize that your Mac is running out of free space , this is a good place to check for the remains of installer files to remove them and save space. Removing these files is as easy as the installation process : select the file and drag it to the Bin. There are cases where the software is more complex, such as Adobe's suite of programs or Mac optimization software OnyX's installer files. If this is the situation, just open the disk image and look for an uninstaller file, or launch the app and find the uninstall options. The uninstall process may differ by app, but in most cases it is hassle-free. Most Common Issues When Removing Installer Files. The drag and drop removal method, however, may leave some junk data behind since it doesn't remove the supporting files, which, if you frequently install and uninstall apps, may end up eating into your Mac's storage. Ever since macOS Sierra 10.12, Apple has provided users with the option to trash the installer as soon as its function is finished, a pretty handy feature considering the limited disk space on a MacBook Air. Fortunately, Mac optimization apps such as CleanMyMac and others include a neat uninstaller utility that helps remove all files associated with the application and its temporary installation files. While this feature won’t remove the installation file, it does find the files associated with specific software after selecting the app(s) that you want removed. Installer files are easier to remove because they can be considered as .ZIP files. To move the installer to the Trash, however, you should first unmount it , otherwise it will display an error message. After unmounting it, locate the file (usually in the Downloads folder, the default location for files downloaded from the web), and simply press the Command + Backspace keys or drag it into the trash can. How to delete apps on your Mac. Deleting an app removes it from your Mac hard drive and makes the storage space it was using available for other items. You can delete apps from Launchpad or the . Use Launchpad to delete an app. Launchpad offers a convenient way to delete apps that were downloaded from the App Store. To open Launchpad, click it in the Dock or open it from your Applications folder. You can also pinch closed with your thumb and three fingers on your trackpad. If you don't see the app in Launchpad, type its name in the search field at the top of the screen. Or swipe right or left with two fingers on your trackpad to show the next or previous page. Press and hold the Option () key, or click and hold any app until the apps jiggle. Click next to the app that you want to delete, then click Delete to confirm. The app is deleted immediately. Apps that don't show either didn't come from the App Store or are required by your Mac. To delete an app that didn't come from the App Store, use the Finder instead. Deleting an app doesn't cancel any subscription you may have purchased with that app. Learn how to cancel subscriptions for apps that were downloaded from the App Store. Use the Finder to delete an app. Locate the app in the Finder. Most apps are in your Applications folder, which you can open by clicking Applications in the sidebar of any Finder window. Or use to find the app, then press and hold the Command (⌘) key while double-clicking the app in Spotlight. Drag the app to the Trash, or select the app and choose File > Move to Trash. If you're asked for a user name and password, enter the name and password of an administrator account on your Mac. This is probably the name and password you use to log in to your Mac. To delete the app, choose Finder > Empty Trash. Learn more. To use an app again after deleting it, either reinstall it or restore it from a backup. How to Deleted Apps on Mac That Won't Delete. "I have an app that I can't delete. It is a program purchased from the App Store. Even though I have deleted the software from my Applications file, the app won't delete from Launchpad. And dragging to the trash does not work either. Do you guys have this problem?" Too many applications installed on your Mac can make it slowly to find out what you need, and most importantly, they can eat up limited storage space. When you want to remove futile programs on your Mac, you can delete them from Launchpad or Finder. However, some stubborn Mac software, like that comes with the , can be tricky to remove. Here's how to uninstall Mac apps that will help to make space on Mac and improve its performance. There are many other hot topics related to apps, one of which is 'The application is not open anymore'. How to Delete Apps from Launchpad or Finder on Mac. Uninstalling unused Mac applications is one of the ways that frequently used by users to deal with low disk space issues and speed up Mac computer. And it can be done from the Finder or Launchpad. To Uninstall Programs from the Finder: Open Finder, go to the "Applications" folder, drag the selected program you want to uninstall to the "Trash" folder, finally open "Trash" folder and select "Empty" option. To Uninstall Programs from Launchpad: Open Launchpad, hold down an app's icon until they start to jiggle, click on the delete button x. Some apps don't show an X button using this way. If you need to remove this kind of software, skip to solution to app won't delete from Launchpad. Mac Can't Delete App Because It's Open. When you delete an app in Finder, one possible scenario is that there is a message on the screen reading 'The item "app name" can't be moved to the trash because it's open.' This occurs because the app is still processing in the background, and you haven't closed it thoroughly. Follow the steps to shut it down properly and get it removed for good. 1. Open the Finder and select "Applications" from the Favorites list. 2. Click on "Utilities" > "Activity Monitor". 3. Find the app you want to delete. You can type search the app in the search bar. 4. Select the app. Click on the X in the upper left corner of the window. Click "Quit" to end the process. After this, you can uninstall the app on your Mac in the Finder. How to Delete Apps on Mac That Won't Delete. If you need to uninstall software built-into the system, the above two ways won't be useful. When you are trying to delete , Mail, Face Time, or other default apps with Finder, you'll get a message saying: "Safari.app can't be modified or deleted because it's required by Mac OS X." Then, can you force delete an app on Mac? How to delete an app on Mac that won't delete? Two practical methods are introduced below, the first is automatic and simple with a Mac maintenance utility, and the second is more complex. Uninstall App Won't Delete from Launchpad Easily. If you are proficient in technology, using Terminal might help you to delete system-embedded applications. But for most ordinary users, we highly recommend you try a simpler way to delete default apps by using EaseUS Mac CleanGenius. This program enables you to remove any app with its corresponding files and preferences in one-click without destroying your system. It also provides ultimate Mac cleaning features, such as cleaning junk files, deleting duplicate files from the computer like , documents, pictures, videos, etc. Note: EaseUS Mac CleanGenius is compatible with Mac OS X 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.9. If your computer is running macOS 10.13 and later, you can resort to the next manual way. Step 1. Launch EaseUS CleanGenius and click on Uninstall under Tool; Step 2. Find and select applications or programs that you want to remove and click on Uninstall ; Selected application, software or program will be removed in seconds. How to Force Delete an App on Mac Using Terminal. Warning: This will result in the permanent deletion of an app with no undo option. If you need the app again, you have to reinstall macOS. If not necessary, this is not recommended. If you must do, perform a backup in advance and proceed at your own risk. 1. Launch the Terminal, located in /Applications/Utilities/ 2. Type the command: c d /Applications/ . This will change to the Applications . Then, you can start deleting apps. 3. Type the following commands to delete different apps. To delete Safari, type sudo rm -rf Safari.app/ To delete Mail, type sudo rm -rf Mail.app/ To delete FaceTime, type sudo rm -rf FaceTime.app/ To delete QuickTime Player, type sudo rm -rf QuickTime\ Player.app/ Similarly, you can enter different software names to delete the corresponding programs.