"Open with" shows multiple versions of the same apps, why?

[CaptSaltyJack]

I noticed when you start upgrading software, if you right click a document and choose "Open with", it shows several versions. (See below) How do I get rid of these? The funny part is, if I choose an older version, for some apps, it actually loads up the older version! Even though when I upgraded software, it supposedly replaced the old version.

What's going on?

 

[coach_z]

go check and see whats in your applications folder....i bet a virtual beer that you have two versions of opera and imagewell
-chris

 

[CaptSaltyJack]

You owe me a virtual beer. The app is only shown once. And if I explore the package contents, I don't see anything about multiple versions.

 

[coach_z]

spotlight search the app names

if there really are no duplicates, deleting some preferences or caches might help, but i forget which ones....deleting all your caches will make your computer act just like new and is a major pita to get back to how you had it
-chris

 

[bobtomay]

Yep, me too. Check it out.
Admittedly Opera has been upgraded at least twice. Firefox has been upgraded once. For sure Navigator, NeoOffice and REalplayer have only been installed once. And TextEdit, I know I have never installed that as it came pre-installed.

Also, did a spotlight search and none of them are listed but a single time as an app.

 

[dtravis7]

There is no way an older version of an application will launch if it's not on the hard drive.

 

[bobtomay]

Hey Capt, just found this.

Just type those two line into the teminal, and

Yep, it works Capt. Here's using Open With on the exact same two files afterward.

 

[Aptmunich]

Drunkenbatman had a great article on this issue:

http://www.drunkenblog.com/drunkenblog-archives/000643.html


If you have OnyX installed, select 'reset launchservices database' to cure this problem.

 

[professorjay]

Drunkenbatman had a great article on this issue:

http://www.drunkenblog.com/drunkenblog-archives/000643.html


If you have OnyX installed, select 'reset launchservices database' to cure this problem.

Good to know, I've bookmarked it for future reference. I'm sure everyone is going to face this problem sooner or later.

 

[bobtomay]

Drunkenbatman had a great article on this issue:

http://www.drunkenblog.com/drunkenblog-archives/000643.html


If you have OnyX installed, select 'reset launchservices database' to cure this problem.

And Main Menu also has the option to 'Rebuld LaunchServices"

 

[CaptSaltyJack]

OK. The command line version didn't do anything. OnyX "rebuild" worked perfectly!

And for the record, even if it shows two different versions of the same app, you CAN run an older app even though it's been replaced. Don't ask me how, but it's possible. Here's proof:

QuickTime 7.1.6 and 7.2 were both options on my "Open With" menu. I was able to open a file with either version, mysteriously.

 

[ronnlly]

Same problem 4 years hence

more than 4 years have gone by but i am surprised that the issue is still occurring. It is happening to me but not confined to Open With Menu, but also in the Applications folder. Tried Onyx and did not seem to work. Also the two liner statements are no longer recognized in Terminal. Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance

 

[bobtomay]

Having the same application listed in the Applications folder twice is a totally separate issue from the one being discussed above.

Simply drag one of those VLC apps to the trash. Actually, I'd drag both of them to the trash, then download and install the latest version.

 

[chas_m]

Bob is right. The problem of multiple versions of apps occurs when you have NOT followed Apple's guideline of storing apps exclusively in the Applications folder with no subfolders.*

*iWork being a notable exception

This still happens to me from time to time, then I remember that oh yeah, new updates tend to install straight into Applications and I have subfolders. Oh look, there's the older version in the subfolder.

 

[chscag]

Not only does what chas_m mention mess up the Application folder, it does the same thing with Launchpad. Always install applications in the default Applications folder to avoid duplicates and confusion.

 

[ronnlly]

Thank you very much for guys the suggestions and input. Nonetheless I'd like to point out that each time I simply click and drag newly installed s/w to Applications folder and likewise subsequent update (or simply launch update and it would automatically update existing one in that folder). So not sure what is meant by "have NOT followed Apple's guideline of storing apps exclusively in the Applications folder with no subfolders".
Secondly I cannot just delete the duplicating versions. It would reinstate itself (btw VLC is just one but there others behaving same way).
Thirdly as what chscag said, it effect launch pad, as well as those in Application folder and Open With menu. So I can only deduce that all 3 are the same issue or are interrelated.

 

[ronnlly]

thank you guys. i used appclean to remove the duplicating apps and it is clean now.
many thanks to all of you

 

[mac57]

There is one other possibility, and I experience this all the time. I upgraded my Mac, adding a faster hard drive. Eventually, I updated the new hard drive to Snow Leopard - the old one still has an installation of Leopard on it. I quite often get two versions of the same program on my Open With list - one being the Leopard version and one being the Snow Leopard version.

So, add that to the list of possible causes. If you have more than one hard drive, with a Mac OS X install on each one, and the Mac OS X versions are different, you may see this problem for that very reason.