Removing Shaoeshifter

[jaster]

I downloaded shapeshifter and tried it out. I no longer have any use for it. When i go to trash it, it says that "the operation cannot be completed because the application is in use." When i look in my activity monitor, there is no process named shapeshifter. I now have shapeshifter sitting in my trashcan, but I am unable to get rid of it. What can I do to get rid of this?

 

[CrossBones]

Isn't there an uninstall routine that should be run?

 

[NanoBite]

Go to System Prefs ans see if it is listed in the "Other" section ... if so Ctrl/Right - Cick on it and select 'Remove ... etc'

 

[jaster]

Thanks guys. I finally got it uninstalled. Apparently I am not alone in trying to uninstall it. Found complaints and questions all over the internet about it. Anyway, after 4 spotlight searches for remnants of this intrusive program, and 4 restarts I think I finally got it all. Thanks again. Learned my lesson.

 

[NanoBite]

Out of curiosity and as I don't have ShapeShifter installed ... was it in the Sys Prefs -> Other ?? Or the Apps folder ... I just couldn't recall ....

 

[jaster]

It was in the sys-prefs, with files scattered throughout my system, there were gui files, images, documents, and cookies in safari, opera and firefox. I thought I had it uninstalled yesterday, but this morning when i started-up my macbook, I got a screen from them asking for a donation. So, I had to hunt down every last remnant of this thing. There were 26 different items in my spotlight search having something to do with shapeshifter in all different areas of my system, it also had downloaded an application enhancer program. The actual program itelf was in the system preferences pane, but wasn't uninstallable from there. Had to do a lot of digging and restarting.

 

[Stretch]

How did you uninstall it? I'm pretty sure that the installer has an uninstaller with it.

 

[jaster]

Had to re-istall the installer, then run the built-in uninstaller, then go through the harddrive and mop-up all the remnants. Then hunt down the cookies. Then uninstall the app enhancer program it downloaded and mop-up those remnants as well.

 

[cjay]

I don't like the sounds of that, very Windows-esque. I bought Shapeshifter but I rarely ever use it.

 

[NanoBite]

Some programs have a seperate uninstaller in the .dmg that usually gets trashed after installation.

 

[eric]

seems my instincts to stay away from it have been justified.

 

[bobtomay]

seems my instincts to stay away from it have been justified.

Yep, sounds like a real pain to get rid of. Guess it really depends on if you want an app like shapeshifter in the first place. I do have it installed, and use it on a regular basis to change my themes. In actual use (almost 3 months now), have not had any issues with the program, although have not tried to uninstall it.

Personally, have found that most apps leave something behind and especially when you're dealing with one that integrates itself into the system files to do it's work.

 

[jaster]

I don't like the sounds of that, very Windows-esque. I bought Shapeshifter but I rarely ever use it.

For what it is designed for, it is an excellent program. I simply no longer had a use for it. I didn't think about until cjay said it, but yes it IS a very window-esque program. It did remind me why I am now a mac user instead of windows. My wife who has a vista laptop was laughing me the other night while I was hunched over my macbook cursing trying to get rid of that thing. She got to use the old "I told you so" line. She insists my infatuation with my macbook is unjustified.