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User login items
#36686 10/26/15 06:08 PM
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deniro Offline OP
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I ran Etre Check and it apparently found traces of applications I had installed several months ago as demoes, which I had deleted.

I did a thorough search with EasyFind with all options checked, but still couldn't find the files Etre Check refers to. Under "User Login Items," EtreCheck, where "application" should be, returns the words "unknown (missing value)" for NetShredX, USBOverdriveHelper, and WDDriverUtilityHelper. To give an idea of what's supposed to appear in this column, itunes Helper appears as "Application" along with its hard drive pathway.

Any idea what this means?

Re: User login items
deniro #36691 10/26/15 08:44 PM
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Every time I've seen your particular "Unknown" it's meant that the app/utility that placed the login item was not in its original location...either gone from my deuced Mac(hina) or moved.

If those items still appear in /Applications/System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items you can just delete them. (I don't recall a login item ever just disappearing when its source disappeared.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
artie505 #36692 10/26/15 10:12 PM
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I can't find any files related to these programs. That's why I did a thorough search with EasyFind.

Re: User login items
deniro #36693 10/26/15 10:42 PM
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There ARE NO related files; that's why your login items are labeled "Unknown". The files to which they were originally related were, or were part of the contents of, the apps/utilities that placed them, which have since been trashed.

When you installed those apps/utilities they placed login items in /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist, and when you uninstalled them the login items remained, but with no sources, hence the "Unknowns".

Just delete the login items as I posted, and you'll be done with them.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
artie505 #36695 10/27/15 12:05 AM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
There ARE NO related files; that's why your login items are labeled "Unknown". The files to which they were originally related were part of the contents of the apps/utilities that placed them, which have since been trashed.

When you installed those apps/utilities they placed login items in /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist, and when you uninstalled them the login items remained, but with no sources, hence the "Unknowns".

This is probably one of the reasons Apple has deprecated Login Items and asking developers to move to "Launch Agents".


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: User login items
joemikeb #36697 10/27/15 12:36 AM
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As we see here, the current mechanism can be confusing, so a change is certainly not out of order.

Edit: In addition, I noticed that Apple has finally put the big kibosh on alphabetizing login items in Yosemite (possibly earlier), and I won't miss the neurotic aggravation associated with non-alpha items.

Last edited by artie505; 10/27/15 12:48 AM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
deniro #36699 10/27/15 05:38 AM
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Two things to try that ought to clarify this issue for you...

1. Navigate to /Applications/System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items and hover your cursor over iTunesHelper; you'll see a Unix path.

Now move iTunes from /Apps to your desktop, and hovering will show you "Unknown".

Now move iTunes back, and hovering will show you the original Unix path.

2. Set EasyFind to "Search for: File Contents", and plug in NetShredX, USBOverdriveHelper, and WDDriverUtilityHelper, one at a time; each search should turn up /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist...probably nothing else.

Those entries are your spurious login items that show "Unknown" in EtreCheck and when you hover your cursor over them in /Applications/System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items. Delete the login items from /Apps... and they'll disappear from your search results.

Hope this helps.

Last edited by artie505; 10/27/15 08:07 AM. Reason: Expand & clarify

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
artie505 #36726 10/28/15 12:19 AM
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deniro Offline OP
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Quote:
If those items still appear in /Applications/System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items you can just delete them.

Ah, God. Why didn't I think to look there? blush

Re: User login items
artie505 #36735 10/28/15 11:57 AM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Two things to try that ought to clarify this issue for you...
1. Navigate to /Applications/System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items and hover your cursor over iTunesHelper; you'll see a Unix path.

Should also be able to ctrl-click and Reveal in Finder too


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: User login items
Virtual1 #36745 10/28/15 02:44 PM
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Originally Posted By: Virtual1
Originally Posted By: artie505
Two things to try that ought to clarify this issue for you...
1. Navigate to /Applications/System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items and hover your cursor over iTunesHelper; you'll see a Unix path.

Should also be able to ctrl-click and Reveal in Finder too

In general, yes, but deniro's problem is with "Unknown(s)"; they don't exist on his Mac.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
artie505 #36749 10/28/15 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
In general, yes, but denier's problem is with "Unknown(s)"; they don't exist on his Mac.

While the physical application files no longer exist, a reference to them exists in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginitems.plist and that is what is causing the furor.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: User login items
joemikeb #36751 10/28/15 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
In general, yes, but denier's problem is with "Unknown(s)"; they don't exist on his Mac.

While the physical application files no longer exist, a reference to them exists in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginitems.plist and that is what is causing the furor.

Is it that plist, or is it /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist as per item 2. in my post #36699? (My recollection is that it's the latter that governs our present situation.)

(Why did my "deniro's" change to "denier's" in your quote?

Oh! Auto-correct. crazy

That's a bizarre one.

The constant flow of Auto-correct garbage I'm seeing is beginning to make me hate iOS and its devices. I can deal with user typos...their intent is generally quite obvious and easily scoped out, but iOS type-Os are bloody ANNOYING in their busting up the flow of things and diverting my attention in instances in which user typos would not! mad )

Last edited by artie505; 10/28/15 04:02 PM. Reason: More colorful

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
artie505 #36760 10/28/15 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Is it that plist, or is it /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist as per item

~/ (tilde slash) is Unix/OS X shorthand for /Users/xxx so they are one in the same.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: User login items
joemikeb #36762 10/28/15 07:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
Is it that plist, or is it /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist as per item

~/ (tilde slash) is Unix/OS X shorthand for /Users/xxx so they are one in the same.

protip: ~ does not work inside quotes, if you are using them to protect spaces etc. "~/Desktop/My Stuff/file1.txt" won't work. For that sort of thing I suggest "$HOME/Desktop/My Stuff/file1.txt" instead


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: User login items
joemikeb #36763 10/28/15 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: artie505
Is it that plist, or is it /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist as per item

~/ (tilde slash) is Unix/OS X shorthand for /Users/xxx so they are one in the same.

Your eyes have led you down the primrose path.

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginitems.plist is an entirely different beast than /Users/xxx/Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist.

It's been a long time since we've dealt with an issue involving Login Items, and I'm not sure I was ever certain of the difference between the two, but as I said, I believe the latter governs in this instance.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
Virtual1 #36764 10/28/15 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted By: V1
"~/Desktop/My Stuff/file1.txt" won't work.

Huh?

Please clarify what doesn't work about that.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: User login items
artie505 #36836 10/30/15 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: V1
"~/Desktop/My Stuff/file1.txt" won't work.

Huh?

Please clarify what doesn't work about that.

(quotation mark colored for emphasis)

V1 is correct. The quotation mark at the beginning of the string will prevent Terminal from correctly parsing/interpreting the command and you are correct that I overlooked loginwindow.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: User login items
joemikeb #36845 10/30/15 08:25 PM
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Thanks for clearing that up. (I wasn't questioning V1's post, merely failing to understand it.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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