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Easy Find vs AppCleaner
#39843 04/10/16 03:16 PM
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I am trying to get rid of android file transfer agent from my computer. It didn't work anyway. I ran Easy Find and it came up with hundreds of files. I left them there and then ran AppCleaner. After I deleted what AppCleaner found, there were still those hundreds of files from Easy Find.

My question is does anyone know if all the files found by Easy Find are safe to delete as I only want them connected to android file transfer agent. I don't understand if it would bring up things that might be entangled with something else so that I would screw things up if I deleted what it found, if that makes sense.

I will await an answer before I delete any of it.

Thanks.

Rita

Last edited by dianne; 04/11/16 05:21 PM. Reason: Moved from the Networking forum.

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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39847 04/10/16 04:47 PM
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You might go with OnyX to eliminate the "congestion".
Its claim to fame is that it can't hurt your computer ... but read, understand and follow the caveats.

Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
grelber #39848 04/10/16 04:56 PM
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Hi: I already use OnyX. How would I get rid of that particular congestion? I've used it several times since downloading this particular app and it's all still there. I just want to delete it but am hesitant.


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39851 04/10/16 06:22 PM
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Android File Transfer sets up a deamon in your Login Items that you will have to delete. Otherwise the files will reappear each time you boot your Mac. (Users & Groups/Login Items)

You should be able to delete any items you find directly from the EasyFind window.


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39852 04/10/16 06:23 PM
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I would think you could search within Onyx and delete selectively (and possibly serially) those files which are "sticking".

Just noted freelance's advice: I would have thought that too, but your experience would seem to indicate otherwise. Give it a shot.

Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
freelance #39853 04/10/16 06:54 PM
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Thanks Freelance. I think I will take the chance as I do have an external drive with everything on it should I lose stuff. Thanks for the help on getting rid of the rest if it doesn't disappear with EasyFind.

Rita


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
grelber #39854 04/10/16 06:56 PM
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Well, if there is a way to search within Onyx and delete selectively, it would probably take forever. For as I said, there are a ton of files. I have an external drive with all my stuff on it should something go ary. So, I will go ahead and take your and freelance's advice and delete the files via EasyFind.

Thanks again.

Rita


Originally Posted By: grelber
I would think you could search within Onyx and delete selectively (and possibly serially) those files which are "sticking".

Just noted freelance's advice: I would have thought that too, but your experience would seem to indicate otherwise. Give it a shot.


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39855 04/10/16 07:00 PM
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Have a look at the file path in EasyFinder. It may be that you just have to delete a folder that these hundreds of files are in?

(edit) I use Android File Transfer.app routinely and only have four files. What is your search term?

Last edited by freelance; 04/10/16 07:02 PM.

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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
freelance #39856 04/10/16 07:12 PM
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I don't know how to find the file path. There are over 4000 files too. I can click Command A and get rid of them all at once if that's what you getting at.



Originally Posted By: freelance
Have a look at the file path in EasyFinder. It may be that you just have to delete a folder that these hundreds of files are in?

(edit) I use Android File Transfer.app routinely and only have four files. What is your search term?


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39858 04/10/16 07:26 PM
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Hi, Rita,

When you search with EasyFind do you have the "Include: Package Contents" box in the left sidebar checked?

That very often causes what freelance suggested to happen, i.e. your 4,000 files may be reduced to only one or two if you uncheck it.

Also, you very often can't do a command-A because files that EF finds that require an admin password to delete can't be deleted through EF. (You've got to select, then command-R to get to their location, and delete them from there.)

("File path" is EF's "Where" column.)

Last edited by artie505; 04/10/16 07:58 PM. Reason: Clarify & expand

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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #39863 04/10/16 08:49 PM
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Hi Artie:

I did have "Include Package Contents" checked. After you said that, I unchecked it and ran it again. I had 2797 files show up. Does that mean they are all there but just show up differently when I uncheck that box?

When I did Command + A it did select all but I never tried to delete it because I'm still nervous about it.

I don't see any "where" in EasyFind.

When I run it under "Search For" I have File and Folders checked.

Under Operator I have "any word" checked.

Under "Comparisons" I have "ignore case" checked.

Under "Include" I have invisible files and Package Contents usually checked.

All I know if that I want to get rid of anything that has to do with this app. Would you have other suggestions that I should check instead?

What happens when I click "Command +R? What shows up?

Thanks for the details. It helps.

Rita



Originally Posted By: artie505
Hi, Rita,

When you search with EasyFind do you have the "Include: Package Contents" box in the left sidebar checked?

That very often causes what freelance suggested to happen, i.e. your 4,000 files may be reduced to only one or two if you uncheck it.

Also, you very often can't do a command-A because files that EF finds that require an admin password to delete can't be deleted through EF. (You've got to select, then command-R to get to their location, and delete them from there.)

("File path" is EF's "Where" column.)


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39866 04/10/16 10:05 PM
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When you uncheck the box, EasyFind shows packages, installers, apps...maybe others as "units" rather than digging into them for their components, so, yes, they "show up differently".

I don't understand why you still see 2,800 files, though. (I just d/l'ed Android File Transfer.app [Is that the correct thing?], and EF doesn't show me anything like that, but that may be because I never launched it.)

"Where" is a column heading across the top of an EF window... Name, Created, Modified, Size, Kind, WHERE.

My search criteria are the same as yours except that I search for "All Files" and check or uncheck "Package Contents" and "Invisible Files & Folders" depending upon what I'm searching for.

Command-A does, indeed, select everything, but if you hit "Delete" you'll find that anywhere from all to none of the selected items disappear; that's because the developers of EF have wisely elected to prohibit users from easily deleting files that require admin authentication.

Command-R takes you to the actual location of a file...the path shown in the "Where" column; from there you can delete files that can't be deleted from an EF window.

I think your best bet at this point may be to upload a screenshot of what EF shows you so we can get an idea of what you're up against. (I searched for an uninstaller, but with no joy.)


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #39868 04/10/16 10:24 PM
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I could do a screen shot but it's pages long.


Rita


Originally Posted By: artie505
When you uncheck the box, EasyFind shows packages, installers, apps...maybe others as "units" rather than digging into them for their components, so, yes, they "show up differently".

I don't understand why you still see 2,800 files, though. (I just d/l'ed Android File Transfer.app [Is that the correct thing?], and EF doesn't show me anything like that, but that may be because I never launched it.)

"Where" is a column heading across the top of an EF window... Name, Created, Modified, Size, Kind, WHERE.

My search criteria are the same as yours except that I search for "All Files" and check or uncheck "Package Contents" and "Invisible Files & Folders" depending upon what I'm searching for.

Command-A does, indeed, select everything, but if you hit "Delete" you'll find that anywhere from all to none of the selected items disappear; that's because the developers of EF have wisely elected to prohibit users from easily deleting files that require admin authentication.

Command-R takes you to the actual location of a file...the path shown in the "Where" column; from there you can delete files that can't be deleted from an EF window.

I think your best bet at this point may be to upload a screenshot of what EF shows you so we can get an idea of what you're up against. (I searched for an uninstaller, but with no joy.)


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39870 04/10/16 10:42 PM
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This is the only way I could figure out how to get the pic to you. When I went to Free Image Hosting, there was no second set of quotes to take the code from. Do you see them? Hopefully this will work. Crossing fingers.

[email:http://www.freeimagehosting.net/upl.php]http://www.freeimagehosting.net/upl.php[/email]


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39871 04/10/16 10:43 PM
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OK, I see that didn't work. Hmmmm...


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39872 04/10/16 11:22 PM
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All you should need to upload is the first page, Rita; hopefully, it will be representative.

I don't know what happened with your upload; I've done a few in the last 24 hours and all worked as expected.

Edit: The link you posted is FIH's URL; you need to use a truncated "Image Code". (Hmmm... Their images are awfully grainy today.)

Edit 2: Did I d/l the right thing?

Last edited by artie505; 04/10/16 11:49 PM.

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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #39875 04/11/16 02:32 AM
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Let's see how this works: http://i.imgur.com/ZYRAR8K.png



Originally Posted By: artie505
All you should need to upload is the first page, Rita; hopefully, it will be representative.

I don't know what happened with your upload; I've done a few in the last 24 hours and all worked as expected.

Edit: The link you posted is FIH's URL; you need to use a truncated "Image Code". (Hmmm... Their images are awfully grainy today.)

Edit 2: Did I d/l the right thing?


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39877 04/11/16 06:24 AM
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Ah ha...got it!

Because your search parameter is "Operator: Any Word", EasyFind is finding all sorts of stuff that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with "Android File Transfer Agent"...files and folders that have got just one of those four words in their titles and are irrelevant to the sum of the four.

Do your EF search again, but this time use "Operator: All Words", see how many fewer results you get, and post another screenshot if you're still at a loss about how to proceed.

Hope this is it. smile

Edit: I'd also search using search terms "Android" and "Google" to see what comes up.

Last edited by artie505; 04/11/16 10:06 AM.

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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #39878 04/11/16 07:13 AM
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Mods, should this thread be a different forum?


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #39898 04/11/16 05:08 PM
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OK, i ran it again with "All words" and nothing came up. Probably because I deleted it with AppCleaner. Wow, good thing I went with my gut and didn't delete anything until I was sure. I imagine this is what I should always do right? Because the only time I care to use EasyFind is when I want to delete something completely. I'm not messing with the other stuff.

Thanks, Artie.

I noticed you asked the mods if this should be a different forum. Which one would you think it should be? I never know so I always choose Networking unless it's obviously a peripheral.

Rita

Originally Posted By: artie505
Ah ha...got it!

Because your search parameter is "Operator: Any Word", EasyFind is finding all sorts of stuff that has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with "Android File Transfer Agent"...files and folders that have got just one of those four words in their titles and are irrelevant to the sum of the four.

Do your EF search again, but this time use "Operator: All Words", see how many fewer results you get, and post another screenshot if you're still at a loss about how to proceed.

Hope this is it. smile

Edit: I'd also search using search terms "Android" and "Google" to see what comes up.


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #39906 04/12/16 06:45 AM
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The key is to use the "All Words" operator so you don't get those extraneous items that "Any Word" returns, but be aware that EasyFind doesn't necessarily find 100% of everything, because apps do on occasion place files that can't be easily identified; that's why I suggested that you search for "Google" and "Android", and, in fact, I see a couple of items in your screenshot that look like they may be related to Android File Transfer Agent.

Note, though, that an app may also place files that can't be tied to it by nomenclature alone, but my feeling - which is in no way authoritative - is that if an uninstaller hasn't removed it and EasyFind can't find it it's not going to cause me any trouble down the road.

Remember that not all that long ago we didn't have Spotlight or app removal apps and were happy to trash just what we could find on our own.

I've never investigated how AppCleaner and others of its ilk work, but unless they track an app's installation I don't see any way they can find anything that a comprehensive EF search can't find.


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #40766 05/31/16 07:09 PM
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Thanks Artie (very belatedly). I never got an email notice saying you got back to me. Sorry.

Rita


Originally Posted By: artie505
The key is to use the "All Words" operator so you don't get those extraneous items that "Any Word" returns, but be aware that EasyFind doesn't necessarily find 100% of everything, because apps do on occasion place files that can't be easily identified; that's why I suggested that you search for "Google" and "Android", and, in fact, I see a couple of items in your screenshot that look like they may be related to Android File Transfer Agent.

Note, though, that an app may also place files that can't be tied to it by nomenclature alone, but my feeling - which is in no way authoritative - is that if an uninstaller hasn't removed it and EasyFind can't find it it's not going to cause me any trouble down the road.

Remember that not all that long ago we didn't have Spotlight or app removal apps and were happy to trash just what we could find on our own.

I've never investigated how AppCleaner and others of its ilk work, but unless they track an app's installation I don't see any way they can find anything that a comprehensive EF search can't find.


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Re: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
plantsower #40794 06/01/16 10:35 PM
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No problem, Rita. smile

I hope my post made EasyFind easier for you to use in the future.


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: EasyFind vs AppCleaner
artie505 #40795 06/01/16 10:36 PM
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It did. I still refer to it. smile

Originally Posted By: artie505
No problem, Rita. smile

I hope my post made EasyFind easier for you to use in the future.


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