macOS Catalina: How to delete a "phantom" app from Applications folder?

Question

macOS Catalina: How to delete a "phantom" app from Applications folder?

Hello - In setting up my new MacBook Pro yesterday, I ran into an issue installing XtraFinder, and somehow wound up with a “phantom” copy in the Applications folder. I've reached out to the author of the app, but I think this is a more general system issue, not so much an issue with the specific app.

I cannot delete it - if I drag it to the Trash, nothing happens. The app's uninstaller can't remove it. CleanMyMac X also cannot uninstall it.

I also cannot run it - and the OS treats it like it isn’t really in the Applications folder. When I double click on it, I’m told "Please copy XtraFinder to the directory /Applications"

And when I click “OK” in that notification box, I’m told "Applications/XtraFinder.app does not exist” and "Please reinstall XtraFinder.”

If I try to reinstall it, I wind up with two copies. (And only the new one works - and can be deleted.)

Ideas?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 12, 2020 7:02 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MrHoffman

Community+ 2024

Level 10

126,259 points

Jun 12, 2020 7:37 AM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

I’d wonder if that cleaning app is the trigger. Some of those cleaning apps have caused corruptions for various folks, and a corrupt environment can require a re-install, unfortunately. I’d remove the cleaning app.

As for your question, try booting into Safe Mode, and see if that clears this.

Reply

Answer 2

Jun 13, 2020 6:26 PM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

Something obviously went wrong here.

Build a bootable installer, back up to external storage, back up again, boot Recovery or boot from the bootable installer, wipe, reload Catalina, and re-install.

What the trigger might be—macOS bug, add-on app, some other hardware or software glitch—won’t likely be identified here.

The bootable installer and he extra backup are in case something else goes wrong here... More options for recovery.

Reply

Answer 3

Jun 12, 2020 7:42 AM in response to MrHoffman

Thanks... I didn’t try to use Clean My Mac X until several hours later after multiple attempts to remove the “phantom” manually. But I have reached out to their support team as well, so will see what I hear back.

Going into Safe Mode is a good idea... will try that and report back.

Reply

Answer 4

Jun 14, 2020 12:35 PM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

Looking more closely at the two XtraFinder apps as displayed in the Applications folder, I that the one that doesn't work is actually shown as being in the /System/Applications/ folder, whereas the one that DOES work is in the /Applications/ folder. So it would appear that I need to delete the one that's in /System/Applications/.

However, even after going into Recovery Mode and disabling SIP, then restarting, I still can't delete it. Instead I get the message "Read-only file system" - any ideas as to whether/how I can get around this?

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/CodeResources: Read-only file system

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources: Read-only file system

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/_CodeSignature: Read-only file system

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/MacOS/XtraFinder: Read-only file system

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/MacOS: Read-only file system

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/Resources/en.lproj/InfoPlist.strings: Read-only file system

rm: /System/Applications/XtraFinder.app//Contents/Resources/en.lproj: Read-only file system

...

Reply

Answer 5

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,782 points

Jun 14, 2020 1:19 PM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

You probably don't need to disable SIP, but you may need to remove it in Single-User mode via Recovery.

Boot into Recovery.

If you have an encrypted startup drive, use Disk Utility to mount it.

Use Terminal from the Utilities menu (back in the Recovery UI).

You will have to figure out exactly where that is mounted as it may not be in the same path, but probably is.

As far as I understand, it should have never been installed in /System/Applications. That location is for macOS bundled apps.

Reply

Answer 6

Jun 14, 2020 4:14 PM in response to Barney-15E

Totally agree that it shouldn’t have been there to begin with. No idea how it happened! I’ll try your suggested approach and report back!

Reply

Answer 7

Jun 13, 2020 6:15 PM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

Unfortunately, SafeMode didn’t do anything to help the situation. Still have the duplicate...

Reply

Answer 8

Jun 14, 2020 12:36 PM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

Reply

Answer 9

Jun 14, 2020 9:27 PM in response to Charles Zimmerman2

Thanks, that did the trick!

Reply

macOS Catalina: How to delete a "phantom" app from Applications folder?

Similar questions