DEV Community: Asya Karapetyan

How to uninstall CrashPlan from Mac

Asya Karapetyan — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:13:33 +0000

When apps stop getting updates, especially backup or security-related ones, they quickly become outdated and even risky. CrashPlan hadn’t been maintained since 2017, so I knew it was time to let it go. I also didn’t want any old system files hanging around, possibly interfering with macOS performance.

So I decided to completely uninstall CrashPlan from my Mac. In this article, I'll explain how I did it.

Before writing this guide, I uninstalled CrashPlan using the steps provided on the CrashPlan official web page. Unfortunately, the provided manual does not uninstall the application completely.
I will explain how to find CrashPlan leftovers manually and automatically, even if you have already removed CrashPlan from your Mac.

Method 1: Remove CrashPlan with App Cleaner & Uninstaller

App Cleaner & Uninstaller is a utility that scans the whole Mac’s hard drive and finds applications’ service files. Also, you can find the remaining files of the previously deleted applications.
Here's how to use the app:

Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
Select CrashPlan in the list of scanned applications.
Click on Remove.
Confirm the uninstallation.

Tip: If CrashPlan won’t uninstall
Note If you get a notification that CrashPlan can’t be removed, you will most likely, use the version in which developers locked the applications from being uninstalled. You can check it by calling the “Get info” command – you will see that it is locked.
You can unlock CrashPlan with the Terminal app. Copy and paste the following command and press Return:
sudo chflags nouchg /Applications/CrashPlan.app

It will ask for your admin password. Type it and press Return.

In case you have logged in to Mac via your user account, you should re-login as Admin.

Method 2: Uninstall CrashPlan using its native uninstaller

I will start by uninstalling CrashPlan with its native uninstaller and then explain how to check your Mac for its remaining files.

Quit CrashPlan.
Find the CrashPlan uninstallation file. For this, open Finder and press the Shift+Command+G shortcut. If the app is installed for everyone, navigate the location /Library/Application Support/CrashPlan/Uninstall.app and press Return.
If the app is installed per user, navigate this location: ~/Library/Application Support/CrashPlan/Uninstall.app.
Double-click on the Uninstall.app file.the CrashPlan uninstall file in Finder.
In the appeared window, click the Uninstall button and follow the prompts to uninstall CrashPlan from your Mac.

How to remove CrashPlan remaining files from Mac
I opened Finder again, used Shift + Command + G, and checked the following folders for any remaining files related to CrashPlan:

~/Library/Saved Application State
~/Library/Caches/
~/Library/Logs
~/Library/Preferences
~/Library/Application Support
/Library/Caches/
/Library/Logs
/Library/Preferences
/Library/Application Support
~/private/var/db/receipts

I manually deleted anything with “crashplan” in the name. Then I emptied the Trash and restarted my Mac.

What I use instead of CrashPlan

These days I rely on Time Machine, which is built into macOS. It’s reliable, gets the job done, and I don’t have to worry about third-party support.

So if you’re holding on to old, unused apps like CrashPlan, now might be the perfect time to let them go. Your Mac (and your brain) will thank you.

How to hide browsing history from Internet Provider?

Asya Karapetyan — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:43:59 +0000

You have most likely noticed that advertising on the Internet matches a lot with your recent search queries. It is not surprising, as most search engines track your online activity.

Fortunately, you can turn off the search tracking of your browser. However, you may still see teaser advertising while surfing the net. It is happening because your internet service provider (ISP) has access to your browser history and may sell it to marketing companies.

In this post, I want to share with you several tips and tricks on how to hide your browsing history from your ISP.

No Tracking Browser

It is very likely that you use Google as a search engine. So, here is how to turn off search tracking and keep your web search private.

Log in to your Google Account → Personal Info and Privacy → My Activity → Activity Controls → deactivate collecting of the following data:

web and app activity
location history
device information
voice and audio activity
YouTube search
watch history From now on, this information will not be collected on your personal account page that belongs to Google.private search

How to Search Incognito?

Most major browsers have a privacy mode, so you can do your private search without any records of your web history. For this, go to your browser’s menu bar → File → New Private Window or Incognito Window → search as usual.

When you use private mode, your browser stops collecting your search history, keeping the cache, the autofill information or the history of websites you visit. But unfortunately, it still does not protect you from your ISP’s spying on your activity.anonymous search

DuckDuckGo

You can do a private web search using the DuckDuckGo search engine. Its founders put the user’s confidentiality first. That is why DuckDuckGo does not collect or save your web search history. It even excludes any search leakage by default and hides your User Agent and IP address. It also blocks advertising trackers. It seems very handy, but is does not solve the problem – your ISP is still seeing your browsing history.

How to Hide Browsing History from an ISP?

There are two ways to hide your browsing history from an ISP: use the TOR browser or a VPN service. Both ways create a level of protection of your search history from the third parties, including your ISP. They have a similar algorithm of providing an anonymous search, but with some differences. First, the Onion Router (TOR) is free to use, while a VPN service can be free or paid. Read on if you want to know how they work to hide your browsing history.

TOR

The TOR browser is a free software that provides an anonymous search, thanks to the TOR network group of servers, operated by volunteers. This means that when you use the TOR browser, it transmits your data from one server to another every 10 minutes or less. In addition, TOR uses the TLS link encryption which makes your data unreadable to third parties. That is why your browsing history is not available for your ISP.

VPN

A VPN service provides secure transmission of your data between your device through the VPN server to the Internet. What is important is that VPN protects all your online activity on your device, not only a browser search. It is handy that you can select a VPN server from a particular location around the world, to which you want to connect during the online session. Most VPN services use AES 256-bit key encryption, which also makes your data unreadable for the third parties, including your ISP. So, a VPN also hides your browsing history from internet service providers.

Conclusion

It is certainly unpleasant to realize that someone can view your browsing history or even sell it to earn a little money. We want to preserve our internet privacy and we have rights to do so. When making a decision about which means of protection to choose, you should remember a few points.

The TOR browser is a free network where your connection jumps from one server to another. So, if you want to watch a streaming channel or use file sharing, it is not possible.
A good VPN service provides a stable VPN connection and protects your browser search and your device. You can do research in a certain country, using a certain VPN server. You can watch streaming channels and do P2P sharing.
You want to hide your browsing history, but at the same time, you want to use all of the Internet’s capabilities, don’t you? This is why we advise you to use a VPN.

Deleting apps entirely from Mac

Asya Karapetyan — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 13:00:50 +0000

When you install an app on macOS, it scatters various support files across your system. While dragging an app to the Trash might seem like enough, it often leaves behind residual files that take up space and clutter your Mac. If you want to completely remove an application, doing it manually is one way to go—but it requires a bit of system knowledge.

Step-by-Step Guide to Manually Uninstalling Apps

1. Quit the Application

Before you start deleting anything, make sure the app you want to remove is not running. If it is, quit it from the Dock or use Cmd + Q.
**

Move the App to Trash**

Open Finder → Go to the Applications folder.

Locate the app you want to uninstall.

Drag it to the Trash or right-click and select Move to Trash.

3. Remove Leftover Files

Even after moving the app to Trash, residual files remain on your Mac. Here’s how to find and remove them:

Open Finder and press Cmd + Shift + G to open the Go to Folder window.

Type ~/Library and press Enter.

Look for files related to the deleted application in the following locations and delete them:

~/Library/Application Support/
~/Library/Caches/
~/Library/Logs/
~/Library/Preferences/
~/Library/Containers/
~/Library/Cookies/

4. Empty the Trash

Once you've deleted all associated files, don't forget to empty the Trash to permanently remove them from your system.

Final Thoughts

Manually uninstalling apps gives you full control over what stays and what goes, but it also requires extra caution. If you’re looking for a faster and safer way to remove applications and their residual files, consider using an uninstaller tool like App Cleaner & Uninstaller from Nektony.

Do you manually remove apps or prefer an automated tool? Find more ways to delete apps from Mac.

How to uninstall Termius from Mac

Asya Karapetyan — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:44:28 +0000

Simply moving an application to the trash on a Mac does not delete all of its files. You need to delete all related system files as well. This article will show you how to correctly and completely uninstall #Termius from your Mac.