2014-11-17 Completely uninstall Apple Remote Desktop Admin Authored by: umrk on Jul 25, '11 08:49:21AM If it can be of some help, here is my experience about Apple Remote Desktop (3.5) problems, and the workaround I have found to solve them. Get the Remote Desktop client. Follow these steps to get started with Remote Desktop on your Mac: Download the Microsoft Remote Desktop client from the Mac App Store. Set up your PC to accept remote connections. (If you skip this step, you can't connect to your PC.) Add a Remote Desktop connection or a remote resource. Entries appear as MRU number, and are visible in the right pane.To delete an entry, right-click it, and then click Delete. Removing Entries in the Mac Remote Desktop Connection Client To remove entries from the Remote Desktop Connection Computer box in the Mac Remote Desktop Connection client, delete the Users:Username:Library:Preferences:Microsoft:RDC Client:Recent Servers file. What would you do if you need to remove Apple Remote Desktop Client? Simply drag and drop this app into trash? This is not enough for a thorough removal. Check out this tutorial to see how exactly to completely remove Apple Remote Desktop Client from your Mac.

Unlike the software developed for Windows system, most of the applications installed in Mac OS X generally can be removed with relative ease. Microsoft Remote Desktop is a third party application that provides additional functionality to OS X system and enjoys a popularity among Mac users. However, instead of installing it by dragging its icon to the Application folder, uninstalling Microsoft Remote Desktop may need you to do more than a simple drag-and-drop to the Trash.

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When installed, Microsoft Remote Desktop creates files in several locations. Generally, its additional files, such as preference files and application support files, still remains on the hard drive after you delete Microsoft Remote Desktop from the Application folder, in case that the next time you decide to reinstall it, the settings of this program still be kept. But if you are trying to uninstall Microsoft Remote Desktop in full and free up your disk space, removing all its components is highly necessary. Continue reading this article to learn about the proper methods for uninstalling Microsoft Remote Desktop.

Manually uninstall Microsoft Remote Desktop step by step:

Most applications in Mac OS X are bundles that contain all, or at least most, of the files needed to run the application, that is to say, they are self-contained. Thus, different from the program uninstall method of using the control panel in Windows, Mac users can easily drag any unwanted application to the Trash and then the removal process is started. Despite that, you should also be aware that removing an unbundled application by moving it into the Trash leave behind some of its components on your Mac. To fully get rid of Microsoft Remote Desktop from your Mac, you can manually follow these steps:

1. Terminate Microsoft Remote Desktop process(es) via Activity Monitor

Before uninstalling Microsoft Remote Desktop, you’d better quit this application and end all its processes. If Microsoft Remote Desktop is frozen, you can press Cmd +Opt + Esc, select Microsoft Remote Desktop in the pop-up windows and click Force Quit to quit this program (this shortcut for force quit works for the application that appears but not for its hidden processes).

Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder in Launchpad, and select All Processes on the drop-down menu at the top of the window. Select the process(es) associated with Microsoft Remote Desktop in the list, click Quit Process icon in the left corner of the window, and click Quit in the pop-up dialog box (if that doesn’t work, then try Force Quit).

2. Delete Microsoft Remote Desktop application using the Trash

First of all, make sure to log into your Mac with an administrator account, or you will be asked for a password when you try to delete something.

Open the Applications folder in the Finder (if it doesn’t appear in the sidebar, go to the Menu Bar, open the “Go” menu, and select Applications in the list), search for Microsoft Remote Desktop application by typing its name in the search field, and then drag it to the Trash (in the dock) to begin the uninstall process. Alternatively you can also click on the Microsoft Remote Desktop icon/folder and move it to the Trash by pressing Cmd + Del or choosing the File and Move to Trash commands.

For the applications that are installed from the App Store, you can simply go to the Launchpad, search for the application, click and hold its icon with your mouse button (or hold down the Option key), then the icon will wiggle and show the “X” in its left upper corner. Click the “X” and click Delete in the confirmation dialog.

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3. Remove all components related to Microsoft Remote Desktop in Finder

Though Microsoft Remote Desktop has been deleted to the Trash, its lingering files, logs, caches and other miscellaneous contents may stay on the hard disk. For complete removal of Microsoft Remote Desktop, you can manually detect and clean out all components associated with this application. You can search for the relevant names using Spotlight. Those preference files of Microsoft Remote Desktop can be found in the Preferences folder within your user’s library folder (~/Library/Preferences) or the system-wide Library located at the root of the system volume (/Library/Preferences/), while the support files are located in '~/Library/Application Support/' or '/Library/Application Support/'.

Open the Finder, go to the Menu Bar, open the “Go” menu, select the entry:|Go to Folder... and then enter the path of the Application Support folder:~/Library

Search for any files or folders with the program’s name or developer’s name in the ~/Library/Preferences/, ~/Library/Application Support/ and ~/Library/Caches/ folders. Right click on those items and click Move to Trash to delete them.

Meanwhile, search for the following locations to delete associated items:

/Library/Preferences/
/Library/Application Support/
/Library/Caches/

Besides, there may be some kernel extensions or hidden files that are not obvious to find. In that case, you can do a Google search about the components for Microsoft Remote Desktop. Usually kernel extensions are located in in /System/Library/Extensions and end with the extension .kext, while hidden files are mostly located in your home folder. You can use Terminal (inside Applications/Utilities) to list the contents of the directory in question and delete the offending item.

4. Empty the Trash to fully remove Microsoft Remote Desktop

If you are determined to delete Microsoft Remote Desktop permanently, the last thing you need to do is emptying the Trash. To completely empty your trash can, you can right click on the Trash in the dock and choose Empty Trash, or simply choose Empty Trash under the Finder menu (Notice: you can not undo this act, so make sure that you haven’t mistakenly deleted anything before doing this act. If you change your mind, before emptying the Trash, you can right click on the items in the Trash and choose Put Back in the list). In case you cannot empty the Trash, reboot your Mac.

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Tips for the app with default uninstall utility:

You may not notice that, there are a few of Mac applications that come with dedicated uninstallation programs. Though the method mentioned above can solve the most app uninstall problems, you can still go for its installation disk or the application folder or package to check if the app has its own uninstaller first. If so, just run such an app and follow the prompts to uninstall properly. After that, search for related files to make sure if the app and its additional files are fully deleted from your Mac.

Automatically uninstall Microsoft Remote Desktop with MacRemover (recommended):

No doubt that uninstalling programs in Mac system has been much simpler than in Windows system. But it still may seem a little tedious and time-consuming for those OS X beginners to manually remove Microsoft Remote Desktop and totally clean out all its remnants. Why not try an easier and faster way to thoroughly remove it?

If you intend to save your time and energy in uninstalling Microsoft Remote Desktop, or you encounter some specific problems in deleting it to the Trash, or even you are not sure which files or folders belong to Microsoft Remote Desktop, you can turn to a professional third-party uninstaller to resolve troubles. Here MacRemover is recommended for you to accomplish Microsoft

Completely Uninstall Microsoft Remote Desktop Mac