Question

Clean up Mac OS X Tiger desktop

Asked by: Dragon0x40

My Mac desktop has many files and I would like to know how to clean up and organize them.

Is there a free utilitity or an easy way to do it manually?

There are .dmg files which I don't know what to do with. Icons that look like little hard drives with application names such as Skype and Clamxav.

What is the best way to organize and clean up your Mac?

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Asked On
2009-10-18 at 10:35:34ID24821851
Tags

Mac

,

Desktop

,

Clean

Topic

Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger)

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
7

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Answers

 

by: strungPosted on 2009-10-18 at 14:39:03ID: 25601543

Your problem is that your browser is set to download files to your desktop. Go into your browser prefs and reset it to download to the Downloads folder.  The .dmg files are disk images of software downloads. If they have been installed, they can all be deleted.

 

by: Dragon0x40Posted on 2009-10-18 at 16:14:26ID: 25601829

thanks strung,

I deleted the .dmg file but if I delete the mount link icon then how do I launch the application?

For example clamxav when I click the icon it opens a window that has a icon that will put the clamxav icon in the application bar (similar to task bar in windows) with a black triangle beside it. But if I try to delete the mount icon (that is associated with the .dmg file in the trash) it says it is running and can't be deleted.

I don't know how to make a icon for the application and where to put the executable for the application.

Trying to learn Mac:-)

 

by: strungPosted on 2009-10-18 at 16:20:00ID: 25601842

You haven't install the applications properly if they are running from the .dmg file. You are suppose to double click on the .dmg file and then follow the instructions to install the application. This usual involves either double clicking on an installer, or dragging the application from the opened .dmg file to your applications folder.

 

by: strungPosted on 2009-10-18 at 16:54:55ID: 25601924

Once you have run the installer, or dragged the application to your Applications folder, you then run the application from the copy in the Applications folder and delete the .dmg file.

 

by: Dragon0x40Posted on 2009-10-18 at 23:31:23ID: 25602938

I copied the application file to the application folder and everything is working great!

Made a folder called desktop on the desktop to keep various files in to clear the desktop.



 

by: wnypcrepairPosted on 2009-10-20 at 23:01:30ID: 25621090

I would rename the folder you made to desk rather than desktop. It probably won't cause a problem, but why tempt fate with naming a folder as desktop (a system folder name). It could also become confusing when selecting files, as the path would then be Desktop/Desktop.

 

by: Dragon0x40Posted on 2009-10-21 at 01:17:19ID: 25621628

thanks wnypcrepair,

Did not think about possible confusion for myself and the OS.

Think I will rename it.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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