Recently, I decided to try out AppDelete, a program for removing other programs, widgets, preference panes, and more. Running the free trial of AppDelete, I was able to successfully remove several programs I no longer needed, as well as a widget that I hadn’t used for months.
One way to find applications, widgets, and other files to remove is to use the intuitive list AppDelete provides you with. You can then check the items you want to remove and AppDelete will remove it and all associated files. In the image below, you can see how AppDelete presents you with a list of the Application in your Applications folder, and you can easily decide which programs to mark for removal. It also functions similarly for Widgets, Users-added Preference Panes, Plug-Ins and Screensavers.
The other way to remove programs is to drag them onto the AppDelete windows. One program I removed was PeerGuardian. Instead of dragging PeerGuardian to Trash, I used AppDelete to remove it. To do so, I simply dragged the app from my Desktop to the AppDelete window. 
Upon doing so, I was presented with a window showing me all the things that would be removed.
There were 6 other program files associated with PeerGuardian that I hadn’t accounted for. By simply moving the Application to the trash, I would have left behind a kext, two folders, two plists, and a widget. Wow! Files like these build up overtime and can lead to a messy OS and wasted space.
The feature I found especially useful was the Undo button located in the upper right corner. Clicking it undoes your last operation, giving an added layer of protection. You can also choose to protect System applications so that you don’t accidentally delete them.
AppDelete is available in English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Swedish. It has a log for viewing everything that has been removed and the log can also be opened in TextEdit. Plus, it has a “hidden” mode for removal of items while running in the background.
Overall, AppDelete was super useful for removing the crap I no longer needed. There was both super useful and complete functionality, and I was only running the free trial. You can download the free trial of AppDelete at http://reggieashworth.com. If you like the software, which I’m sure you will, you can take advantage of a special deal strictly for Daily Blogged users. Simply purchase AppDelete using the link in the sidebar and you will receive a 37% discount on the software, bringing the total down to just $5. So give the application a try and see how it can help remove your crap too!
August 25th, 2010 at 12:19 PM
I’ve been using AppCleaner myself. It does basically the exact same thing and I love it. How does this compare with it?
August 29th, 2010 at 1:28 AM
AppCleaner is the same type of app (uninstaller) and it’s free. However it hasn’t been updated in about 2 years, so obviously with the time certain things become outdated. With AppDelete and the small price tag, you will get not only regular updates and support, but better uninstalls (finding more items) and such things as: 64-bit performance, Archiving and reinstall from archive, finds hidden files, has an Orphans feature, has right-click contextual item and more. A summary list of what AppDelete does can be found on the developers site at http://www.reggieashworth.com/moreinfo. You can also contact the developer directly at reggie.ashworth@gmail.com.