Erasing the receipts folder

This is a simple question, am i able to delete the receipts folder in the library without messing things up? The thing is that it is using a considerable amount of space in my mac and i want that space free.
Thanks in advance, Paco

You can if you wish but it will definitely mess things up quite a bit. You will no longer be able to repair permissions, Disk Utility may fail to repair drives, and Software Update will no longer work.
If you need disk space the better solution is to buy a bigger hard drive, not to start deleting files and folders not located in your Home folder.
Here's the simple rule of thumb: If you don't know it's safe to delete something, then it's not safe to delete it. Corollary One: If it's located in the /System/ or /Library/ folder, then it's off limit unless you know the consequences of deleting it. Corollary Two: You do so at your own risk.

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Hi, i think i erased the utility folder of my macbook and now every time i try to open it the computer just freezes...? help!

hi, i think i erased the utility folder of my macbook and now every time i try to open it the computer just freezes...? help!

Hi
This sounds like a job for Disk Utility ... but that's located in the Utilities folder ....
Fortunately, there's a spare copy of Disk Utility on the setup disks you should have received with your computer. You need to boot the computer from the setup disk, then find Disk Utility. Inside Disk Utility, "mount" your hard drive and run Repair Disk, then Repair Permissions.
Good luck
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What are all those .pkg files in the Receipts folder?

If I see files for several versions of the same, updated, program, can I delete the all but the latest file?

They're stubs of the original Install.pkgs, they're used for Software Update to tell what you have installed, & by Disk Utility to Repair Permissions.
I think it may be safe to remove older ones that have a newer version listed, but I haven't experimented much with that since 10.4.11, at which time it helped with Permission Repairs doubly changing permissions on some files.
For safety I'd comprees the whole Receipts folder as a backup, then remove the ones you think you don't need.

Can I trash the contents of the RECEIPTS folder?

In my efforts to keep unnecessary files on my Hard Drive, I just realized that in a folder called RECEIPTS (HD/Library/receipts) there are 166 items taking up about 300 mb of HD space.
Can any / all / some of these be trashed? If I must be selective, then can a program like SPRING CLEANING or other help here?
Thanks for any comments-- and any other major space-taking items that can be removed (like unneeded printer drivers or languages) - let me know!
Thanks, Steve Friday 8 June 2007

Hi Stephen,
NO! Receipts are the way your Mac checks for updates.
If you're looking to save space on your hard drive, look elsewhere. Also see this topic.
Have you used Monolingual to delete unnecessary languages?
Have you deleted print drivers you don't use?
I would also stay away from apps like Spring Cleaning because it can be destructive. Do not delete anything if you do not know exactly what it does. It's good that you asked first.
-mj
[email protected]

What exactly ARE the .pkg files that collect in the 'Receipts' folder?

Hi there all.
Those .pkg files that collect in HDD>Library>Receipts. What exactly ARE these packages for? How do they tie in with Disk Utility's 'Repair permissions' option? Why do we need to keep them?
It's all Unix to me ;0)

I used to delete .pkg files after I'd installed an application. I thought i was just the electronic equivalent of throwing away the empty box after I'd bought something.
The "cardboard box" icon encouraged me to think that.
Then someone said you should never throw away those.pkg files.
So I stopped.
But the only thing that has ever happened is that during permissions repair, I get a few lines here and there that say "could not repair permissions".
I have experienced no other problems of any kind over about the last 2 years. All applications running normally, nothing weird happening.

What is "InputManager" and why has"Receipts" folder changed?

1st Topic: Current MacWorld article (May , pg 16-17) tells about the Leap-A trojan horse. However, it refers to a user Library folder named "InputManager" ... no such on my system...I wonder why not? I never use iChat.
Is the Virus connected only to the 'Buddy List' ?
2nd Topic: I seem to remember a rule to never delete the "Receipts" folder in System/Library/... /Receipts/... All 'Install' Icons were there to aid Update and other S/W. My Tiger (10.4.4) has no such folder.. I wonder what happened to it?
Was it renamed?
Everything works fine... updates, installs, etc etc... Just wondering...
Cheers, Jim B
G4 Graphite Mac OS X (10.4.4) 704 MB VPC 6.1.1-w/ Windows2000 DSL

#2: Receipts are kept in /Library/Receipts, not
/System/Library/
HTH
Thanx to Francine & baltwo for their reply.
I understand the InputManager answer.
baltwo: I remember now that indeed Receipts are in
~/Library/Receipts.
BUT, I have none in my Tiger Production Volume....
All that is in that folder are 3 folders from
previous Adobe installs... the install.log for
Acrobat Pro, Distiller & Reader...
Did Adobe do that to my Library/Receipts? It could
happen I guess however a FIND in each of the logs did
not have any reference,
I backup via SuperDuper! ... and I use the SANDBOX
feature.
GUESS WHAT?
I FOUND a SANDBOX Volume that has the correct
Receipts FOLDER! I have prepared the Production
Tiger Volume and will copy the Receipts to it. I
will
then backup the Prod Vol...
Then I am doing a backup of the User/HOME directory
out to CD.
Better to do that on a regular basis Huh? Cloning is
NOT always enough!
I updated to 10.4.4 with Achive and Restore but
somehow during the Safety Cloning the Receipts got
clobbered.... It's probably my fault...
Thanx again... Jim B
============================================
Fugitaboudit.... The above is an error on my part....
Receipts Folder: IT IS on all my Tiger Volumes: Production, Sandbox, Backup...
I was confused with the fact that <Users/jbabcock/Library /...> is NOT the same as <Root/Library/Receipts/....> where Root is my Computer's name: followed by its /Library/... etc.
So ALL my Volumes of Tiger DO have the Receipts folder... but NOT /Home/Library /.... Etc...
I have only myself as the user.
Sorry for all the mis-information...
Jim B
G4 Graphite Mac OS X (10.4.4) 704 MB, VPC 6.1.1w/Windows2000, DSL

Receipts folder is 650MB...can I delete it?

Is the receipts folder on my MBP with all the pkg's files a 'must keep'? or can I make some room and delete it? Just trying to free up space and noticed that's a pretty big one. ARe these pkg files important? cheers..

Is the receipts folder on my MBP with all the pkg's files a 'must keep'?
Yes.
ARe these pkg files important?
Items in that folder should only be deleted if you're reinstalling or uninstalling the software associated with a specific receipt.
(39850)

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http://www.totalidea.com/content/tweakvi/tweakvi-index.html
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Can I trash all or part of RECEIPTS folder to save 500 mb of HD Space?

I'm on a major campaign to free-up HD space on my 2006 MB (160 gb HD). I've found a folder in the RECEIPTS folder (Located here: /Library/Receipts ) and just wondering if these packages are still needed or whether I can trash all/some of them.
ALSO: I replaced my MB 120 gb HD about a year ago with a 160 gb - but are there reliable 250 gb or ??? Hard Drives that would fit my MacBook (May 2006 - Intel Core Duo) --???
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Steve Schulte
Saturday 31 January 2009 at 10:54

Look at these links.
Where did my disk space go?
http://www.macfixitforums.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Forum38&Number=770243
Download & use WhatSize described in this link or Disk Inventory X @ http://www.derlien.com/
Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
Amazing Disappearing Drive Space
http://www.pinkmutant.com/articles/TigerMisc.html
Increase HD Free Space
http://macosx.com/forums/howto-faqs/275191-how-easily-increase-hd-free-space-lap top.html
How to free up my disk space
http://www.macmaps.com/diskfull.html
 Cheers, Tom

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Copying contents between hard drives with the same folder names erases data

I have Final Cut Pro assets stored in two hard drives. I was attempting to consolidate them into a single directory on one of the two hard drives. I did this by dragging and dropping the contents of one folder into the equivalent folder on the destination hard drive, meaning that several folder names were shared between the two directories.
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Time Machine is not enabled: Not enough hard drive space to store everything twice.
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Message was edited by: NuclearBastard

Seems like you did not select the content but the folder itself. Let's say you're copying from folder A to B. To only overwrite stuff in folder B with the same name while keeping other files & folders, you need to go inside folder A and select the content. If you do select folder A itself, it will completely replace folder B. This is normal behaviour and I'm sure it's the same with other operating systems like Windows.
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To avoid things like that in the future, you might want to use software which has the ability to synchronize file structures. In Terminal you can use ditto for that, but there are several GUI apps out there, too. Just search http://www.versiontracker.com for merge or synchronize and you should find something.
Björn

If i erase the contents of the download folder....

Hey, i am new and have a silly question. I notice downloads i have already moved to application folder still show up in the download folder. Can I trash all the folders and whatnot out of the downloads if they are somewhere else?

I notice downloads i have already moved to application folder still show up in the download folder.
Are you sure you are actually moving downloaded applications to the applications folder, or are you installing apps from downloaded installer packages? For instance, if you download an application as a dmg (disk image), double-clicking on it will mount the image as a disk. Double-clicking on an installer file in the image or dragging an app from it to your app folder installs the app but doesn't move the download itself anywhere.

Down loading to the wrong folder

Hi, I am NEW here and asked this question in a roundabout way before but I still don't get it.
I made a folder named FRIENDS and I have one named, SON (my kid). I accidently downloaded my camera card with pics of my son into the Friends folder. I hight-lighted them and transfered them to my SON folder.
But now I am still left with the SON pics in my FRIENDS folder...which I cannot delete without erasing them entirely from the HD.
I would like to have the FRIENDS folder NOT have my SON pics on it.
What am I not seeing? I know the folders/albums/pics are just pointers to the original pics but the organization seems to allude me
Thanks in advance!
Rob

Ahhhh... The plot thickens! You didn't mention anything about albums before.
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The only place in Aperture that actually contains the photo masters is Projects - consider them the photo containers. As you haven't mentioned Projects at all, I can only assume you have not explored that area and are mucking around with folders and getting it wrong.
I suggest you look at the organisation of your collection - what Projects do you have?
Regards,
Calx

Erasing the receipts folder

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