How do I reinstall Compressor 4 from the App store?

Question

I am at my wits end with C4.  I think it's a piece of junk and will not work.  I am now trying to reinstall it to see if that helps but I can't see how to do it since it came from the App store.  Please help!

Answer 1

Hi Andy, yep you can remove MAC app store apps as described in this thread. (maybe not need to though) Yes you just  ALSO manually go and remove these files/objects as well which pretty much does what a formal uninstaller would do... Yes... You COULD just manuall remove/delete these compress.app objects first...
/Applications/Compressor.app
~/Library/Application Support/Compressor (this is where all your customised destination and settings are maintained)
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Compressor.help
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Compressor.LSSharedFileList.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Compressor.LSSharedFileList.plist.lockfile
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Compressor.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Compressor.plist.lockfile
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Compressor
oh and while your there you ought to get rid of ~/Library/Application Support/Apple Qmaster too!
Yeah you could do that and then you COULD go back to the MAC APP store and install it again (no purchase btw).
yes you could do all that and still end up with Compressor not working like you want.
BUT I WOULDN'T do it as a first response to locate and identify what is causing the issues your are experiencing.. fix those first......
I'd propose that you might look at a less drastic approach. Recently there has been some over xmas / new year activity on this Compressor forum that has identified failures and non functioning stuff in Compressor and Qmaster. THese issues are most likley limited to the particular workflow and environment.
Thus I'd propose you might begin simply by isolating and identifying the non functioning bits of compressor.app and your workflow and setup to those on this forum. Chances are that you will have it working sonner than later.
I'd further propose to you that if you looked throiugh ALL the items in the package contenntof /Applications/Comressor.app that you would NOT FIND ANY ITEM that has been modified recently that was not from a software update. In short, a reinstallation implies tha the .APP and relevant items have been corrupted somehow and need to be reinstated/fresh from an installation.
I'd also reckon that if you can post what particulaly doesn't work with Compressor.ap V4 and Qmaster V4 (if you use clusters) that someone or group on this firum can likely help ya out.
Yes its likley that ripping out Compressor.app V4 adn its associated structures I have identified above will likley let you initially use it. HOevere it is more than likley some state residual state information or some workflow item (a crook bit of source... who knows??) will likely lead you back to the situation you are in now.
AS been posted many times by various compressor.app V4 users on tis forum, you ought to look initially at the logs in:
~/Library/Application Support/Apple Qmaster/Logs
/var/logs (via console.app)
There are some very 3rd party good tools for doing a lot of the "cleanout FCP SUITE stuff.apps". Chances are at this stage you dont need to go that route..
ANother positive reason for this approach is that you will gain an insight into Compress.app + Qmaster + Motion +FCPX marriage. You'll probbaly also turn soemthign up that is helpful to the rest of us. This happens a great deal me think!
Check out the logs above and also itemise what the issues actually are.
You could also search (trawl) this forum and also that at COW for compressor related issues. Choose wisey what you review as there is a lot if uinformed workarounds out there too..
Post your results so it may help others.
Warwick
Hong Kong