Weird Finder 'Open With' menu problem

I have a new Lion MBP -- I did not use the migration asssistant from my old MBP instead I installed apps manually - now the weird thing is that the Finder 'Open with' context based menu includes apps that were installed on my old MBP that are not (and have never been) installed on the new computer!!
How did that happen... anyone have any ideas and how I can get rid of these 'ghost' entries.
Thanks
Rich

Simon,
Resetting Launch Services, by Dr. Smoke should be helpful.
;~)

Similar Messages

TA24770 Clear Finder "Open With" menu with VMware Fusion 5

Hi.
I had same problem of duplicate Apps showing on Finder "Open With" contextual menu.
After following instructions on this link http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24770?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US all Mac applications where OK, but could not see VMware Fusion Virtual Machine applications in Finder contextual menu.
So follow these steps:
Shut down virtual machine.
Open virtual machine settings.
Go to Default Applications.
Click "Restore Applications".
Start virtual machine.
This should reset contextual menu in Finder with the VMware Fusion 5 applications.
Mac OS X 10.8.3
VMware Fusion 5.0.3

Great, post tip, thanks!

Removing Items Finder Open With Menu

I'm looking for a way to delete items from the Open With menu in Finder/File/Open With. On my PowerBook there are over fifty items in this menu when selecting a JPEG file.
Maybe there is away.
I'm using a Panther drive 10.3.9
Photoscene

Photoscene-
I'm not sure this addresses your exact situation or not, but the following link:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20031215144430486#comments
suggests a method for removing items from the "open with" menu that shouldn't be there.
I have NOT tried the above, so use the usual cautions (backup beforehand, etc.).
Good luck,
Alan
cube Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Finder Open With Menu

I'm trying to clean up a Parallels installation, I got tired of it locking up my system when shutting down the VM, any way it added a host of Windows Applications to the Open With Menu in Finder.
I've tried following a few older suggestions such as deleteing the com.apple.LaunchServices.plist from ~/LIbrary/Preferences folder, however this trick doesn't appear to have any affect on finder 10.5
So Im at a loss on how to clean this up...
Any help is greatly appreciated...
Thank yoiu

rebuild your launch services database.
run the following terminal command
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

Edit Finder Open With Menu

I just went to open an image from the Finder and noticed the Open With Context Menu was loaded with duplicate entries of the various applications that can open an image. Is there a way to edit this so only the current version of each application shows instead of every version installed via updates?
An example is Opera. There are 3 versions listed in the Open With Context Menu when I right click on a .swf file.

rebuild your launch services database.
run the following terminal command
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

Finder open with option problem

If I right/Control click on a file and go to the contextual menu Open With, there a multiple occurrences of the same application in the list e.g. use quicktime quicktime or quicktime. Not all application have multiple entries and which ever one I chose, the application will launch. This issue is limited to my account on my imac.
I have used Cocktail to delete all user and system cache but the problem persists. If I search for the application e.g. quicktime, there is only 1 on my disk in applications folder.
Is there a preference to delete or a way to force a rebuild of the service directory.
Thanks
imac G4 17inch Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Simon,
Resetting Launch Services, by Dr. Smoke should be helpful.
;~)

Finder Open With Lists Some Applications Twice

My finder>open with menu lists some applications twice.
A minor annoyance I'd like to fix.
Example: If I choose a JPG file and go to "open with" the following programs are listed twice: Firefox, QuickTime, RealPlayer & Safari. Some other programs are listed once.
There are NOT two versions of these programs on my computer, but there is the System folder from my old Mac.
Is there a way to fix this little problem?
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8) 17 inch

The mac finder will pick up applications anywhere on your hard drive when you do the "open with".
If you aren't using your old System Folder you could create a .zip archive of it and remove the original Folder.
I'd be open to hearing other approaches, but this will work.

Clearing the Finder "Open With" contextual menu ?

After the install I now have duplicates of all the stuff I used to have in the open with menu.
Like VLC and then under it VLC (version number).
How do I clear it?

As seen here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305627
*Mac OS X: Clearing the Finder "Open With" contextual menu*
Ever wondered how to "clear" the Finder's Open With... contextual menu choices of any extraneous or older applications? (This is the menu that appears when you control-click or "right-click" a document icon.)
If your Open With... menu is filled with too many choices to easily scroll through, you can remove the less-commonly used choices. These steps will clear the list except for the most current applications that can open your document.
From the Finder Go menu, choose Home.
Open the Library folder in the Home window.
Open the Preferences folder.
Find com.apple.LaunchServices.plist.
Rename "com.apple.LaunchServices", such as to "com.apple.LaunchServices.old", or move it to the Trash.
The next time you use the Open With.... contextual menu in the Finder, only current applications will be listed. Some items may return if the application that controls them adds itself back to the list.

Clean up Finder "Open With" contextual menu in Yosemite

How do I clean up the Finder "Open With" contextual menu in Yosemite? I have several duplicate and obsolete entries in mine. There are several articles out there that show how to do this for previous versions of Mac OS X, but the instructions don't line up with what I see in Yosemite.
Also, the entries I have in the menu are from a version of Windows through a version of VMware Fusion, both of which versions I haven't used in a long while. I did a clean install of Yosemite this morning (on an erased disk) so I'm curious how the menu was populated. Did it somehow get inherited through the iCloud Keychain?
Thanks for any help!

As seen here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305627
*Mac OS X: Clearing the Finder "Open With" contextual menu*
Ever wondered how to "clear" the Finder's Open With... contextual menu choices of any extraneous or older applications? (This is the menu that appears when you control-click or "right-click" a document icon.)
If your Open With... menu is filled with too many choices to easily scroll through, you can remove the less-commonly used choices. These steps will clear the list except for the most current applications that can open your document.
From the Finder Go menu, choose Home.
Open the Library folder in the Home window.
Open the Preferences folder.
Find com.apple.LaunchServices.plist.
Rename "com.apple.LaunchServices", such as to "com.apple.LaunchServices.old", or move it to the Trash.
The next time you use the Open With.... contextual menu in the Finder, only current applications will be listed. Some items may return if the application that controls them adds itself back to the list.

Finder freeze at " Open with" menu

While I right click a MP3 file and try to select another application to open it.
The finder freeze at "Open With" menu
My Mac is 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5 and OS X 10.8 (12A269)

Try that rebuilding the LaunchServices register. Launch /Application/Utilities/Terminal and copy & paste the following command:
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
Then hit "enter'.
Edit: sorry the command got damaged - hopefully fixed now.
Then log out and back in.

Clean up Finder contextual "Open With" menu list

This is an annoying 'feature' of the Finder in OS X. As you install/upgrade applications the contextual menu "Open With" gets bloated with multiple programs including programs you've deleted, plus multiple versions of programs you've upgraded. For example for JPEGs I have three entries for ImageWell.
[One of the tips I found|http://the-fergusons.net/2007/05/01/clean-up-the-mac-os-x-contextual-open -with-menu> seaching doesn't work because the folder structure in 10.5.x is now different.
Also [this method|http://macapper.com/2007/10/08/tutorial-clear-the-finders-open-with-menu > of deleting plist file doesn't work properly.
Anyone know how to:
a) Clean up the list of shown apps fully
b) Optionally restrict the list to applications shown to only those which you wish to have come up. For example don't show Apple Pages for .TXT files only TextEdit and TextMate.

FromOZ wrote:
[One of the tips I found|http://the-fergusons.net/2007/05/01/clean-up-the-mac-os-x-contextual-open-with-m enu> seaching doesn't work because the folder structure in 10.5.x is now different.
You can adjust it to Leopard's structure using the 'locate lsregister' command in Terminal. This yielded...
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister
... on my system... I then appended the options as per the tip you linked and it worked...

I can't select Photoshop CC 2014 when using the "Open with" menu in Windows 7

I have recently installed CC 2014, and uninstalled my CC version. When I go to a jpeg, or any image file in windows explorer, I right-click and "open with" and it isn't listed on my program list to open the file with. I click on "browse programs", find the exe file in adobe-photoshop cc2014 folder and click OK, and it just goes back to the open with menu with no option for photoshop.
Any ideas on how I can get it on that list, so I can open these files from the file location, instead of opening up photoshop and then searching for the file location within photoshop?
Also, I don't have any problems opening up the pictures from within photoshop, just within windows explorer.

I'm having a similar problem, but only with jpg's. I have PS CS6, CC, and CC 2014. Other image file formats function normally with regard to the "open with" list. PS CC 2014 appears on the list. But with jpg's only PS CC appears on the "open with" list and 2014 can't be added by the browsing for it.
The curious thing is that if I have any of the three versions of Photoshop open, click on Photoshop CC in the "open with" list, the image opens in whatever version is already open on my computer. This is true of all image formats. No matter which version I pick from the "open with" list it opens in the currently running program. I use only the latest version so keeping it open all the time is an easy work around. I won't uninstall any of the earlier versions lest more file association quirks result. it would be nice to have this matter fixed.

GDM no more "open with" menu after last Gnome upgrade (3.16.0)

Hi,
Using nautilus, I used to have an "open with" menu showing a list of alternative applications to open a file, such as in this picture:
https://ubuntugenius.files.wordpress.co … .png?w=500
This was quite handy as I could use different applications to open the same type of file without changing the default association each time I use an alternative application.
Since I have updated my system, Gnome has been upgraded and now there is only an "open with another application" entry in the "right click menu", which, if I use it, change the default application for the type of the selected file.
The list of alternative applications is still the same as before, but the behaviour is now different, since these application do not appear directly in the menu any more, and since selecting any of them will change the default file-application association. For me, this is a bit annoying since I wants to use two different applications to open the same type of file.
I could not find anything on the internet related to this vanishing of the "open with" menu.
I am curious to know if anybody has the same problem as me. I wonder if it is a feature or if there is a problem somewhere?
-- mod edit: read the Forum Etiquette and only post thumbnails http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/For … s_and_Code [jwr] --
Last edited by charlie (2015-04-14 14:49:02)

That behavior of nautilus seems to be a new "feature". I really have no idea why they change such things.
At least, there's allready a bugreport for this:
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=747706

Contextual Open With Menu shows old non-existent Applications

Open With Menu: Shows multiple applications. It even shows versions of older applications that are no longer on my hard drive. And if I select these older version, those older applications launch! I've checked the About... menu selection on these older versions, and sure enough it says the older version. Example: I only have the latest version of Opera 9.24 on my drive, but 3 older versions, plus 4 of one of them show. I can click each one and they ALL launch with separate windows for each one.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305627
I followed the instructions to trash <com.apple.LaunchServices.plist> file and Restarted and the menu STILL lists all the applications. I then checked the Prefs folder again, and the <com.apple.LaunchServices.plist> hadn't even recreated itself yet.
I'm totally stummped

I just realized that in my previous post I neglected to mention, that the problem has quickly returned. Sorry for any confusion.
Now after two tries, I notice that some .gif files have Preview icons others Photoshop. Some .gif files are listed to open with Preview, others with PS.
If I use Cmd + i on a wrong iconed file and scroll down to any other app, select it, let the icon change, then without doing anything else, scrolling back up to the default (Preview), the icon finally changes correctly. Change All is now available, but clicking it has no effect on any other files that have the PS icon. Some don't even change over from PS being the default app to Preview.
Same problem with .txt files. Some TextEdit, others Excel. So.. I am just changing them one by one, whenever I need to open one that is wrong.
At least the multiple apps in the Open With pulldown are gone
I'd sure like to know:
1) Why are my Library files corrupting and
2) Why is Dr. Smoke's fix creating icon problems
3) Out of the 1,000s of threads, I wonder what the possibility of the good Doctor ever finding this on and helping us/me find a total solution. Help us Dr. Smoke, we need youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...

Open With menu won't clean up with Terminal command

After upgrading to 10.6 last month I can't clean up my open with menu. I ran the following in Terminal and it did nothing to clean up the duplicates:
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchS ervices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
I used to run the following in Tiger and it never failed to clean up the duplicates:
/System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServic es.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
Must I delete “com.apple.LaunchServices” file located in Home/Library/Preferences
OR
Remove launch services preference files, "com.apple.LaunchServices.plist" and "com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEvents" in /username/Library/Preferences/ folder and then run the commands to clear and rebuild the launch services?

Thanks Andy. Running the following in Terminal cleaned up your problem with the Open With menus?
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user
In December cnet.com wrote about running that command: "It gave only temporary relief to people dealing with sluggish Save and Save as menus." Using Onyx to clear caches and reset launch services was suggested instead. In October and March cnet.com wrote about rebuilding launch services to stop Finder caused crashes in Snow Leopard by trashing the launchservices preference files from user/library and then running the following in Terminal (custom file associations will revert back to default):
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -seed -rfv -all user, system, local
When I was still running Tiger last year and had a Launch Services problem caused by crashes in the Finder due to misplaced folder aliases, BD Aqua in this forum linked me to The X Lab @
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/resetlaunchservices.html#Anchor-Reset-47857
where I learned all I needed to do to straighten things out was delete the following cache files from HD/Library/Caches:
com.apple.LaunchServices-0140.csstore
com.apple.LaunchServices-014nnn.csstore
The information about resetting Launch Services at the X Lab stops with Leopard. There are no cache files in Snow Leopard like those from Tiger above and their equivalents in Leopard.

Weird Finder 'Open With' menu problem

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