Uninstalling Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro 5 doesn't include an automatic uninstall feature, and as with previous versions, you need to delete files manually to completely remove the application from your system.

Identifying Files

The first step is to locate the thousands of files associated with FCP on your system. For the most part, all you need to do is identify the parent directory and remove that from your system rather than delete them one by one. There are a couple of ways to locate the files. The first method requires the FCP installer application, the second the Terminal.

Using the Installer

1.	Insert your FCP installer disc.
2.	Double-click the Install Final Cut Pro 5 icon to launch the installer application.
3.	Click Continue to give the application permission to check your system.
4.	After the Installer launches, choose File > Show Files (Cmd-I).
5.	Click the disclosure triangle next to Final Cut Pro to see all of the files included with the installer, along with their default locations.
6.	Drag to select the list.
7.	Choose Edit > Copy (Cmd-C).
8.	Open a text editor and paste the list into a new document.

Using the Terminal

1.	In the Finder, choose Go > Go To Folder (Shift-Cmd-G).
2.	Enter the location /Library/Receipts/FinalCutPro.pkg/Contents.
3.	Click Go to open the Contents folder.
4.	Launch the Terminal application (Applications/Utilities).
5.	Enter the command lsbom s. The command lsbom lists each of the files inside the bill-of-materials file. Tip If you do not have permissions to read the file, you can also use the command sudo lsbom s to temporarily give yourself root access. You will need an administrator password, and you should take the standard precautions associated with the superuser account. Note You can display just the directories by using the command lsbom d. Enter the command man lsbom in the Terminal to access further information about the lsbom command.
6.	Type a space and drag the Archive.bom file from the Finder window to the Terminal window.
7.	Press Return to view the list.
8.	Drag to select the list in the Terminal window and choose Edit > Copy (Cmd-C).
9.	Open a text editor and paste the list into a new document.

Deleting Files

Before you delete any files, remember that it's a permanent and destructive action. Make sure you're removing only the files you intend to. If you use any of the other Pro applications, be aware that some files are shared between applications.

Use Go To Folder in the Finder to locate the parent directories. Rather than delete each file one by one, analyze your list of files to identify the parent directories, and drag those to the Trash. For example, the Final Cut Pro application (Final Cut Pro.app in the Terminal) and Final Cut Pro Additional Easy Setups directory (Final Cut Pro Additional Easy Setups.localized in the Terminal) both contain many other files.

Tip

You can also use the Unix rm command in the Terminal to permanently delete files. Enter the command man rm to read more about the remove command.

More Info

A list of directories to delete to uninstall Final Cut Pro HD is available on the Apple Web site: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93811.