Quick cheatsheet to know where to look when you need to rid off some startup item, app or service.
Applications that run on Startup
/Library/StartupItems
Property list (plist) items running on startup
/Library/LaunchDaemons
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
Applications that launch on User Login
You should be able to add/remove most applications from your user account. Go to System preferences -> Users and groups -> Select user -> Login Items.
By console you can check in the following folders:
~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchAgents/
/System/Library/LaunchAgents/
Applications that run on a set schedule
Check your crontab with crontab -l
Check Kernel Extensions
In the command line:
kextstat
Check Login and Logout Hooks
for Login:
defaults read com.apple.loginwindow LoginHook
for Logout:
defaults read com.apple.loginwindow LogoutHook
or see both with:
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c Print
Comments 6
None of these work!
I typed them in terminal and ‘file not found’
Instructions are too unclear for new users to terminal commands…..
Here’s a better way to add or remove programs during startup/login
https://www.stugon.com/add-remove-startup-programs-in-mac/
This only adds/removes a tiny fraction of the start-up items. Sadly, most are hidden. Hence the conversation about LaunchDaemons / LaunchAgents.
It appears to me that the filepaths in the first few sections are not intended for us to run. Rather, they represent locations where may place files to be used by the System.
(correction) It appears to me that the filepaths in the first few sections are not intended for us to run. Rather, they represent locations where may place files to be used by the System.
Carol is correct