Tag Archives: delete

fixed : Red Pin (in My Places) seems undeleteable in Apple Maps

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Question :

I have an old location that I had once looked up in Apple Maps which was marked with a Red Pin. Now I no longer need it, so I want to delete it. Normally I would do that by clicking on the Red Pin in Apple Maps.app on my Mac, so the More Info window would open with a Delete-button… but for this particular Red Pin there is no Delete button… (even though the Delete button appears if I do this same thing with any other Red Pin…)

It’s even worse… this Red Pin is in a My Places ‘folder’ also, and even though I get the option to delete it there, it will automatically reappear in the same My Places ‘folder’ instantly after being deleted…

I’ve searched the internet multiple times, but no-one seems to know how do fix this… a lot of people seem to have run into this or a similar problem, but the solutions given just don’t work for me…

Is there any fix for this ?


Answer :

There is a fix (but no guarantee it will work for all similar problems). Try this :

  • first, close Apple Maps.app on your Mac
  • then, open Apple Maps.app on your iPhone
  • swipe the Search field (or actually the pull-up screen) upward to fill the screen with the More Info window
  • now, find the Red Pin you want to delete : it may be in the Recents chapter, or in the Favourites chapter, or you may have to dig a little bit further to find older Red Pins
  • once found, slide the info line of the Red Pin from right to left ; now a red Delete button will appear from the right ; click it to delete the Red Pin

If you also want to delete the Red Pin from the My Places ‘folder’, try this :

  • in Apple Maps.app on your iPhone, swipe the search field upward to fill the screen with the More Info window
  • scroll down to the My Guides chapter and click on the My Places ‘folder’
  • you will now see the map, with the pull-up screen now named My Places (or any custom name you have once given to the ‘folder’)
  • if you don’t see the Red Pin you want to delete, swipe up the pull-up screen and scroll down until you see the Red Pin you’re looking for
  • then, slide the info line of the Red Pin from right to left ; now the red Delete button will appear from the right ; click it to delete the Red Pin
  • then, click the X-marked button top right to go back to the main view (back to the More Info window)

And if you want to delete the My Places ‘folder’ (or any of the My Guides ‘folders’) entirely, try this :

  • in Apple Maps.app on your iPhone, swipe the search field upward to fill the screen with the More Info window
  • scroll down to the My Guides chapter and find the ‘folder’ you want to delete (e.g. the My Places ‘folder’)
  • then, slide the info line of the folder you want to delete from right to left ; now the red Delete button will appear from the right ; click it to delete the ‘folder’

That’s it !

…to check if this has worked, open Apple Maps.app on your Mac and your ‘undeleteable’ Red Pin will now be gone… (if this solution works in your case too)

enjoy 😉

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fixed : delete an old TimeMachine-backup file from a Time Capsule

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Question :

I’ve bought a new MacBook and I want to use my existing Time Capsule for it’s TimeMachine-backups, but it’s full. The backup-file, a .sparsebundle-file, from my previous MacBook that I am going to pass on to one of my children, is far too big.

I have installed my new MacBook from the old MacBook’s TimeMachine-backup, so I am not needing that backup again, but I want to make two new TimeMachine-backups as soon as possible : one for my new MacBook and one for the old MacBook right after my child starts using it.

But, I can’t seem to delete the old .sparsebundle-file from my Time Capsule completely… I’ve done several attempts, but I keep running into the same error message “The operation can’t be completed because some items had to be skipped. For each item, choose File > get Info, make sure “Locked” is deselected, and then check the Sharing & Permissions section. When you are sure the items are unlocked and not designated as Read Only or No Access, try again.”. On first sight, the .sparsebundle-file is still there. On further inspection, it turns out the the .sparsebundle-file has shrunken in size.

But… what can I do to completely delete the old .sparsebundle-file ?

 

Answer :

This problem can occur especially with bigger and older .sparsebundle-TimeMachine-backup-files. Note that the really new TimeMachine-backup-files have a .backupbundle-extension, not a .sparsebundle-extension, but there is hardly any difference

To be able to delete the old .sparsebundle-file, start by doing this :

  1. connect your new MacBook to the Time Capsule using a UTP/Ethernet-cable
    • make sure to shut off AirPort/WiFi on your MacBook :
      • in the top menu-bar, click on the AirPort/WiFi-icon (the piece of pie)
      • in the pulldown-menu, set the WiFi-slider to OFF
    • if you do not have an Ethernet-port or a USB-to-Ethernet-converter on your MacBook :
      • connect your MacBook to the Time Capsule using AirPort/WiFi
      • but make sure to disconnect all other AirPort/WiFi-connected devices
  2. Make sure that your Time Capsule has the latest firmware installed :
    • goto Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
    • open AirPort Utility
    • in the AirPortUtility-window, click on your Time Capsule’s picture
    • when prompted, enter the Time Capsule’s password
    • in the popup-window, at ‘version’ check if there is an update available
    • if so, click on the button to install it
    • if just the version number is shown, you already have the latest firmware installed, so you don’t need to do anything extra here
    • exit AirPort Utility
  3. Make sure that you have read&write-privileges on the .sparsbundle-file you want to remove :
    • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the Finder-icon (blue-grey face icon) in the far left of the Dock
    • from the popup-list, select New Finder Window
    • scroll down to the “Locations” group in the menu list at the left and click on “Network”
    • in the window that opens, goto Network > Time Capsule
      • if you have multiple Time Capsule devices, make sure you select the Time Capsule that the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete is actually on
    • if it says “Not Connected” click the “Connect as”-button and typ the Time Capsule’s password
    • if it says “Connected”, you’re good
    • open the Data folder and right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the TimeMachine-backup-file you want to delete
    • from the popup-menu, choose Get Info
    • in the Get Info window that opens, choose these settings :
      • uncheck the check-box at “Locked” (so the file is unlocked, i.e. delete-able)
      • uncheck the check-box at “Hide extension” (so the .sparsebundle extension will be visible in the file name)
      • at “Sharing & Permissions” set Privilege for “everyone” to “Read & Write”
    • close the Get Info window

Having set the above, there are various options that might enable you to delete the old .sparsebundle-file (or .backupbundle-file). Your options are listed below, from simple to extreme. Read all of them before starting, and choose the option you want to try first. Any of these might be successful, and if the one you chose first doesn’t work, just try another one.

Option #1 : delete the .sparsebundle-file from within the Finder

  • goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
  • from the popup-list, select “Move to Bin”
  • wait for the “Move to Bin” action to complete
  • if it doesn’t end in an error, empty the bin/trash (and you’re done)
  • if this ends in an error, try any of the other options

Option #2a : additional TC reset

  • restart your Time Capsule by unplugging the power cable for 30 seconds
  • plug the power cable back into the Time Capsule
  • when the Time Capsule comes back online, follow the directions from Option #1

Option #2b : additional Mac reset

  • shut down your Time Capsule by unplugging the power cable (for 30 seconds)
  • shut down your MacBook by selecting Shut Down from the Apple-menu top-left
  • plug the power cable back into the Time Capsule
  • restart your MacBook by pressing the power button
  • when both your Time Capsule and your MacBook have restarted, follow the directions from Option #1

Option #2c : additionally disconnect other devices

  • shut down your Time Capsule by unplugging the power cable (for 30 seconds)
  • now, disconnect all UTP/Ethernet-cables leading to other devices than your MacBook (you can even disconnect the cable connected to your internet modem-router)
  • shut down your MacBook by selecting Shut Down from the Apple-menu top-left
  • plug the power cable back into the Time Capsule
  • restart your MacBook by pressing the power button
  • when both your Time Capsule and you MacBook have restarted, goto Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
  • in the AirPort Utility window, click on the picture of your Time Capsule, typ your password if needed and check which devices are connected
  • then, one-by-one go to each device listed and shut down it’s WiFi-connection
  • when done, close the AirPort Utility application and reopen it
  • again, in the AirPort Utility window, click on the picture of your Time Capsule, typ your password if needed and check which devices are connected
  • you should now see no devices listed at “wireless clients” (except for your MacBook if you aren’t able to connect it using a UTP/Ethernet-cable)
  • then, follow the directions from Option #1
  • NOTE : do not forget to plug all UTP/Ethernet-cables back into your Time Capsule and switch on WiFi on all devices that were previously connected

Option #3 : by backing up the Time Capsule content

  • NOTE : you will need a Mac-connectable external USB-harddisk for this ! (at least as many GBs as the internal HD of your Time Capsule, so 500G, 1TB, 2TB, 3TB of larger)
    • to check if the USB-harddisk is Mac-connectable, plug it into your Mac and if it pops up you’re okay
    • if it doesn’t show up, it’s a Windows NTFS-disk that needs to be reformatted to Mac Journailed format ( note that this erases all content, so ONLY reformat it if it’s an empty brand-new external harddisk ! )
  • NOTE : this method will work 99% of the time, but it will probably take (far) more time than any other method
  • start by connecting the external USB-harddisk to your Time Capsule’s USB-port
  • then, on your MacBook, goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • then, in the top menu-bar, goto Finder > Preferences
  • in the Finder Preferences window, click the Sidebar tab
  • in the list that shows up, make sure that “External disks” and “Connected servers” are checked
  • then close the Finder Preferences window
  • now select the New Finder Window you had just opened
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule
  • next to the Data-folder, there is now a new folder named after your externe USB-harddisk
    • for the following, assume that your extern USB-harddisk folder is simply called “usb-HD”
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD
    • if the “usb-HD” folder is completely empty, you’re okay
    • else, click on the “More” icon (the circle with 3 dot in it) and in the dropdown menu click “New Folder” and call it “TC-backup”
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • inside the Data-folder select all files (both backup-files and other files) that you DO NOT want to delete
  • drag&drop all the files into Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD
    • it may take some time for all files to copy over, so let it run
    • if you run into an error, try copying over every file one-by-one
    • if you still run into an error, just try again
  • when all files are copied over, you can unplug the external USB-harddisk from your Time Capsule
    • as an extra safety precaution, you can unplug the power cable from your Time Capsule before you unplug the USB-cable and replug the power cable when the external USB-harddisk is disconnected
  • then goto Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
  • open AirPort Utility
  • in the AirPortUtility-window, click on your Time Capsule’s picture
  • when prompted, enter the Time Capsule’s password
  • in the popup-window, click the Edit-button
  • in the window that opens, select the “Disks”-tab
  • in the Disks window, click the “Erase Disk”-button
  • next, choose the level of security for the erase (“Quick Erase” should do fine, since you are going to use the disk for the same purpose immediately afterwards)
  • then click “Update” and the Time Capsule’s status light wil flash orange-yellow until the disk is erased and the Time Capsule is accessible again
  • then, exit AirPort Utility
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD or Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD > TC-backup (depending on where you put your Time Capsule back-up files)
    • if you don’t see the “usb-HD” folder, make sure your external USB-harddisk is plugged back into your Time Capsule
  • now, select all files from the back-up folder (either “usb-HD” or the “TC-backup” folder within it)
  • drag&drop all the files into Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
    • it may take some time for all files to copy over, so let it run
    • if you run into an error, try copying over every file one-by-one
    • if you still run into an error, just try again
  • when the copying is finished, you should now have your Time Capsule the way you wanted it : exactly the same (backup) files on it’s disk, but without the .sparsebundle(s) you don’t need anymore

Option #4 : manually deleting all files inside

  • goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
  • from the popup-list, select “Open Package Content”
  • in the Finder window that opens click on the “bands” folder
    • if the “bands” folder appears empty, just wait a few moments for its content to appear in the Finder window
  • SHIFT-click on the top file and scroll down to select multiple files, then press the Backspace-button on your keyboard to delete them
    • you are able to select and delete up to 8000 files per batch (according to user ‘cmaryg’)
    • if a batch refuses to delete at the first attempt, just try again – usually it will eventually be deleted anyway (according to user ‘cmaryg’)
    • if a batch refuses to delete after a few attempts, reduce the number of files in it by selecting less files at once and try deleting again
    • if you happen to run into a single file that refuses to delete, do this :
      • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the file
      • from the popup-list, select “Get Info”
      • in the window that opens, make sure that there is no checkmark at “Locked”
      • then try deleting the file again
  • then repeat this for the next batch of files, until the “bands” folder is completely empty
  • if the “bands” file is completely empty, close the Finder window that displays the “bands” folder
  • then, goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
  • from the popup-list, select “Move to Bin”
  • if it doesn’t end in an error, empty the bin/trash (and you’re done)
  • if this ends in an error, you can still try Option #3, but probably this will help too :
    • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
    • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
    • from the popup-list, select “Open Package Content”
    • in the Finder window that opens, select the top folder and drag it to the bin (trash)
    • repeat this for all folders listed
    • then, select the top file and drag it to the bin (trash)
    • repeat this for all files
    • if you run into a file that refuses to delete, do this :
      • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the file
      • from the popup-list, select “Get Info”
      • in the window that opens, make sure that there is no checkmark at “Locked”
      • then try deleting the file again

That should be it !

As mentioned before : the Option #3 method will work (nearly) always, but it’s time-consuming and you will need a lot of extra disk space for it (on an external harddisk).

enjoy 😉

 

fixed : how to backup incompatible iOS apps ?

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Question :

I have iOS12 running on my iPhone and I found that some the apps I have installed are no longer able to run on iOS12. I would like to delete these apps to save space on my iPhone, but I also want to make sure I have backup versions of all of them, because I might want to reinstall them in the future and Apple doesn’t guarantee that you will always be able to re-download all previous purchases (Apple will delete them from the AppStore when Apple judges the apps obsolete or inappropriate due to new regulations, even if I have payed to purchase them in the past).

How can I backup my incompatible apps ?

 

Answer :

Technically, one would be able to backup all iPhone/iPad apps to iCloud wirelessly, or to iTunes on your Mac (or PC), but then you risk the app being deleted by Apple at any moment in the future, without warning and without compensation.

So, I would recommend using additional backup-/filetransfer-software on your Mac (or PC) to do so…at this moment iMazing 2 is a good option, but there are various alternatives around.

You can get iMazing 2 here. (the trial version is FREE)

And there currently is a discount version of iMazing 2 available here.

Here’s how to backup incompatible iOS apps :

  • on your iPhone/iPad go to Settings > General > About > Applications > Incompatible apps
  • make screen dumps (by pressing menu button & NO/OFF-button simultaneously) of the list of incompatible apps ; make multiple screen dumps if the list is very long
  • connect the iPhone/iPad to your Mac using a USB-cable
  • start the iMazing 2 app on your Mac (or use similar software)
  • click on your iPhone/iPad’s icon in the list on the left
  • from the pulldown list, select Apps
  • in the overview of installed iOS apps that shows up in the main screen, select the app that was listed first in the list of incompatible apps
  • then click the “Copy to Mac”-button
  • you will get a warning, telling you to make a full backup of your device ; do that first
  • when that’s finished, make sure that the first incompatible app is selected, then click “Copy to Mac” again
  • when asked where to save, select your desired save location and create a new folder and call it “incompatible apps iOS12” or something alike
  • then click OK 
  • when done, select the second incompatible app and click “Copy to Mac”
  • save to the same “incompatible apps iOS12” folder
  • when asked, choose “Extract from current backup”
  • then repeat the saving process for all incompatible apps
  • when done, check if all incompatible apps you need are in the “incompatible apps iOS12” folder
  • if you missed one, back it up also
  • when done, select the first incompatible app again and click “Delete”
  • repeat that for all incompatible apps
  • in doing so, you will free up lots of valuable drive space on your iPhone/iPad

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : iOS app cannot be moved or deleted – is instead renamed “Home”

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Question :

I installed the iOS-app called “FaceApp” on my iPhone a few days ago, and now suddenly it’s on a screen-page I don’t want it on. The way I normally use to move it to another screen-page doesn’t work however : if I hold the icon for a long time, the icon’s doesn’t start shaking and no X-label does appear either.

I managed to get the shaking icons and the X-labels in the end by just holding my finger on another app a little longer… but now, the “FaceApp” doesn’t want to move either when I put my finger on it…

I finally managed to move it by moving another app in front of it, but I still can’t get it to another screen-page…

So, I tried to delete the app by clicking on it’s X-badge, that seemed to work at first, but the “FaceApp”-icon immediately reappeared, only the name has now changed to “Home”, and there is no X-badge on it… so I still can’t delete it…

What is wrong ? What can I do ?

 

Answer :

Don’t worry.

  • First, exit the ‘shaky mode’ by clicking on the (physical) MENU-button (the front one, just below the screen
  • Then, open the AppStore.app
  • Click on “Updates”
  • Then click on “Purchases”
  • There, you’ll see that the “FaceApp” is listed, but with the “cloud&arrow”-icon next to it (so the “redownload from the AppStore-cloud”)
  • Then, click on the “cloud&arrow”-icon to reinstall the app
  • Exit the AppStore.app
  • On the main screen-pages you’ll now see that the name of the app has changed back from “Home” to “FaceApp”
  • Now, click&hold the FaceApp-icon until all icons start shaking and you’ll see that the X-badge will also appear on the FaceApp-icon
  • Then, click on the X-badge and the FaceApp.app will be deleted from your iPhone, or move the FaceApp.app to the place you want to have it on your screen-pages

That’s it – enjoy !

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fixed : deleting photos to free up memory on your iPhone

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Question :

I have a 16GB iPhone running iOS10, and it freezes whenever I want to take a photo… I get an error message that there’s no memory left on my iPhone so I can’t continue…

I checked and it turns out that I have literally 1KB (yes, only 1KB, not even 1MB…) left as free memory… and most of my 16GB is occupied by Photos.app (about 12GB)…

How do I free up space without deleting valuable photos and videos ?

 

Answer :

The best way (if not the only) to free up space on your iPhone will be to delete a lot of photos and videos, in your case. The way to do that without running the risk of throwing away photos and videos that you would have liked to backup it this :

  • connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB-cable
  • open the Photos.app on your Mac
  • click on your iPhone, which is listed on the left side
  • now, in the main window, go to the photos that are displayed as ready to import (photos that aren’t on your Mac already are automatically filtered out by Photos.app
  • from that selection of (un-imported) photos and videos, select ONLY those photos you want to keep
  • import that selection onto your Mac
  • first check if all photos and especially all videos (as those are not being transferred automatically through iCloud syncing) you selected have been imported
  • then unplug your iPhone’s USB-cable
  • then delete all video’s you can, and if that isn’t enough, delete all photos older than about one year from your iPhone
  • Please, note that iCould will only contain the most recent photos (usually not the videos)
  • now, restart your iPhone by simultaneously pressing the two main physical buttons : both the menu-button (just below the screen on the front side) and the ON/OFF-button (top side or right side)
  • then check if you have enough free space on your iPhone now
  • if not, delete more photos from your iPhone (in the way explained above)
  • …then restart your iPhone

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fixed : delete hacked Pokémon GO (TuTu-hack) from iPhone

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Question :

My children have downloaded and installed a hacked version of Pokémon GO on their iPhone using the TuTuHelper-hack.

Now we want to uninstall, but that doesn’t seem to work when we do it the standard way (by deleting the app-icon by pressing on it until the X-badge appears and then clicking that)… What can we do ?

Answer :

TuTuHelper was installed as a developer trail-app using a developer certificate. The hacked version of Pokémon GO was installed subsequently as another developer trail-app using another developer certificate.

You shouldn’t install developer certificates from any developer that you can’t 100% trust, as you are granting that developer permission to access your iPhone’s (or iPad’s) data… and worst case scenario is that that is far more than you’ve bargained for…

To uninstall both of them, do this :

  • on your iPhone, go to Settings –> General –> Profiles & Devices –> CompanyApps
  • there, click on “Wuxi Suntech Power Co.,…” and in the next screen, click on “Delete app” to delete “TuTu Helper”
  • Note : if you do not see the “Delete App” option appearing, you have to temporarily lift the ban on deleting apps you have set in Settings –> General –> Restrictions and try again
  • next, click on “Jin Brand Co., Ltd.” and in the next screen, click on “Delete app” to delete “Pokémon GO” (the hacked version)
  • if you want to make sure your children will not reinstall hacked apps like that again, go to Settings –> General –> Restrictions and set a ban there on “Installing apps” (and preferably on “Deleting apps” also)
  • then restart the iPhone by pressing the physical Home-Button (front) and ON/OFF-Button (top or right) simultaneously until the screen goes completely black and the Apple logo reappears

That’s is !

enjoy 😉

fixed : can’t delete unnamed app without icon from iPad

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Question :

I have an icon on my iPad that has a generic icon and no name. If I double click it, the name turns into “Waiting…” and nothing happens, even after a long wait. If I try to delete it, I get the small X-tag, and if I click on it, I get a window saying :

Delete ‘  ‘

Deleting ‘  ‘ will also delete all of its data.

…and two options to click on : “Delete” and “Cancel”

…still no name of the app is given, and since the icon is generic (a.k.a. “empty” ; showing only a greyish-white icon with a dark grey grid, some circles and diagonals) I still don’t know how to delete it.

What can I do to fix this ?

 

Answer :

For some reason (unknown and probably irrelevant also) this app has stalled during an update or even during it’s initial install. To figure out the actual name of the app, do this :

  • in iOS, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Restrictions”, and make sure you have permission to delete apps and change accounts
  • then, go to “Settings” –> iTunes and App Store and log out
  • then, when in iOS8, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Usage” –> “iCloud” –> “Manage Storage” ; in the next window, click on “Backups” ; in the next window, click on “Show all apps”
  • or when in iOS9, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Storage & iCloud Usage” –> “STORAGE” –> “Manage Storage”
  • now find the app that has a generic icon in the list of apps you see
  • write down the name of that app (the one with the generic icon)
  • then, when the Menu-button has a white square icon on it, restart your iPad (or iPhone) by simultaneously pressing the Menu-button (below the screen) and the ON/OFF-button (on the right top edge of your iPad’s/iPhone’s housing, hold this key-combo until your iPad/iPhone shows a white Apple-logo on a black screen, then release
  • or, when the Menu-button has fingerscan, restart your iPad (or iPhone) in the way described in this post
  • when the reset is done, login to your iPad (or iPhone) if you have an access pincode on it
  • then, go to “Settings” –> iTunes and App Store and login
  • then, when in iOS8, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Usage” –> “iCloud” –> “Manage Storage” ; in the next window, click on “Backups” ; in the next window, click on “Show all apps”
  • or when in iOS9, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Storage & iCloud Usage” –> “STORAGE” –> “Manage Storage”
  • now find the app has still with the name that you wrote down (this app may or may not have a generic icon now) and click on it
  • in the next window click “Delete App”
  • then click the Menu-button to get back to the main screen
  • then go to the “App Store”-app –> “Purchased” –> “Not on this iPad” (“Not on this iPhone”)
  • in the list, find the app with the name you wrote down and (re)download it from the App Store by clicking on the ‘cloud with blue downward arrow’-icon behind its name
  • when the app starts downloading, click on the Menu-button to return to the main screen
  • finally, turn restrictions back on if you had any initially (in “Settings” –> “General” –> “Restrictions”)

…that’s it – enjoy !

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