We’ve got a couple of ways to trim down the Open With list. To purge deleted apps, dig into /Users/username/Library/Preferences; find the file com.apple.LaunchServices.plist and delete it (or rename and move it if you’re chicken).
But this plist purge won’t free the Open With list of plug-ins and such that are still on your Mac. The only real escape is to designate default apps for opening specific types of documents. For example, find a PDF file on your Mac and Control-click its icon; select Get Info from the contextual menu and use the Open With pull-down to select your preferred app for opening PDFs, then click the Change All button to make it the default for all PDFs. Repeat this ritual for other file types that you work with and you can avoid the Open With list entirely save a step and double-click, or use the contextual menu’s Open command instead.
Sometimes you need Open With, but usually it’s quicker to simply double-click or select Open. Right?
Dave
September 29, 2007 at 8:05am
I've deleted the .plist (and restarted) and it seems to have helped a bit, but the problem I have is that almost every application is listed twice in the Open With… submenu.
Any ideas?
BTW, I also run the great utility FruitMenu, which (I suppose) could be involved somehow.
Dave
