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macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck

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  macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck "David B." <"David B."@invalid.org> - 2026-05-27 15:03 +0100
    Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-27 14:29 +0000
      Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Gremlin <nobody@haph.org> - 2026-05-27 15:15 +0000
        Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-27 15:34 +0000
      Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck "David B." <"David B."@invalid.org> - 2026-05-27 18:34 +0100
        Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-27 20:00 +0000
          Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck "David B." <"David B."@invalid.org> - 2026-05-27 23:36 +0100
            Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-27 23:33 +0000
      Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck "David B." <"David B."@invalid.org> - 2026-05-28 12:48 +0100
    Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-27 20:31 +0000
      Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck "David B." <"David B."@invalid.org> - 2026-05-27 23:42 +0100
        Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-27 23:39 +0000
          Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck "David B." <"David B."@invalid.org> - 2026-05-28 08:48 +0100
            Re: macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com> - 2026-05-28 12:26 +0000

#183707 — macOS Technical Note: Privileged Helpers, dragging to Trash, and EtreCheck

Hello again, folks! 😄

There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.

For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
restricted logs, or monitor storage health.

EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.

To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.

*The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-

1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
facing interface, as expected.

2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or 
remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.

3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level 
directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.

4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the 
system launch directories.

For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
`~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
components most wouldn't know to look for.

Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.

-- 
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
David

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#183709

On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
<n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:

> Hello again, folks! 😄
> 
> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
> 
> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
> 
> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
> 
> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
> 
> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
> 
> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
> facing interface, as expected.
> 
> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
> 
> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
> 
> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
> system launch directories.
> 
> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
> components most wouldn't know to look for.
> 
> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.

This is a decent description of Privileged Helper Tools in general —
unfortunately it describes a problem that the evidence refuses to cooperate
with.

https://shottr.cc/s/PDfQ/SCR-20260527-b1c

This is screensho showing AppCleaner's complete findings for EtreCheckPro.
AppCleaner specifically scans /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ and
/Library/LaunchDaemons/ — hunting down exactly these kinds of remnants is
rather the whole point of the application. The result? Seven items, every
single one sitting in perfectly ordinary user ~/Library/ locations. No daemon.
No privileged helper. Nothing that survives a reboot, let alone plots against
you in the background.

You can verify this in about eight seconds. Open Terminal and type:

ls /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

If there's no com.etresoft.* entry, the centrepiece of your argument
evaporates — and what AppCleaner found is exactly what I've been saying all
along: standard, dormant, utterly unremarkable Library files that every Mac
app leaves behind.

Which brings us to the .plist. A .plist is a small XML file that remembers
things like your window position and preferred settings. It does not run. It
does not phone home. It does not lurk. It just sits there, taking up 4 KB,
waiting for an app that may never come back. Every application on your Mac
left one behind — including whatever you used to compose this post. Raising
the alarm about a .plist file is the digital equivalent of reporting a
restaurant to the health inspector because they wrote your name on a notepad.

You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.

-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

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#183713

Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com>
news:6a16ffde$0$47728$882e4bbb@reader.netnews.com Wed, 27 May 2026
14:29:50 GMT in alt.computer.workshop, wrote: 


> You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.

He owes several people apologies for his nonsense. As do you with your 
nonsensical bullshit lies. The two of you are like peas in a pod. It's 
hilarious watching the two of you call each other out and essentially repeat 
what the majority of us already know about both. One dishonest dumbass leading 
a completely dishonest moron is what we are witnessing here. It's funny as 
fuck!



-- 
Liar, lawyer; mirror show me, what's the difference?
Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent
Liar, lawyer; mirror for ya', what's the difference?
Kangaroo be stoned. He's guilty as the government

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#183714

On May 27, 2026 at 8:15:32 AM MST, "Gremlin" wrote
<XnsB45972881F09CHT1@cF04o3ON7k2lx05.lLC.9r5>:

> Brock McNuggets <brock.mcnuggets@gmail.com>
> news:6a16ffde$0$47728$882e4bbb@reader.netnews.com Wed, 27 May 2026
> 14:29:50 GMT in alt.computer.workshop, wrote:
> 
> 
>> You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.
> 
> He owes several people apologies for his nonsense.

Maybe, but the ones relevant to the post are me and the developer.

And below you go into your normal BS. So time to remind you of some of your
own words:

* Gremlin was ignorant about how his phone number could show
  on my provider's logs.
 
* Gremlin incorrectly denied his number was in public databases
  and could not understand that not all databases are the same.
 
BACKING THE TWO ABOVE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  <XnsAC34A629C8F3DHT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    Prior to my giving you that cell number, there was no way
    at all for you to link it to me in any possible way shape
    or form. it doesn't come up in any records search on me.
    It is using a recycled number, but damn near everything is
    these days so that doesn't count as public information,
    snit.
    ...
    As in, the cell doesn't come back to me, wouldn't ever
    come back to me, therefore the fact *I* have that cell
    number is NOT public information. I find it very hard to
    believe that even you'd have difficulty understanding this
    concept.
    -----
       
  <XnsAC34A62ACDF8HT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    Regardless of where the number shows up, it doesn't tie
    itself to me, and you cannot associate the number with me
    via a google search, OR any number of free/paid public
    records searches. Therefore, that is PRIVATE information
    that you think you're holding over my head, not public as
    you erroneously think here.
    -----
   
  <XnsAC1D794DE5AD5HT1@889n4Sx8GWE.MNnkz50hZNVS.fh0SYyRp>
    -----
    They are relevant to the fact YOU INSERTED the phone
    number I provided you verbally into a bogus call log video
    you've taken the time to create. When I use the cell I
    provided you the number for to make outbound calls, It
    *ALWAYS* reports Kingsport, TN. Not one single time has it
    ever, nor would it have any reason to report Johnson City.
    It doesn't pick cities at random, it doesn't go by my
    present location, either. That's actually fixed, as is the
    number assigned to the phone.
    -----

  <XnsAC17C66D49387HT1@4uMkH0FFER6s72gSy7J8N4B67.Mht3WTC373bt67J31gn>
    -----
    You didn't even score the right city, Snit. And, the
    correct city is common, public knowledge with the regulars
    here. The moment you unblocked 'Johnson City' in your
    videos, you were busted.
    -----
       
  <XnsAC212DEE4D1DCHT1@gt3i2B7y.5N0FOv3e210vLOej4O4doj8b>
    -----
    David, every single Address you've posted that's supposed
    to be mine has been Kingsport. Not Johnson City. Don't you
    think you should tell snit that was a fuckup on his part
    by now? :)
    -----
   
  <XnsAC21106DF6C20HT1@3R4NM89td0T86C.231IPkH>
    -----
    His response to that was to file a report with the
    kingsport,tn police. Well hell, why not the johnson city
    ones? That's where he claimed the call said it originated
    from. :)
    -----
 
    <XnsAC32ADC5A8EECHT1@VoX89Pwp95.083.GODrcd>
    -----
    I've only been sharing whats available via a public
    database. You haven't. :)
    -----
   
  <XnsAC34A62BCD27FHT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    You cannot find any link to that number to me on any
    database. Which makes it private. not public as you
    incorrectly assume.
    -----
   
  <XnsAC34A62CD62DDHT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    > Your number, even tied to your name, is in a public
    > database.
   
    No, it's not. You already tried to link the two of us
    previously.
    -----

  <XnsAC34A62EE3F39HT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    It's not a publically known number that links to me. And
    he knows that.
    -----
   
  <XnsAC34A62BCD27FHT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    The number is NOT TIED TO ME in any public database, in
    any way shape or form. You cannot get the number aside
    from my having provided it to you via a google search or a
    public records search.
    -----

  <XnsAC34A62A42D90HT1@1b2yUZpg51V1q.6EF009.jKrc>
    -----
    It's not, running my name doesn't provide that cell
    number. The two are not linked in any way shape or form.
    The number itself as is the case with any recycled number
    is in all kinds of databases, but it's not linked to me;
    therefore, that IS PRIVATE information that you can't get
    via a google search or a paid public records search.
    -----

----------------------------------------------------------------------

> As do you with your
> nonsensical bullshit lies. The two of you are like peas in a pod. It's
> hilarious watching the two of you call each other out and essentially repeat
> what the majority of us already know about both. One dishonest dumbass leading
> a completely dishonest moron is what we are witnessing here. It's funny as
> fuck!


-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#183718

On 27/05/2026 15:29, Brock McNuggets wrote:
> On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
> <n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:
> 
>> Hello again, folks! 😄
>>
>> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
>> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
>> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
>>
>> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
>> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
>> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
>> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
>> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
>>
>> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
>>
>> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
>> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
>> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
>> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
>>
>> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
>>
>> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
>> facing interface, as expected.
>>
>> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
>> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
>>
>> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
>> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
>>
>> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
>> system launch directories.
>>
>> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
>> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
>> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
>> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
>> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
>> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
>> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
>> components most wouldn't know to look for.
>>
>> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
>> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.
> 
> This is a decent description of Privileged Helper Tools in general —
> unfortunately it describes a problem that the evidence refuses to cooperate
> with.
> 
> https://shottr.cc/s/PDfQ/SCR-20260527-b1c
> 
> This is screensho showing AppCleaner's complete findings for EtreCheckPro.
> AppCleaner specifically scans /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ and
> /Library/LaunchDaemons/ — hunting down exactly these kinds of remnants is
> rather the whole point of the application. The result? Seven items, every
> single one sitting in perfectly ordinary user ~/Library/ locations. No daemon.
> No privileged helper. Nothing that survives a reboot, let alone plots against
> you in the background.
> 
> You can verify this in about eight seconds. Open Terminal and type:
> 
> ls /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
> 
> If there's no com.etresoft.* entry, the centrepiece of your argument
> evaporates — and what AppCleaner found is exactly what I've been saying all
> along: standard, dormant, utterly unremarkable Library files that every Mac
> app leaves behind.
> 
> Which brings us to the .plist. A .plist is a small XML file that remembers
> things like your window position and preferred settings. It does not run. It
> does not phone home. It does not lurk. It just sits there, taking up 4 KB,
> waiting for an app that may never come back. Every application on your Mac
> left one behind — including whatever you used to compose this post. Raising
> the alarm about a .plist file is the digital equivalent of reporting a
> restaurant to the health inspector because they wrote your name on a notepad.
> 
> You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.

There is no need for an apology, Brock, because you are looking at a 
clean room
and concluding the house was never built.

Earlier today in the "Screenshot!" thread, you explicitly stated: "I 
believe I
deleted them since the last time we discussed this." Running a third-
party uninstallation utility after you have already deleted the software
and its components is not a benchmark for what the software installs
during live operation.
For the benefit of the group, here is how EtreCheck's architecture 
actually functions:

The main application bundle runs in standard user space. However, when a 
user initiates
tasks that require root privileges—such as reading restricted system
logs, running advanced storage diagnostics, or granting "Full Disk
Access" for deeper malware scans—EtreCheck explicitly prompts the user
for an administrator password.
It is at that specific moment of authorization that macOS copies and 
registers the
privileged helper tool 
into:/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper

If a user runs EtreCheck in a limited, surface-level capacity without 
ever triggering
or granting those elevated administrative tasks, the helper tool is not
deployed. But for users utilizing the full diagnostic suite, that binary
is explicitly installed—and dragging the .app bundle to the Bin
afterwards does not trigger macOS to remove it.
My technical note stands exactly as written. The persistence of 
privileged helper
tools is a well-documented behavioral trait of macOS, and understanding
when and how they are installed is key to managing a clean file system.--
David

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#183721

On May 27, 2026 at 10:34:51 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
<n7oo9rFbpdcU1@mid.individual.net>:

> On 27/05/2026 15:29, Brock McNuggets wrote:
>> On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
>> <n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:
>> 
>>> Hello again, folks! 😄
>>> 
>>> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
>>> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
>>> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
>>> 
>>> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
>>> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
>>> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
>>> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
>>> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
>>> 
>>> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
>>> 
>>> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
>>> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
>>> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
>>> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
>>> 
>>> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
>>> 
>>> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
>>> facing interface, as expected.
>>> 
>>> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
>>> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
>>> 
>>> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
>>> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
>>> 
>>> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
>>> system launch directories.
>>> 
>>> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
>>> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
>>> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
>>> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
>>> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
>>> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
>>> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
>>> components most wouldn't know to look for.
>>> 
>>> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
>>> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.
>> 
>> This is a decent description of Privileged Helper Tools in general —
>> unfortunately it describes a problem that the evidence refuses to cooperate
>> with.
>> 
>> https://shottr.cc/s/PDfQ/SCR-20260527-b1c
>> 
>> This is screensho showing AppCleaner's complete findings for EtreCheckPro.
>> AppCleaner specifically scans /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ and
>> /Library/LaunchDaemons/ — hunting down exactly these kinds of remnants is
>> rather the whole point of the application. The result? Seven items, every
>> single one sitting in perfectly ordinary user ~/Library/ locations. No daemon.
>> No privileged helper. Nothing that survives a reboot, let alone plots against
>> you in the background.
>> 
>> You can verify this in about eight seconds. Open Terminal and type:
>> 
>> ls /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
>> 
>> If there's no com.etresoft.* entry, the centrepiece of your argument
>> evaporates — and what AppCleaner found is exactly what I've been saying all
>> along: standard, dormant, utterly unremarkable Library files that every Mac
>> app leaves behind.
>> 
>> Which brings us to the .plist. A .plist is a small XML file that remembers
>> things like your window position and preferred settings. It does not run. It
>> does not phone home. It does not lurk. It just sits there, taking up 4 KB,
>> waiting for an app that may never come back. Every application on your Mac
>> left one behind — including whatever you used to compose this post. Raising
>> the alarm about a .plist file is the digital equivalent of reporting a
>> restaurant to the health inspector because they wrote your name on a notepad.
>> 
>> You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.
> 
> There is no need for an apology, Brock, because you are looking at a
> clean room
> and concluding the house was never built.
> 
> Earlier today in the "Screenshot!" thread, you explicitly stated: "I
> believe I
> deleted them since the last time we discussed this." Running a third-
> party uninstallation utility after you have already deleted the software
> and its components is not a benchmark for what the software installs
> during live operation.
> For the benefit of the group, here is how EtreCheck's architecture
> actually functions:
> 
> The main application bundle runs in standard user space. However, when a
> user initiates
> tasks that require root privileges—such as reading restricted system
> logs, running advanced storage diagnostics, or granting "Full Disk
> Access" for deeper malware scans—EtreCheck explicitly prompts the user
> for an administrator password.
> It is at that specific moment of authorization that macOS copies and
> registers the
> privileged helper tool
> into:/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper
> 
> If a user runs EtreCheck in a limited, surface-level capacity without
> ever triggering
> or granting those elevated administrative tasks, the helper tool is not
> deployed. But for users utilizing the full diagnostic suite, that binary
> is explicitly installed—and dragging the .app bundle to the Bin
> afterwards does not trigger macOS to remove it.
> My technical note stands exactly as written. The persistence of
> privileged helper
> tools is a well-documented behavioral trait of macOS, and understanding
> when and how they are installed is key to managing a clean file system.--
> David

I just ran it. Full scan. Nothing where you say in
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

Even if there was, you would need to show it ran without EtreCheck running --
even when deleted.

You have not. Not will you because you are in over your head and have no clue
what you are talking about.

David, PLEASE stop making a complete idiot of yourself. And I have allowed you
to waste my time on software I do not care about... all to help you learn
(something you seem immune to on this issue) and to help defend software and a
developer you keep attacking with your paranoia and ignorance.

-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

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#183724

On 27/05/2026 21:00, Brock McNuggets wrote:
> On May 27, 2026 at 10:34:51 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
> <n7oo9rFbpdcU1@mid.individual.net>:
> 
>> On 27/05/2026 15:29, Brock McNuggets wrote:
>>> On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
>>> <n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:
>>>
>>>> Hello again, folks! 😄
>>>>
>>>> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
>>>> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
>>>> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
>>>>
>>>> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
>>>> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
>>>> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
>>>> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
>>>> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
>>>>
>>>> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
>>>>
>>>> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
>>>> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
>>>> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
>>>> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
>>>>
>>>> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
>>>>
>>>> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
>>>> facing interface, as expected.
>>>>
>>>> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
>>>> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
>>>>
>>>> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
>>>> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
>>>>
>>>> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
>>>> system launch directories.
>>>>
>>>> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
>>>> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
>>>> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
>>>> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
>>>> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
>>>> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
>>>> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
>>>> components most wouldn't know to look for.
>>>>
>>>> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
>>>> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.
>>>
>>> This is a decent description of Privileged Helper Tools in general —
>>> unfortunately it describes a problem that the evidence refuses to cooperate
>>> with.
>>>
>>> https://shottr.cc/s/PDfQ/SCR-20260527-b1c
>>>
>>> This is screensho showing AppCleaner's complete findings for EtreCheckPro.
>>> AppCleaner specifically scans /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ and
>>> /Library/LaunchDaemons/ — hunting down exactly these kinds of remnants is
>>> rather the whole point of the application. The result? Seven items, every
>>> single one sitting in perfectly ordinary user ~/Library/ locations. No daemon.
>>> No privileged helper. Nothing that survives a reboot, let alone plots against
>>> you in the background.
>>>
>>> You can verify this in about eight seconds. Open Terminal and type:
>>>
>>> ls /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
>>>
>>> If there's no com.etresoft.* entry, the centrepiece of your argument
>>> evaporates — and what AppCleaner found is exactly what I've been saying all
>>> along: standard, dormant, utterly unremarkable Library files that every Mac
>>> app leaves behind.
>>>
>>> Which brings us to the .plist. A .plist is a small XML file that remembers
>>> things like your window position and preferred settings. It does not run. It
>>> does not phone home. It does not lurk. It just sits there, taking up 4 KB,
>>> waiting for an app that may never come back. Every application on your Mac
>>> left one behind — including whatever you used to compose this post. Raising
>>> the alarm about a .plist file is the digital equivalent of reporting a
>>> restaurant to the health inspector because they wrote your name on a notepad.
>>>
>>> You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.
>>
>> There is no need for an apology, Brock, because you are looking at a
>> clean room
>> and concluding the house was never built.
>>
>> Earlier today in the "Screenshot!" thread, you explicitly stated: "I
>> believe I
>> deleted them since the last time we discussed this." Running a third-
>> party uninstallation utility after you have already deleted the software
>> and its components is not a benchmark for what the software installs
>> during live operation.
>> For the benefit of the group, here is how EtreCheck's architecture
>> actually functions:
>>
>> The main application bundle runs in standard user space. However, when a
>> user initiates
>> tasks that require root privileges—such as reading restricted system
>> logs, running advanced storage diagnostics, or granting "Full Disk
>> Access" for deeper malware scans—EtreCheck explicitly prompts the user
>> for an administrator password.
>> It is at that specific moment of authorization that macOS copies and
>> registers the
>> privileged helper tool
>> into:/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper
>>
>> If a user runs EtreCheck in a limited, surface-level capacity without
>> ever triggering
>> or granting those elevated administrative tasks, the helper tool is not
>> deployed. But for users utilizing the full diagnostic suite, that binary
>> is explicitly installed—and dragging the .app bundle to the Bin
>> afterwards does not trigger macOS to remove it.
>> My technical note stands exactly as written. The persistence of
>> privileged helper
>> tools is a well-documented behavioral trait of macOS, and understanding
>> when and how they are installed is key to managing a clean file system.--
>> David
> 
> I just ran it. Full scan. Nothing where you say in
> /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
> 
> Even if there was, you would need to show it ran without EtreCheck running --
> even when deleted.
> 
> You have not. Not will you because you are in over your head and have no clue
> what you are talking about.
> 
> David, PLEASE stop making a complete idiot of yourself. And I have allowed you
> to waste my time on software I do not care about... all to help you learn
> (something you seem immune to on this issue) and to help defend software and a
> developer you keep attacking with your paranoia and ignorance.
<ANOTHER BIG SIGH>!

A standard "Full Scan" in EtreCheck does not automatically drop the 
helper tool, Brock. That is entirely by design. The developer built the 
core scanning engine to operate safely within regular user space so that 
an everyday user doesn't have to input an admin password just to 
generate a basic text report.

The privileged helper tool is explicitly gated behind specific, advanced 
operations within the app—such as running low-level storage benchmarks 
or choosing to execute root-level tasks that trigger a standard macOS 
admin password prompt.

Until a user actively invokes a feature that requires that elevation, 
macOS does not write the binary to the root directory.

However, the architecture to do so is permanently embedded in the 
application. Anyone can verify this in seconds without even running the app:

Right-click the EtreCheck application bundle and select Show Package 
Contents.

Navigate to /Contents/Library/LaunchServices/. Inside, you will find the 
dormant binary executable: com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper.

Open the app's main Info.plist file. You will see the security key 
SMPrivilegedExecutables, which explicitly registers 
com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper with macOS for system-level escalation.

As for your second point: I have never claimed the helper runs 
continuously in the background after the main application is deleted. It 
is managed by launchd as a launch-on-demand service.

The issue being discussed is file system persistence, not active CPU cycles.

The technical reality remains exactly as stated in the opening note: 
once a user triggers a feature that requires administrative 
authorization, macOS copies that helper binary to 
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/. When the user later drags the main .app 
bundle to the Bin, macOS leaves that root-level binary behind as a 
permanent orphan.

Understanding the conditional nature of how and when these tools are 
deployed is fundamental to understanding macOS file structure.

--
David

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#183727

On May 27, 2026 at 3:36:24 PM MST, ""David B."" wrote
<n7p9v8FeeseU1@mid.individual.net>:

> On 27/05/2026 21:00, Brock McNuggets wrote:
>> On May 27, 2026 at 10:34:51 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
>> <n7oo9rFbpdcU1@mid.individual.net>:
>> 
>>> On 27/05/2026 15:29, Brock McNuggets wrote:
>>>> On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
>>>> <n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hello again, folks! 😄
>>>>> 
>>>>> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
>>>>> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
>>>>> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
>>>>> 
>>>>> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
>>>>> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
>>>>> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
>>>>> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
>>>>> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
>>>>> 
>>>>> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
>>>>> 
>>>>> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
>>>>> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
>>>>> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
>>>>> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
>>>>> 
>>>>> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
>>>>> 
>>>>> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
>>>>> facing interface, as expected.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
>>>>> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
>>>>> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
>>>>> system launch directories.
>>>>> 
>>>>> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
>>>>> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
>>>>> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
>>>>> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
>>>>> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
>>>>> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
>>>>> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
>>>>> components most wouldn't know to look for.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
>>>>> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.
>>>> 
>>>> This is a decent description of Privileged Helper Tools in general —
>>>> unfortunately it describes a problem that the evidence refuses to cooperate
>>>> with.
>>>> 
>>>> https://shottr.cc/s/PDfQ/SCR-20260527-b1c
>>>> 
>>>> This is screensho showing AppCleaner's complete findings for EtreCheckPro.
>>>> AppCleaner specifically scans /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ and
>>>> /Library/LaunchDaemons/ — hunting down exactly these kinds of remnants is
>>>> rather the whole point of the application. The result? Seven items, every
>>>> single one sitting in perfectly ordinary user ~/Library/ locations. No daemon.
>>>> No privileged helper. Nothing that survives a reboot, let alone plots against
>>>> you in the background.
>>>> 
>>>> You can verify this in about eight seconds. Open Terminal and type:
>>>> 
>>>> ls /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
>>>> 
>>>> If there's no com.etresoft.* entry, the centrepiece of your argument
>>>> evaporates — and what AppCleaner found is exactly what I've been saying all
>>>> along: standard, dormant, utterly unremarkable Library files that every Mac
>>>> app leaves behind.
>>>> 
>>>> Which brings us to the .plist. A .plist is a small XML file that remembers
>>>> things like your window position and preferred settings. It does not run. It
>>>> does not phone home. It does not lurk. It just sits there, taking up 4 KB,
>>>> waiting for an app that may never come back. Every application on your Mac
>>>> left one behind — including whatever you used to compose this post. Raising
>>>> the alarm about a .plist file is the digital equivalent of reporting a
>>>> restaurant to the health inspector because they wrote your name on a notepad.
>>>> 
>>>> You own me an apology for your nonsense. And EtreCheck's developer.
>>> 
>>> There is no need for an apology, Brock, because you are looking at a
>>> clean room
>>> and concluding the house was never built.
>>> 
>>> Earlier today in the "Screenshot!" thread, you explicitly stated: "I
>>> believe I
>>> deleted them since the last time we discussed this." Running a third-
>>> party uninstallation utility after you have already deleted the software
>>> and its components is not a benchmark for what the software installs
>>> during live operation.
>>> For the benefit of the group, here is how EtreCheck's architecture
>>> actually functions:
>>> 
>>> The main application bundle runs in standard user space. However, when a
>>> user initiates
>>> tasks that require root privileges—such as reading restricted system
>>> logs, running advanced storage diagnostics, or granting "Full Disk
>>> Access" for deeper malware scans—EtreCheck explicitly prompts the user
>>> for an administrator password.
>>> It is at that specific moment of authorization that macOS copies and
>>> registers the
>>> privileged helper tool
>>> into:/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper
>>> 
>>> If a user runs EtreCheck in a limited, surface-level capacity without
>>> ever triggering
>>> or granting those elevated administrative tasks, the helper tool is not
>>> deployed. But for users utilizing the full diagnostic suite, that binary
>>> is explicitly installed—and dragging the .app bundle to the Bin
>>> afterwards does not trigger macOS to remove it.
>>> My technical note stands exactly as written. The persistence of
>>> privileged helper
>>> tools is a well-documented behavioral trait of macOS, and understanding
>>> when and how they are installed is key to managing a clean file system.--
>>> David
>> 
>> I just ran it. Full scan. Nothing where you say in
>> /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
>> 
>> Even if there was, you would need to show it ran without EtreCheck running --
>> even when deleted.
>> 
>> You have not. Not will you because you are in over your head and have no clue
>> what you are talking about.
>> 
>> David, PLEASE stop making a complete idiot of yourself. And I have allowed you
>> to waste my time on software I do not care about... all to help you learn
>> (something you seem immune to on this issue) and to help defend software and a
>> developer you keep attacking with your paranoia and ignorance.
> <ANOTHER BIG SIGH>!
> 
> A standard "Full Scan" in EtreCheck does not automatically drop the
> helper tool, Brock. That is entirely by design. The developer built the
> core scanning engine to operate safely within regular user space so that
> an everyday user doesn't have to input an admin password just to
> generate a basic text report.
> 
> The privileged helper tool is explicitly gated behind specific, advanced
> operations within the app—such as running low-level storage benchmarks
> or choosing to execute root-level tasks that trigger a standard macOS
> admin password prompt.
> 
> Until a user actively invokes a feature that requires that elevation,
> macOS does not write the binary to the root directory.
> 
> However, the architecture to do so is permanently embedded in the
> application. Anyone can verify this in seconds without even running the app:
> 
> Right-click the EtreCheck application bundle and select Show Package
> Contents.
> 
> Navigate to /Contents/Library/LaunchServices/. Inside, you will find the
> dormant binary executable: com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper.
> 
> Open the app's main Info.plist file. You will see the security key
> SMPrivilegedExecutables, which explicitly registers
> com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper with macOS for system-level escalation.
> 
> As for your second point: I have never claimed the helper runs
> continuously in the background after the main application is deleted. It
> is managed by launchd as a launch-on-demand service.
> 
> The issue being discussed is file system persistence, not active CPU cycles.
> 
> The technical reality remains exactly as stated in the opening note:
> once a user triggers a feature that requires administrative
> authorization, macOS copies that helper binary to
> /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/. When the user later drags the main .app
> bundle to the Bin, macOS leaves that root-level binary behind as a
> permanent orphan.
> 
> Understanding the conditional nature of how and when these tools are
> deployed is fundamental to understanding macOS file structure.
> 
> --
> David

Even if it does leave that -- which has not been show -- the framing of
"permanent orphan" is not backed in any way. A launch-on-demand launchd
service sitting dormant in /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ after its parent
app is deleted is at worst untidiness, but it's not a security threat or a
performance concern. It's closer to a housekeeping issue than a scandal.

Again, David, the worst you have found is theoretically the app in some
situations you have not shown has a minor and not that uncommon housekeeping
issue. So does ScreenFlow (or, I think, so did it in older versions, and I
have shown it is not unique). And plist files... why do you go on about them?


-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

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#183734

On 28/05/2026 12:37, David B. wrote:
> On 27/05/2026 15:29, Brock McNuggets wrote:
> [
>> https://shottr.cc/s/PDfQ/SCR-20260527-b1c
>>
>> This is screensho showing AppCleaner's complete findings for 
>> EtreCheckPro.
>> AppCleaner specifically scans /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ and
>> /Library/LaunchDaemons/ — hunting down exactly these kinds of remnants is
>> rather the whole point of the application. The result? Seven items, every
>> single one sitting in perfectly ordinary user ~/Library/ locations. No 
>> daemon.
>> No privileged helper. Nothing that survives a reboot, let alone plots 
>> against
>> you in the background.
> 
> Please explain why MY finding has 9 entries, whilst your has only 7.
> 
> https://i.ibb.co/ZzFxjY5r/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-12-26-44.png
> 
> Perhaps it's because I have paid for a full licence some weeks ago?
> I did tell you! ;-)


Here's an image so you can make an easy comparison!

https://i.ibb.co/ZpMphMYy/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-12-43-08.png

-- 
Kind regards,
David

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#183722

On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
<n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:

> Hello again, folks! 😄
> 
> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
> 
> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
> 
> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
> 
> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
> 
> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
> 
> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
> facing interface, as expected.
> 
> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
> 
> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
> 
> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
> system launch directories.
> 
> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
> components most wouldn't know to look for.
> 
> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.

OK, did more work FOR you. To help you.

There is no evidence EtreCheck does as you say and puts something in

 /Library/LaunchDaemons/
 /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

Or any other place where an uninstaller might be more useful. I even did a
check in /Library/ for "EtreCheck" and found one item, and it was in:

 /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/

No issue with that.

But guess what, even if it did have stuff there, that would not mean an
uninstaller would be absolutely needed. Here:

 
https://www.telestream.net/telestream-support/screen-flow/help/Install.11.6.html

No uninstaller -- you have to manually go to:

 /System/Library/Extensions/TelestreamAudio.kext

And delete it.

How about Windscribe?

 
https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/how-do-i-reinstall-the-windscribe-mac-app

This page talks about uninstalling it (even if the focus is on installing).
Drag to trash and delete. But guess what... unlike EtreCheck it DOES leave
things in the /Library folder.

 /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.windscribe.helper.macos.plist

Can you find anyone with a shred of concern about this? I would say ideally
they should have a simple way to do this -- apps like Zoom and TeamViewer do
have ways in the app itself.

But you are not only wrong -- there is no such cruft left behind in /Library/
-- but even if there was you would STILL be making a mountain out of a
molehill... whining about things you do not understand in the slightest.

David, I keep asking: stop these insane paranoid attacks against EtreCheck and
its developer. You are making a complete and utter fool of yourself and doing
so in thread after thread and across multiple newsgroups.


-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#183725

On 27/05/2026 21:31, Brock McNuggets wrote:
> On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
> <n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:
> 
>> Hello again, folks! 😄
>>
>> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
>> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
>> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
>>
>> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
>> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
>> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
>> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
>> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
>>
>> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
>>
>> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
>> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
>> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
>> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
>>
>> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
>>
>> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
>> facing interface, as expected.
>>
>> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
>> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
>>
>> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
>> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
>>
>> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
>> system launch directories.
>>
>> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
>> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
>> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
>> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
>> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
>> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
>> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
>> components most wouldn't know to look for.
>>
>> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
>> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.
> 
> OK, did more work FOR you. To help you.
> 
> There is no evidence EtreCheck does as you say and puts something in
> 
>   /Library/LaunchDaemons/
>   /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
> 
> Or any other place where an uninstaller might be more useful. I even did a
> check in /Library/ for "EtreCheck" and found one item, and it was in:
> 
>   /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/
> 
> No issue with that.
> 
> But guess what, even if it did have stuff there, that would not mean an
> uninstaller would be absolutely needed. Here:
> 
>   
> https://www.telestream.net/telestream-support/screen-flow/help/Install.11.6.html
> 
> No uninstaller -- you have to manually go to:
> 
>   /System/Library/Extensions/TelestreamAudio.kext
> 
> And delete it.
> 
> How about Windscribe?
> 
>   
> https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/how-do-i-reinstall-the-windscribe-mac-app
> 
> This page talks about uninstalling it (even if the focus is on installing).
> Drag to trash and delete. But guess what... unlike EtreCheck it DOES leave
> things in the /Library folder.
> 
>   /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.windscribe.helper.macos.plist
> 
> Can you find anyone with a shred of concern about this? I would say ideally
> they should have a simple way to do this -- apps like Zoom and TeamViewer do
> have ways in the app itself.
> 
> But you are not only wrong -- there is no such cruft left behind in /Library/
> -- but even if there was you would STILL be making a mountain out of a
> molehill... whining about things you do not understand in the slightest.
> 
> David, I keep asking: stop these insane paranoid attacks against EtreCheck and
> its developer. You are making a complete and utter fool of yourself and doing
> so in thread after thread and across multiple newsgroups.

Thank you, Brock. You have just perfectly illustrated the exact 
technical point of this entire thread.

By bringing up Windscribe's leftover background daemon plist, you are 
explicitly confirming my premise: when software utilizes root-level 
privileges, dropping the application bundle into the Bin leaves 
persistent background configuration files or binaries behind in the 
system directories.

As you quite rightly noted yourself, apps like Zoom and TeamViewer 
provide an explicit, built-in mechanism to handle this cleanup because 
they use these elevated privileges. That is precisely the design 
standard I am highlighting.

Regarding your inability to find EtreCheck's privileged helper binary 
during your basic scan: as explained in my concurrent post, the helper 
is entirely conditional. The core scanning engine runs inside standard 
user space. The helper tool (com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper) is only 
unpacked, registered, and written to /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/ 
when a user executes specific, advanced tasks that trigger a standard 
macOS administrative password prompt (such as the low-level drive 
performance benchmark).

If you haven't triggered that admin elevation, the file won't be in your 
root directory yet. However, the blueprint is permanently baked into the 
software. Anyone can verify this by right-clicking the EtreCheck app 
bundle, selecting Show Package Contents, and looking inside 
/Contents/Library/LaunchServices/, or inspecting the 
SMPrivilegedExecutables array in its main Info.plist.

There is no "paranoia" or "attack" here. Pointing out the architectural 
reality of how macOS manages privileged helper tools, how specific 
software utilizes them, and why a standard "drag to Bin" leaves them 
behind is a matter of basic system administration.

--
Kind regards,
David

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#183728

On May 27, 2026 at 3:42:11 PM MST, ""David B."" wrote
<n7paa3FegdpU1@mid.individual.net>:

> On 27/05/2026 21:31, Brock McNuggets wrote:
>> On May 27, 2026 at 7:03:48 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
>> <n7obu5F9snuU1@mid.individual.net>:
>> 
>>> Hello again, folks! 😄
>>> 
>>> There has been some discussion across recent threads about standard
>>> macOS uninstallation behaviour — specifically whether dragging an
>>> application bundle ('App') to the Bin is sufficient for all software.
>>> 
>>> For most applications, it is. Self-contained, sandboxed apps leave
>>> nothing behind that matters, and dragging to the Bin is perfectly
>>> adequate. However, a distinct technical exception applies to utilities
>>> that require elevated privileges to scan system hardware, read
>>> restricted logs, or monitor storage health.
>>> 
>>> EtreCheck is a prime example of this class of software.
>>> 
>>> To perform its deep system analysis, EtreCheck installs a *Privileged
>>> Helper Tool* — an elevated background daemon that requires admin
>>> authorisation on first run. This is entirely legitimate behaviour, but
>>> it has a practical consequence for uninstallation.
>>> 
>>> *The problem with "drag to Bin" for this category of software*:-
>>> 
>>> 1. *The App Bundle* — Dragging the `.app` to the Bin removes the user-
>>> facing interface, as expected.
>>> 
>>> 2. *The Lingering Daemon* — macOS does not automatically unregister or
>>> remove privileged helpers when their parent app is trashed.
>>> 
>>> 3. *The Binary* — The helper executable persists in the root-level
>>> directory `/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/`.
>>> 
>>> 4. *The Property Lists* — Associated configuration files remain in the
>>> system launch directories.
>>> 
>>> For ordinary apps that only write to `~/Library/Application Support/` or
>>> `~/Library/Caches/`, this isn't a concern — those files are dormant and
>>> easily ignored or removed. But when a utility has installed a persistent
>>> background daemon that survives deletion of the main app bundle, a
>>> dedicated uninstaller (or at minimum an inline **Uninstall** menu
>>> option) is not just courteous — it's the correct design choice. Without
>>> one, users are left manually navigating root-level directories to remove
>>> components most wouldn't know to look for.
>>> 
>>> Hopefully this clarifies things for anyone tracking file-system
>>> behaviour or managing utility software on their Macs.
>> 
>> OK, did more work FOR you. To help you.
>> 
>> There is no evidence EtreCheck does as you say and puts something in
>> 
>>   /Library/LaunchDaemons/
>>   /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
>> 
>> Or any other place where an uninstaller might be more useful. I even did a
>> check in /Library/ for "EtreCheck" and found one item, and it was in:
>> 
>>   /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/
>> 
>> No issue with that.
>> 
>> But guess what, even if it did have stuff there, that would not mean an
>> uninstaller would be absolutely needed. Here:
>> 
>> 
>> https://www.telestream.net/telestream-support/screen-flow/help/Install.11.6.html
>> 
>> No uninstaller -- you have to manually go to:
>> 
>>   /System/Library/Extensions/TelestreamAudio.kext
>> 
>> And delete it.
>> 
>> How about Windscribe?
>> 
>> 
>> https://windscribe.com/knowledge-base/articles/how-do-i-reinstall-the-windscribe-mac-app
>> 
>> This page talks about uninstalling it (even if the focus is on installing).
>> Drag to trash and delete. But guess what... unlike EtreCheck it DOES leave
>> things in the /Library folder.
>> 
>>   /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.windscribe.helper.macos.plist
>> 
>> Can you find anyone with a shred of concern about this? I would say ideally
>> they should have a simple way to do this -- apps like Zoom and TeamViewer do
>> have ways in the app itself.
>> 
>> But you are not only wrong -- there is no such cruft left behind in /Library/
>> -- but even if there was you would STILL be making a mountain out of a
>> molehill... whining about things you do not understand in the slightest.
>> 
>> David, I keep asking: stop these insane paranoid attacks against EtreCheck and
>> its developer. You are making a complete and utter fool of yourself and doing
>> so in thread after thread and across multiple newsgroups.
> 
> Thank you, Brock. You have just perfectly illustrated the exact
> technical point of this entire thread.
> 
> By bringing up Windscribe's leftover background daemon plist, you are
> explicitly confirming my premise: when software utilizes root-level
> privileges, dropping the application bundle into the Bin leaves
> persistent background configuration files or binaries behind in the
> system directories.

This is not in contention. Never has been. It is in contention of Etrecheck
does so. You have not shown it. And if it does you have yet to show it is an
issue.

Instead you use AI to automate your ignorance. :)
> 
> As you quite rightly noted yourself, apps like Zoom and TeamViewer
> provide an explicit, built-in mechanism to handle this cleanup because
> they use these elevated privileges. That is precisely the design
> standard I am highlighting.
> 
> Regarding your inability to find EtreCheck's privileged helper binary
> during your basic scan: as explained in my concurrent post, the helper
> is entirely conditional. The core scanning engine runs inside standard
> user space. The helper tool (com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper) is only
> unpacked, registered, and written to /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/
> when a user executes specific, advanced tasks that trigger a standard
> macOS administrative password prompt (such as the low-level drive
> performance benchmark).

You have yet to be specific how one would do this.
> 
> If you haven't triggered that admin elevation, the file won't be in your
> root directory yet. However, the blueprint is permanently baked into the
> software. Anyone can verify this by right-clicking the EtreCheck app
> bundle, selecting Show Package Contents, and looking inside
> /Contents/Library/LaunchServices/, or inspecting the
> SMPrivilegedExecutables array in its main Info.plist.

https://shottr.cc/s/Pv0B/SCR-20260527-o33

Nope. Not there. Another place where you simply are trusting AI and not
checking for yourself.

What happened to your comments about not assuming? Checking?
> 
> There is no "paranoia" or "attack" here. Pointing out the architectural
> reality of how macOS manages privileged helper tools, how specific
> software utilizes them, and why a standard "drag to Bin" leaves them
> behind is a matter of basic system administration.

You are babbling nonsense...
> 
> --
> Kind regards,
> David


-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

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#183729

MID <6a178095$0$26$882e4bbb@reader.netnews.com>

On May 27, 2026, Brock McNuggets posted:-

https://shottr.cc/s/Pv0B/SCR-20260527-o33

"Nope. Not there. Another place where you simply are trusting AI and not 
checking for yourself."

=

You are looking at the basic, free App Store version or an un-activated 
bundle, Brock.

The developer explicitly splits the architecture between the basic 
user-space scanner and the advanced diagnostic features.

The privileged helper tool functionality is tied directly to the 
EtreCheckPro activation and its advanced storage benchmark tools.

If you want to actually see the mechanics in action instead of looking 
at a surface-level folder, try this exact test:

Open EtreCheckPro.Select the Storage or Performance testing sections 
that require low-level disk access.Watch for the standard macOS security 
dialogue box asking for your administrator password to allow the tool to 
measure raw drive performance.

The moment you authenticate that prompt, open your Terminal and run:ls 
-la /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

You will see com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper appear right there.

The mechanism isn't a hallucination; it is the standard SMJobBless API 
architecture that macOS uses to safely escalate privileges for specific 
diagnostic tools.

As we already established with your Windscribe example, the core issue 
is that once a user grants that admin permission, dragging the main app 
to the Trash leaves that privileged helper binary behind in the root 
system folder.

No amount of looking at basic, un-triggered app bundles changes how the 
underlying operating system manages authorized helper tools.

-- 
David

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#183735

On May 28, 2026 at 12:48:27 AM MST, ""David B."" wrote
<n7qaabFj4hqU1@mid.individual.net>:

> MID <6a178095$0$26$882e4bbb@reader.netnews.com>
> 
> On May 27, 2026, Brock McNuggets posted:-
> 
> https://shottr.cc/s/Pv0B/SCR-20260527-o33
> 
> "Nope. Not there. Another place where you simply are trusting AI and not
> checking for yourself."
> 
> =
> 
> You are looking at the basic, free App Store version or an un-activated
> bundle, Brock.

I am not going to pay for EtreCheck. Nope. Not gonna happen.
> 
> The developer explicitly splits the architecture between the basic
> user-space scanner and the advanced diagnostic features.
> 
> The privileged helper tool functionality is tied directly to the
> EtreCheckPro activation and its advanced storage benchmark tools.
> 
> If you want to actually see the mechanics in action instead of looking
> at a surface-level folder, try this exact test:
> 
> Open EtreCheckPro.Select the Storage

https://shottr.cc/s/P4Mf/SCR-20260528-8gt

> or Performance testing sections
> that require low-level disk access.Watch for the standard macOS security
> dialogue box asking for your administrator password to allow the tool to
> measure raw drive performance.
> 
> The moment you authenticate that prompt, open your Terminal and run:ls
> -la /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

  David
    -----
    If you haven't triggered that admin elevation, the file won't
    be in your root directory yet. However, the blueprint is
    permanently baked into the software. Anyone can verify this
    by right-clicking the EtreCheck app bundle, selecting Show
    Package Contents, and looking inside
    /Contents/Library/LaunchServices/
    -----

https://shottr.cc/s/Pv0B/SCR-20260527-o33

> 
> You will see com.etresoft.EtreCheckHelper appear right there.
> 
> The mechanism isn't a hallucination; it is the standard SMJobBless API
> architecture that macOS uses to safely escalate privileges for specific
> diagnostic tools.
> 
> As we already established with your Windscribe example, the core issue
> is that once a user grants that admin permission, dragging the main app
> to the Trash leaves that privileged helper binary behind in the root
> system folder.

This is not in contention.
> 
> No amount of looking at basic, un-triggered app bundles changes how the
> underlying operating system manages authorized helper tools.

No evidence of you being correct, and even if you are about it having some
helper in very specific situations, no evidence of it causing any harm.


-- 
It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.

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