Installing Everything on the Desktop

[dmw16]

Im sure this is a dumb question, but why do all of my downloaded apps seem to get installed to the desktop? WHen I run the .dmg it puts a little icon on my desktop for the app, but I'd rather keep my desktop less cluttered and move the application into the applications folder and launch it from the dashboard.

Anyone able to help?

 

[TheStu]

Well, you cannot launch it from the dashboard since that is an application itself (tied to F12, press it sometime, that is the dashboard) I think you mean the dock.

You will want to change the default download location for your browser (hit Apple + , to bring up preferences) and then when you download a .dmg, just drag the application icon to the applications folder and you will be set. It really does not matter where most apps are installed, and you can move them whenever you feel like because of the fact that the application is actually contained inside the icon, if you were to view it under windows or linux, you would see that it is actually a folder, it is just a special folder that launches its contents when double clicked, pretty cool if you ask me.

Just go ahead and move the existing apps from the desktop to the applications folder (make sure first that their associated dmgs are unmounted, I have found in the past that although the icon is on the desktop, the application is actually running from the dmg, so when you unmount it, the app is no longer usable) and you will be fine

 

[TMoney468]

Yeah, when you download a program you usually get a DMG file. If you double-click that, it will mount the DMG and another window will popup showing the application inside. All you do is drag the application itself to the Applications folder in Finder. When you mount the DMG file, it isn't installing it to the desktop, that's just where Macs display hard drives, external drives, and images (ISO and DMG files)

 

[dmw16]

I did mean the dock. Sorry. I am new to the mac thing.

I will try moving the applications. I think that my understanding of how software is installed and functions is still in PC mode. I will learn

 

[TheStu]

Yes, it is a bit of a change, but fairly convenient. The real advantage is that there are only a few places where applications store things like settings and whatnot, and so when you go to do a reformat, you can back those up, install OS X, replace those files and it will be like nothing had changed.