Analyzing Existing Installations

Pacifist can use data from the macOS installer receipts to help determine which installers, if any, are responsible for installing various applications, extensions, frameworks, preference panes, and other files installed on your system.

To use Pacifist’s analysis features, click on the “Analyze Existing Installations” button in Pacifist’s main window.

[Verify Panel]

The receipt analysis feature has several modes:

  1. The “All Installations” mode lists all the installer receipts on your system. To see what files were installed by a particular installer, select a receipt and click the “Open Receipt” button.
    All Installations mode
  2. The “Search” mode lets you search for a specific file or application in order to find the receipts for whatever installers may have installed it. You can search by filename, path, or application name.
    Receipt Search
  3. Finally, you can list all of the applications, kernel extensions, frameworks, or preference panes on your system, and get a list of what receipts, if any, installed them.
    Application List