Yesterday, we showed you how to create a custom service using Automator for easily resizing images via the Finder. Today, we’ll show you how to find the location of the custom services that you create in order to remove them. We’ll also show you how to enable or disable Services using System Preferences.
When adding a custom service via Automator, OS X doesn’t clue the user in as to the location of said service. In fact, the save dialogue is about as ambiguous as it gets.
You aren’t allowed to browse for a location like you normally can when saving files in OS X. You can click Save or Cancel, that’s it. Once you give your service a name and click Save, it goes somewhere, but it’s not clear as to where.
Fortunately, there is a user-accessible location for all custom services created with Automator. That location can be found in the Services folder which sits directly beneath the user’s Library folder. Makes sense, no?
How to delete a custom service
To access the Services folder, open Finder, and click Go → Go To Folder, and paste the following:
~/Library/Services
Click Go, and you should be taken to the Services folder housing all of your custom services. From there, it’s as simple as dragging the service to the trash to get rid of it. Deleting custom services will remove the name of the service from within the Services section of the Control + click (right click) dialog and from Finder’s Services menu in the menu bar.
Video walkthrough
How to disable a service
If you’re looking to take a less permanent approach, it might be better to simply disable the service. To do so, open System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts, and click the Services section on the left. From there, it’s just a matter of unchecking the name of your custom service. This will remove it from the right-click dialogue and the Services menu in Finder. The nice thing about disabling a service is that you can always enable it again.
We’re just scratching the surface when it comes to Services. As you can see from the Keyboard panel in System Preferences, you can do cool things like add shortcuts to services, enable additional services, and much more. Needless to say, we’ll be back with more coverage on services in the future.
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Another useful tip.
or you can also directly go to the destination folder from ‘System Preferences’ just by right clicking on the service you want to delete & select ‘Go To Finder’.
you can also directly go to the destination folder from ‘System Preferences’ just by right clicking on the service you want to delete & select ‘Go To Finder’.
Slick. Talk about being hidden. Good find.
This is one of my biggest annoyances with OS X: any random app you install can graft its garbage onto your right-click menu and even take charge of a key shortcut. I would definitely like to be asked permission before “Scan file with [stupid utility I tried once]” starts appearing in my contextual menus.
can anyone come up with a service to get a fiepath into the clipboard?