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Ask: Recover Missing OS X Applications

Aug 1 2014 5:05PM EST | Source: MacLife.com

Got an Apple, Mac, or iOS tech question? We have the answer. In this week's installment of Ask, we'll teach you how to recover missing applications that are built into OS X, including utilities. 

Question: I believe that I have accidentally deleted some of the default applications that came with OS X, and I’m not sure how to reinstall them. I’m missing my entire Utilities folder under Applications. How can I get these applications back onto my computer system?

Answer: The default applications bundled onto your system usually requires messing around with the Terminal to remove them, and even then, they can be difficult to remove. If they've been removed, however, you can get them back by simply reinstalling your version of Mac OS X. 

If you are running OS X Lion or later, then you can start up your computer while holding down the Option key, and select “Recovery HD.” Selecting this option will boot your computer into the Recovery partition. From here, select “Reinstall OS X,” then follow the instructions to reinstall. 

When reinstalling OS X, none of your content should be be overwritten, but it's best to always create a backup beforehand just to be safe. Once reinstalled, the default applications, including the Utilities folder, should reappear on your Mac.


Reinstalling OS X is the only way to get back the default applications once they have been removed from your system.

Ask is written by Cory Bohon, a freelance technology writer, indie Mac and iOS developer, and amateur photographer.

Got a tech question? Email ask@maclife.com.


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