Oct 09, 2019 A pple on Monday released its anticipated macOS Catalina software update, bringing a slew of new features, apps, and user-friendly improvements to the company’s line of Mac.
Launch Services is a core service of the Mac OS that enables an actively running application to open other apps, documents, or URLs (Uniform Resource Locators). Launch Services is also used to prioritize which app is used to open a document or URL.
Launch Services replaced a number of earlier system managers the Mac used to use, such as the Desktop Manager, Internet Config, and File Manager, replacing them with the single Launch Services system, and the database Launch Services maintains to keep track of all things related to how documents and apps relate to each other.
Launch Services allows an app or document to:
- Open (launch or activate) another app.
- Open a document or URL.
- Identify the preferred app to use to open a document or URL.
- Register the type of documents or URLs an app is capable of working with.
- Keep track of information needed for displaying a file or URL, including its icon, name, and kind (examples: JPEG, PDF, Folder, Volume).
In past versions of the Mac OS, this type of information was maintained by the Finder, as well as by some specific system managers. By consolidating this information to the Launch Services, it allows for greater reliability, easier (actually, automatic) registration of file and document associations, and less need to repair file association information. If you remember having to rebuild the Desktop frequently on older Macs, then you know the file associations tended to get out of whack often.
Launch Services maintains a database aptly known as the Launch Services Database, which is used to record all the needed information about apps, documents, and URLs to determine which items an app is capable of working with.
Application Registration
Launch Services automatically registers an app with the database the first time the app becomes known to the system. This can occur when:
- The Finder reports an app has been added to the Applications folder.
- An app installer is run.
- When a document is opened that has no preferred app, the user is asked to select an app to use, and that app is registered with Launch Services.
- When the built-in Launch Services tool is run whenever you boot your Mac or login as a user. This tool scans the Applications folder looking for any new apps that have been placed there.
Opening Documents
When you open a document or URL, Launch Services is used to determine which app to use to open the item. Launch Services uses the following specific order to check for which app to use:
User-Specified Binding: If the user has set a specific binding by manually setting a file association, then use that app to open the document or URL. Do not check further. Note: You can manually set file associations using one of the tips in: Quick Tip: Managing macOS File Associations or macOS 101: Six “Forgotten” Tips for New (and Old) Mac Users.
If the document has a file name extension, Launch Services will find all apps that list the extension as compatible.
If the document has a four-character file type, Launch Services finds all apps that accept the file type.
If more than one app is found, the following is used to determine a preference:
If the document has a four-character creator type that matches an app:
Give preference to apps on the boot volume.
Give preferences to apps residing on local volumes vs. ones on remote volumes.
If two or more files and an app still meet the criteria, give preference to the newest version.
What Could Go Wrong?
For the most part, Launch Services and its database provide a robust and reliable service for managing app and document associations. But as we all know, sometimes things can go wrong. Some of the most common problems encountered include:
- Wrong document icon: The most common form this problem takes is a document file having a generic icon when it should have an icon associated with the app that was used to create it. Other possible icon issues include a document having an icon from another app, and not the one you used to create it.
- Recent Items menu or Recent Items Dock stacks being incorrect: The Recent Items listing isn’t showing the correct app or doc, or isn’t being updated when you open an app or doc.
- Open With menu: If the Finder’s File, Open With menu or the contextual (right-click a file icon) Open With menu is displaying duplicate entries, or one or more apps are being listed that should not be used to open the document type.
- Wrong app associated with a document: This is similar to the Open With problem listed above, but in this case, the problem occurs because an app you used to use has been removed from your Mac, and the Launch Services database, for an unknown reason, wasn’t correctly updated.
Rebuilding Launch Services Database
Any of the above issues can usually be fixed by rebuilding the Launch Services database. You’ll find instructions for two different methods of rebuilding the database in the Rocket Yard guide: Quick Tip: Managing macOS File Associations.
If you’re running into an issue where an app continues to show up as either the default or a recommended app in the Open With menu, but the app isn’t one that should be used to open the document type, or is one you don’t wish to ever use, you can manually remove that app’s association with the document and prevent it from ever appearing in the Open With list again.
Remove a Single App from the Open With Menu
The technique to remove a single app from the Open With list requires you to edit the app’s Info.plist file and rebuild the Launch Services Database. Essentially, you’re removing a file extension type that the app in question knows how to work with. By eliminating the extension type from the app’s Info.plist, you make the app blind to the removed file type.
One common reason for doing this is to prevent an app from opening to edit or view a specific file type. For instance, you may normally use Photoshop to work with most graphics file types, but you prefer a different app for viewing PDF files.
Normally, you would use the option to create a User-Specified binding, as outlined above, to make sure those PDF image files are opened in your preferred app. But creating a User-Specified binding won’t keep the original app from being included in the Open With menu. If an app showing up in the Open With menu is really an issue for you, you can remove it using the following technique.
(An app’s Info.plist file can be edited to remove extension types you don’t wish to have the app work with.)Before you attempt this method, make sure you have a current backup. You’re going to be making changes to an app, changes that can affect how the app in question works. If something should go wrong, you’ll want to be able to restore the app from a backup.
Using the Finder, browse to the app you wish to keep out of the Open With menu.
Right-click the app, and select Show Package Contents.
Open the Contents folder.
Right-click the Info.plist file, and select Duplicate from the popup menu.
This will create a file named Info copy.plist. This copy contains the data from the original Info.plist file. You can use this file to restore the Info.plist file to its original state should you ever need to. This step is just a precaution.
Right-click the Info.plist file, and select Open With from the popup menu.
You can open the Info.plist file with just about any text editor, including TextEdit, but I recommend using a text editor such as BBEdit, which knows how to format property list files for easier readability.
Using the text editor’s search function, locate the CFBundleTypeExtensions key.
There can be multiple CFBundleTypeExtensions keys in the Info.plist file; look for the one that incudes the following entry, just after the CFBundleTypeExtension key: <string>pdf</string>.
Once you locate the extension suffix you wish to remove, use the text editor to delete the entire line that says: <string>pdf</string> (in this example).
Save the edited Info.plist file.
Use the linked instructions, above, to rebuild the Launch Services database.
Rebuilding Launch Services on Older Versions of the Mac OS
Launch Services has undergone a few changes over the years since it was first made available. If you’re using an older version of OS X, you may have seen error messages when you tried to rebuild the Launch Services database. Here are the instructions to perform a rebuild for earlier versions of OS X:
OS X Jaguar (10.2)
Quit all apps.
Delete the com.apple.LaunchServices.plist file located at ~/Library/Preferences.
Delete the com.apple.LaunchServices.UserCache.csstore file located at ~/Library/Caches.
Restart your Mac.
OS X Panther (10.3)
Follow the instructions for OS X Jaguar and include the following item in the list of files to be deleted:
com.apple.LaunchServices.6B.csstore located at /Library/Cache.
OS X Tiger (10.4)
Follow the instructions for OS X Jaguar, and include the following items in the list of files to be deleted:
com.apple.LaunchServices-0140.csstore
com.apple.LaunchServices-014xxx.csstore. The xxx is a stand in for a UID (User ID) number that is unique to you.
The above files are located at /Library/Cache.
OS X Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6)
Use the following Terminal command in place of the one mentioned in the linked article under the Rebuilding Launch Services Database section, above:
find /System/Library/Frameworks -type f -name “lsregister” -exec {} -kill -seed -r ;
OS X Lion (10.7) and later
Use the Terminal command as directed in the linked article.
If you run into any problems we haven’t covered, or discover a new tip, please share the info in the comments section, below.
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How to fix macOS 10.15 Catalina problems
Hello, thrill seekers. Looks like you’ve installed macOS Catalina knowing it’s not perfect and despite all warnings ended up here. You are not alone. We’ve rummaged through the internet and collected all macOS Catalina issues known to date. And boy, there’s a lot of wrongs to fix.
1. Can’t install macOS Catalina
You’ve unpacked the installer and now macOS Catalina install stuck on the initial reboot. All you can see is a black screen and even a hard reboot doesn’t help it. Though it’s perfectly normal for an installation to take some time (sometimes up to 10 hours), you can try a few workarounds.
- Install Catalina in the Safe Mode
- Press and hold down the Power key to shut down your computer.
- Now, hold down Shift while it’s booting up.
You will see the Apple logo on a grayish background with a progress bar. After you entered the Safe mode, run the Catalina installer again. Hopefully, it reaches completion this time.
Tip: Press Command + L in the middle of the macOS installation. You will see if it’s still active and the remaining time before completion.
- Do a PRAM and SMC Reset
It’s one of those last-ditch solutions that restore deep system settings including kernel information. It isn’t something you should be doing regularly but in our case, it’s worth trying.
How to reset PRAM
1.Shut down your computer
2. Press the Power key
3. Immediately press Command + Option + P + R keys
4. Hold down the keys until your Mac reboots
5. Let go of the keys
To reset SMC
1. Turn off your Mac
2. Hold down Control + Shift + Option and press power
3. Hold the buttons for 10-15 sec
4. Release the keys and restart your Mac
After you’re done, repeat macOS Catalina installation from scratch.
- Free up space on your drive
macOS Catalina takes up about 30 GB on your drive. That’s unprecedented in macOS history. When you see the 'macOS Catalina cannot be installed on Macintosh HD' message, this sometimes means that there is not enough disk space for the new macOS. Therefore, you need to free up some space on your Mac.
How to free up space? Move your largest files onto an external drive — will take you about 20 minutes. Or if it looks like too much fuss, free up your storage with CleanMyMac X. It’s a tool that is actually notarized by Apple (shouldn’t be confused with MacKeeper).
You’ll easily remove 7-10 GBs of system garbage. Then you can install macOS Catalina on a drive that’s clean and refreshed.
Here I’ve found a link to a free version of this app — enjoy.
Catalina installation stuck on “Setting up your Mac” screen
So your installation has started but seems to be stuck on the initial screen. What can you do? If your patience has finally run out, it’s time for a mission abort.
- Press the power button and wait till your Mac reboots.
- Start the installation all over again — this time it should go fine.
“macOS Catalina could not be verified”
This error usually appears when the download has finished. Apparently, it has something to do with cached content associated with your user account.
- Open System Preferences > Sharing > Content caching
- Switch to “All content`’ in the dropdown menu
The first attempt to download Catalina would often return the same error. But don’t give up just yet! Try downloading Catalina once again — this time it will download it from the cached copy on your Mac which will take about 10-15 seconds. Now it should be ok.
If it doesn’t help you can also:
- Simply restart your Mac
- Download Catalina under different “user” on your Mac
- Try to delete system cache with CleanMyMac
Launch App Via Url Mac Catalina Version
2. macOS Catalina freezing upon reboot
The situation looks like this: macOS Catalina has completed the install, and after you restart your Mac it is stuck on login screen. You see the progress bar but it isn’t going anywhere. What to do?
As one user pointed out, the problem may be caused by 3d party kernel extensions or kexts. They act as drivers — if you like a Windows analogy — and give access to your Mac’s hardware.
- Solution: Move Library Extensions
As a band-aid solution, you can relocate your /Library/Extensions kexts to a backup folder. As confirmed by many users, this fixes macOS Catalina stuck on reboot problem.
To perform this, you will need Terminal app:
Click Launchpad > Terminal
Now paste in the following command:
mkdir ~/Extensions-Backup && sudo mv /Library/Extensions/* ~/Extensions-Backup/
This command relocates your Library Extensions to the username/Extensions Backup folder. Later you can put the Extensions back where they belong at: /Library/Extensions.
One more solution to macOS Catalina freezing
Generally, Macs freeze when some process is hogging the memory. Some background plugin could be eating up all the available RAM. Here is the method I use to identify my background memory-hoggers.
To get a clear idea what it is, I use CleanMyMac X’s Speed utility.
You need to install CleanMyMac X — it’s available as a free version too.
Open the app, click “Optimization.”
This will give you an idea what Launch Agents are working in the background so you can isolate and disable them.
PS. Heavy consumers — this tab reveals processes that are critically memory-demanding.
3. macOS Catalina apps not working
This is one of the macOS Catalina problems that trails back to macOS Mojave. As you’ve probably heard, app architecture knows 2 types: 32-bit and 64-bit. The 32-bit apps will not be supported on macOS Catalina, period. Sadly, they are not just some lo-fi indie apps, we are talking Photoshop!
Did you know:Apple states that 64-bit apps use memory more effectively and so will work faster on your Mac.
- Check your 32-bit apps
There’s a quick way to count your potentially problematic applications.
- Click the Apple logo > About this Mac > System report
- Now find Applications in the sidebar.
To have a deeper look into your apps, where they come from, and how much space they are taking, run the Uninstaller tool in CleanMyMac X. Download this program here — it’s free to download.
Launch the app and click the Uninstaller tab
Here you can see your 32-bit apps and sort apps by “Last used.”
For example, I found a 32-bit video editor, which I didn’t realize was there, stealing away 600 MB of my space.
- Reset an app that misbehaves
If a particular app stopped working on macOS Catalina, you can reset it with CleanMyMac. This operation doesn’t delete any user data and only restores it to the default state. In 9 out of 10 cases this helps solve syncing issues and sudden app freeze-ups.
Choose an app from the list in the Uninstaller (see screenshot above)
Now click on the drop-down menu under “Uninstall” button
Click on the Reset button that appears
- Update your applications
In anticipation of various macOS Catalina issues, some developers have already optimized their programs for the new OS. Go to the developer’s site and download the latest available version.
Yes, I’ve already told you about CleanMyMac, but it appears to have just the right tool to handle macOS updates. It automatically updates every single app on your Mac. Though it may take some time, it’s a smart way to debug your macOS Catalina apps.
Once you get CleanMyMac X, click the Updater tab in the sidebar.
Click Select All above the app list.
Now, click Update.
4. macOS Catalina is running slow
Quite expectedly, some of the most reported issues on macOS Catalina are speed-related. Some background processes are hogging the CPU, most notably, the fileproviderd process. Thing is, macOS 10.15 Catalina heavily exchanges data with web-related processes, like cloud storages. There are countless rough edges to this process.
- Disable the fileproviderd process
Go to Launchpad > Activity monitor
- Disable browser extensions
Here you’ll need to figure out what process is eating up the most resources. Watch out for the processes named mds and fileproviderd. If they take up 80-100% of CPU, try closing them using the [X] button above.
Browser extensions may be the culprit of many macOS Catalina issues. Leave the bare minimum of browser extensions and see how your Mac reacts.
5. Problem with Apple ID settings
This happens when Catalina is prompting you to update your Apple ID details. You’ve entered your password but the pop-up keeps coming back after some time.
- Solution: Enable Keychain in iCloud settings
Go to System Preferences > Internet Accounts > iCloud
Log in into your account and check the list of services that use iCloud.
Tick Keychain and enter your credentials.
6. Sidecar problems on macOS Catalina
Sidecar is a feature that doubles your workspace as you can use an iPad as a second monitor. The common issue here is inability to connect your iPad to the computer. First off, make sure you have iPadOS installed on your iPad. Then, find your Mac in the list of Sidecar-supported models:
Launch App Via Url Mac Catalina 2017
- Late 2015 27″ iMac
- 2017 iMac Pro
- Mid 2016 MacBook Pro
- Late 2018 Mac mini
- Late 2018 MacBook Air
- Early 2016 MacBook
- 2019 Mac Pro
If your Mac is pre-2015, there’s still a workaround to enable Sidecar.
Open Terminal and paste in the following command:
defaults write com.apple.sidecar.display allowAllDevices -bool YES
Did it make the trick? Unfortunately, this combination is not guaranteed to work.
7. iCloud issues on macOS Catalina
Cannot download folders from iCloud
iCloud integration is one of those weak spots that produce tons of bugs. Fixes for such macOS Catalina problems are already on the way.
- Download each file individually
If you cannot download folders from iCloud, download each file individually. Unfortunately, this is the only available workaround at this point.
Did you know: Some part of your iCloud data is stored on both Google and Amazon data centers.
Cannot accept iCloud terms and conditions on Catalina
As of October 2019, this problem has too been widely reported. No matter how many times you’ve accepted the conditions, the legal disclaimer keeps coming up. It appears, that the problem occurs because you have more than just one device connected to iCloud.
- Go to System Preferences > Internet Accounts.
- Now, click the iCloud icon
You should see the Terms & Conditions pop-ups that is now in a pending state. Press Accept.
Repeat the procedure for all iCloud accounts and your devices you’ll see in the list.
8. Music Library freezing
The iTunes had been the centerpiece of music on macOS. With its removal things quickly went sideways. Since the arrival of the iTunes successor, Music app, many folks noticed their album artworks missing, Music Library freezing etc.
The typical case is your Mac says its “updating the Music Library”, spinning endlessly, without any progress. The issue is likely caused by obsolete Mojave caches and the remains your previous iTunes ecosystem.
- Empty your Music folder
And all music-related Library caches.
- Back up your music and move it out of Music folder
- Open ~/Library and delete any items titled “Music” or “iTunes”
- Repeat for ~/Library/Caches
- Restart your Mac and see if it worked
Don’t forget to put your music albums back where they had been before.
9. Wi-Fi issues on macOS Catalina
Wi-Fi not working after macOS Catalina update is pretty common. While your macOS is brand new, your Wi-Fi is still relying on some old protocols.
First, try to turn the Wi-Fi off and on again. If that doesn’t help you go to System Preferences > Network
Click on the dropdown menu that shows your Network.
Now, try choosing a different network — just to reset and shaken up the old settings
- Connect to your default network
- Check to “Automatically join this network”
Alternative fix with CleanMyMac X
To fix Wi-Fi problems on Catalina, we’ll use some of the tools from the free version of CleanMyMac X.
- Download the app and open the Privacy tab
- Find the Wi-Fi Networks option
Check all the networks in the list and click Remove.
This will make your Mac forget your old Wi-Fi stations and you’ll be able to reconnect again.
10. Bluetooth not available on macOS Catalina
If your Bluetooth is not working on macOS Catalina, there’s one easy trick you can do. You should try deleting your Bluetooth.plist files. Don’t worry, it will auto-create a new copy of itself.
- Click Finder > Go > Go to Folder…
- Type in:
Library/Preferences
Now, look for a file com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
3. Delete it and restart your Mac.
11. Safari Extensions stopped working
There is a certain kind of Safari extensions, namely, .safariextz files that have been excluded from support in macOS Catalina. They no longer can be installed on Extensions page and are now considered “Legacy.”
RES, Ublock, and Bitwarden are some of the notable extensions that Safari users will miss on Catalina. What’s happening is Apple gradually moving away from the accepted web extensions format (WebExtensions) to the iOS-compatible extensions.
- Accept this fact (or wait patiently)
If you are missing your favorite ad blockers or other extensions, the easiest is to switch to a different browser. There is also a possibility that the developers will overhaul their extensions to support Safari 13 but we all will have to wait until that happens.
Android Launch Url
12. Storage filling up for no reason
So you’ve upgraded to macOS Catalina only to discover that a big chunk of free space is missing. Some identified folder is eating up your storage but how can you find it? The issue could be related to Time Machine backups and clones of APFS snapshots stored in different locations.
- Slim down your Time Machine snapshots
You can perform this operation safely in CleanMyMac X.
Download the app (a link to free edition) and launch it.
In CleanMyMac X:
Click the Maintenance tab
Choose “Time Machine snapshots thinning
As a manual solution, paste in the following commands in Terminal:
tmutil listlocalsnapshots / tmutil listlocalsnapshots /System/Volumes/Data
Launch App Via Url Mac Catalina Bay
This lists the local snapshots created by your Time Machine. If you’re ready to delete those, type in this:
deletelocalsnapshots <snapshot_date> </snapshot_date>