Is it possible to damage app during installation?

[Grimbre]

This is likely dumb question, but I need to be sure.



Situation where you download the installer/downloaded file, extract app file from it, eject disk image form desktop, then put downloaded file into trash and it suddenly don't want to be deleted. I suspect system was still using it in some ways... though disk image had been ejected.



App itself seems to work, opens and does what it was meant to do. Just slight worry if there might be internal error causing security issues. Is this possible?



Or if App actually works, then it works 100%?



I've had it happen few times with different apps and was never sure if I should go and remove them and re-install, eve if they seemingly work.

Will Thunderbird get less secure? Will Malwarebytes not detect everything?



Thoughts like that. Just don't know how apps works - are they like one big bundle that either works or won't work at all and as long as they seem to work, they are 100% fine?

 

[honestone]

If you want to be 100% sure, you can first download and install (do not stop the installation!) the excellent freeware program AppCleaner from here:

https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/

Then, launch AppCleaner, drop the icon of the "questionable" application on AppCleaner, and all files associated with it will be found. Have them deleted, re-download the application, and let it run through its installation completely.

Also, it is wise to save the downloaded files someplace, in case you need to re-install it again.

 

[Grimbre]

If you want to be 100% sure, you can first download and install (do not stop the installation!) the excellent freeware program AppCleaner from here:

https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/

Then, launch AppCleaner, drop the icon of the "questionable" application on AppCleaner, and all files associated with it will be found. Have them deleted, re-download the application, and let it run through its installation completely.

Also, it is wise to save the downloaded files someplace, in case you need to re-install it again.

I had no idea this app existed! I'm gonna give this a try.

For future references, in Your opinion, app could get damaged in situation where you download dmg, mount it, then drag app file to Applications folder, eject the disk image/unmount it and then move dmg to trash and try to delete it from there, but it won't let you?

 

[honestone]

As long as you get the app from the company's/developer's site, it should be fine. (Note that is what I provided for AppCleaner, directly from their site). That is what I always do. Of course, one expects no issues with downloading anything from the Apple App Store.

Of course, before dragging it to the Applications folder, you could try and launch it, and see what happens. But, for me, as I stated, getting the application/update from trusted sources is always the best.