How to uninstall NetBeans on Mac
NetBeans stores runtime settings and installed modules in a user directory. If you have used the IDE, open NetBeans’ About dialog and read the User directory and Cache directory fields. Copy the actual User directory before cleanup; a custom --userdir can put it elsewhere. The current About panel source reads the runtime userdir rather than guessing from the app name. Save projects in their own folders. The official package examined here was only extracted from its Payload, so this test did not create a populated userdir.
The recorded test extracted only the official pkg Payload; the Homebrew installation route below is separate.
Remove the app
Quit Apache NetBeans. For an official pkg installation, move Apache NetBeans.app from Applications to Trash after quitting, then review the userdir separately. This does not establish what the installer registered outside the app. Do not delete a JDK, NetBeans project, or a whole Java tools folder simply because the IDE is gone.
Review local data
The path below is documented in the current Homebrew cask. In Finder, use Go › Go to Folder to inspect it. Do not remove its parent directory or another product’s data.
| Location | Decision |
|---|---|
~/Library/Application Support/NetBeans |
Current cask zap location and a folder removed in the Payload-only test. Inspect IDE settings before clearing it. |
The tested package uses bundle ID org.apache.netbeans. Review only files that actually appear on this Mac. A missing path needs no cleanup.
Vendor documentation · Additional vendor instructions
Check what remains
Run these read-only commands after quitting the app:
pgrep -il 'NetBeans'
ls -d "$HOME/Library/Application Support/NetBeans"
No process output means there is no matching process running now; it does not prove every helper is gone. A listed process needs its owner checked. If ls prints the path, that item remains and needs review. “No such file or directory” means this path is absent; a permission error means its state was not established.
If you installed it with Homebrew
The current netbeans cask has a zap list covering NetBeans Application Support and Caches folders. A direct brew command with --zap applies the cask list without consulting Mole’s checkboxes. After backing up, use this command without --zap:
brew uninstall --cask netbeans
Mole checks each zap path against your selections, other installed apps, and protected locations. An unchecked, shared, or unverifiable path suppresses --zap; selected remnants can still use Mole’s own removal flow. This cask was not the recorded installation channel.
What Mole lists
Mole lists Application Support/NetBeans as an app-name review row. It starts unchecked with Remove data and settings with apps off; turning it on can preselect eligible app-owned data, so back up your userdir and review the row. The exact bundle-ID preferences can be selected by default. A project, userdir at another location, or installed JDK is not inferred from the app icon. For a pkg installation, package receipts and postinstall effects require their own review.
What this test covered
On September 21, 2026, only the Apache NetBeans 30 pkg Payload was extracted. The app, Application Support/NetBeans and Caches/NetBeans were selected and removed. The installer did not run; the test says nothing about package scripts, receipts, a working IDE, ~/.netbeans, or a JDK.