UJAM App: Managing Download Folders, Disk Space, and File Locations

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Anubhav Ukil | UJAM Support
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Summary: This article explains the UJAM App's file persistence logic, provides default file paths for macOS/Windows, and details advanced troubleshooting for "undeletable" folders.

1. Why the Download Folder Reappears (The "Self-Healing" Logic)

The UJAM App uses a "State Persistence" model. It verifies specific directory structures on launch to prevent errors during updates. If the configured download folder is missing, the App's initialization logic immediately recreates it to ensure a valid staging area exists.

To permanently remove a folder:

You cannot simply delete the folder. You must first update the App's internal reference to a new location:

  1. Open the UJAM App > Settings (⚙️).
  2. Change the "Download Location" to your desired path (e.g., an external drive).
  3. Once the setting is saved, you can delete the old folder.

2. Default File Locations

If you need to manually locate files or if settings reset, the App defaults to these paths.

macOS:

  • App Binary: /Applications/UJAM.app
  • User Config/Cache: ~/Library/Application Support/ujamapp/
  • Content Files (.blob): /Library/Application Support/UJAM/
  • Helper Tools: /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

Windows:

  • Content/Data: %ProgramData%\UJAM\
  • User Config: %APPDATA%\UJAM\
    (Note: ProgramData is a hidden system folder by default.)

3. Managing Disk Space: "Uninstall" vs. "Delete Installers"

It is critical to distinguish between these two operations to avoid accidental data loss.

  • Uninstalling (The "Three-Dot" Menu):
  • What it does: Removes the license, the plugin binary (VST/AU), and the content library.
  • Result: The instrument is completely wiped from the system.
  • Deleting Installers (Settings Menu):
  • What it does: Removes only the .pkg, .exe, and .bin staging files used during installation.
  • Result: The instrument remains playable, but you reclaim the space used by the setup files.


 

How to Automate Cleanup:

To prevent disk bloat (especially with large bundles like the "Usynth Collection"), enable "Delete installation files after installation" in the App Settings.


 

4. Advanced Troubleshooting

Scenario A: "File in Use" / The "Phantom Process"

If you cannot delete a folder or files are not being cleaned up, a background process typically holds the lock.

  1. Check for "Phantom" DAWs: Even if your DAW (Logic, Cubase, etc.) is closed, its audio engine or scanning tool (e.g., vstscanner, auvaltool) may be stuck in the background. Check Activity Monitor (macOS) or Task Manager (Windows) and terminate them.
  2. Disable Silent Install:
  • Go to Settings.
  • Turn OFF "Silent Plugin Installation".
  • Restart the UJAM App. (This disconnects the App from the elevated background service that locks folders).

Scenario B: The "Zombie" Permissions (macOS)

If a folder reappears or cannot be deleted even after uninstalling the App, the com.ujam.installservice daemon may still be active with root privileges.

Fix via Terminal:

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Check for the service: launchctl list | grep ujam
  3. Unload the service: sudo launchctl remove com.ujam.installservice
  4. Remove the plist: sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.ujam.installservice.plist
  5. Restart your computer to flush the kernel file lock.

Scenario C: External Drive Failures

If downloads silently fail or hang at 0% on an external drive:

  • Cause: The drive is likely formatted as exFAT.
  • Reason: exFAT struggles with the high-frequency file locking used by the download manager and does not support POSIX ownership required by macOS.
  • Solution: Reformat the drive to APFS (macOS) or NTFS (Windows), or use the internal drive for downloads and move only the content library to the external drive later.

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