MacOS – Strange .userchain file on the Mojave desktop

keychainmacosmojave

  • Mac Pro (early 2009) 4,1 -> 5,1
  • macOS 10.14.2 via DosDude1

I have a strange hidden text file on my Desktop called .userchain. It's 48 bytes long and consists of 3 seemingly random alpha-numeric 10 character blocks, the second and third of which are preceeded by a \ character. Each block is separated by a tab character and there is a final solitary \ character at the end.

The file is being used by something because the modified date is yesterday afternoon, though I cannot remember what I was doing at the time!

Running file on the file path indicates that it was created on Sun Sep 2 02:02:05 2018. I can't remember what I was doing then, although if I had to guess, I would think that I would have been asleep.

Can I delete the file or at least move it somewhere else without causing my machine any harm?

Best Answer

The most likely cause of the hidden .userchain text file is the installation of SampleTank software, up to and including version 3 (the current version as of this writing).

I'm not clear on why this is created by the software, but if you're continuing to use the software then I would leave it be as it's basically taking up no space and doesn't cause any known problems in macOS.

However, if you no longer use the software, it's safe to remove. If in the future you launch it again, it'll just recreate the .userchain text file.

Likewise, if you've totally removed the software, it's also safe to remove.

Related Question