Can't change desktop picture in System Preferences or iPhoto

For the last two days, I've been unable to change my desktop picture in System Preferences or iPhoto. When I select a picture (Apple's or one of my own) in the Desktop pane of System Preferences, it won't put the picture on my desktop. I tried the same thing in iPhoto with the same results. I installed Google Earth a few days ago; I thought it might be causing the problem so I erased it from my computer. Could it have left anything on my computer that would cause this problem? (sorry if the answer to this is obvious; I'm a newbie). I also just installed the latest version of Tiger; could this be the cause? Has anybody else had this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated...
iBook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

Never mind, I fixed the problem. I was reseting the Help Viewer and had to restart my computer. I was able to change the desktop pic after that.

Similar Messages

  • Changing desktop pictures locks system preferences

    Re MacBook Pro laptop (OS 10.7.5)
    Problem: Changing desktop pictures locks System Preferences
    If I try to open System Preferences, I get windows for the Change Desktop/Background and the whirling beach ball begins until I go to Activities Monitor to Force Quit System Preferences, which informs me that my "System Preferences is no longer responding."
    I have no trouble booting my Mac,
    checked my Disk Utility informing me that there are no errors,
    checked Permissions without errors,
    went to Users>"my name">Preferences>found the plist for com.apple.systempreferences, moved it to my desktop, tried the Apple System Preferences option with same result. Returned plist .  Hmm, just noticed that I have com.apple.systempreferences with one directly after Library ( i.e., not in any folder), and the other in the Library>Preferences folder. Could that be the foul up?  Perhaps one of these plists is misplaced.
    Any suggestions?

    First follow the instructions in this support article.
    If an iPhoto or Aperture library is the source of your desktop pictures, it may need to be rebuilt, or you may need to update the application to the latest version.
    Otherwise, continue as below.
    Back up all data.
    In the Finder, hold down the option key and select
              Go ▹ Library
    from the menu bar. From the Library folder, delete the following item, if it exists:
              Caches/com.apple.systempreferences
    and move the following items to the Desktop, if they exist:
              Application Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db
              Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist
    Launch System Preferences and test. If you still have the issue, put the items you moved to the Desktop back where they came from and post again. Otherwise, delete the items.

  • Can't change Desktop background in System Preferences

    Hi. When I try to change my desktop background, either by right-clicking on the desktop or by opening System Preferences, the screen for Desktop options is blank. None of the options show up, grayed out or otherwise. While in System Preferences, if I click on Screen Saver, everything there works fine. But the button for Desktop becomes grey and I can't click on it.
    I've tried Repair Permissions and this didn't work. I've seen similar posts here, but they don't seem to have the same problem I do, nothing freezes up, the Desktop screen is just blank. Do you have any ideas?
    Thanks!
      Mac OS X (10.4.6)  

    1. OK, let's try some more trashing: 1. Quit System Preferences if it is open.
    2. Open your Home > Library > Caches folder, then trash the following two files therein:
    - com.apple.preferencepanes.cache
    - com.apple.preferencepanes.searchindexcache
    3. Trash the file
    com.apple.systempreferences.plist
    in your Home > Library > Preferences folder.
    4. Trash the file
    com.apple.systempreferences.xxx.plist
    in your Home > Library > Preferences > ByHost folder, where xxx is an alphanumeric string.
    5. Empty Trash.
    6. Launch System Preferences and see if the problem is resolved.2. You wrote"I still have my Desktop Pictures folder."I presume you mean the Macintosh HD > Library > Desktop Pictures folder I cited previously. How about the contents of that folder? It should contain five folders:• Abstract
    • Black & White
    • Nature
    • Plants
    • Solid Colorsand a collection of .jpg images for a total of 28 objects.
    3. I know you earlier said you ran Repair Permissions. I presume the permissions on Macintosh HD > Library > Desktop Pictures are:You can: Read & Write
    Owner: system
    Access: Read & Write
    Group: admin
    Access: Read & Write
    Others: Read OnlyYes?
    4. If none of the above sorts it out, let's see if it's isolated to your account. Do you have a second user account defined on your system? If so, log in to it and see if the problem happens there. If it does, it is probably a system-wide problem. If not, it is something with your user account. If you don't have a second account on your system, you can create a new one using System Preferences > Accounts. See "Mac OS X 10.4 Help: Adding a new user account to your computer."
    5. Immediately after the problem occurs — i.e. you open Desktop & Screen Saver preferences and either cannot select Desktop or Desktop is blank — check the ends of these Console logs for clues. Let's see if console can tell us if the Desktop preference pane is corrupted.
    6. Do you have any personal Web space? If so, can you take a screen shot of the problem and upload it to your personal Web space? If so, post a link back here to the image. It may help if I can see what you're seeing, though I think I understand it from your description, "a picture is worth..." etc.
    7. As a general check, run the procedure specified in my "Resolving Disk, Permission, and Cache Corruption" FAQ. Perform the steps therein in the order specified.
    8. To what was / is your Desktop image presently set? One of the Apple collections or images? Something from your iPhoto Library?
    FYI: I number my points so you can respond by number.
    Good luck!
    Dr. Smoke
    Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
    Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
    I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

  • Can't change Desktop Picture

    Hey.
    I'm having difficulties changing desktop pictures after I reinstalled OS X. Somehow it's stuck at the one I set before I reinstalled (using the archive & install option). I ran my periodics and repaired permissions, but it still won't work. What's wrong?
    Thanks.

    Fixedz0red for some reason.

  • Can't Find Change Desktop Background in System Preferences... and other ???

    I can't remember the last time I changed my desktop background, but it's been on the default plain blue. I tried to change it recently, and I cannot find the option to change background pictures in the System Preferences. I tried right-clicking on the desktop and used the context menu. That launched system preferences, kind of... the program opened, but the viewer did not... the actual window with all the options. I don't think my computer can find it either! I read a few discussions on this topic, and found to delete the plist from preferences folder.. tried that to no avail. Please help.

    Hi again agapean,
    Sorry to take so long to post back for you.
    I found a screenshot of the System Preferences for 10.2 Jaguar and I see that you have two separate preference panes for Desktop and Screen Effects. In my Panther, the two were combined as one pane known as Desktop and Screensavers.
    In the row below the toolbar of your System Preferences (It should be called Personal for that bar of preference "panes") there should be an icon for "Desktop".
    See: Jaguar System Preferences
    Is that not what you are seeing when you open System Prefences? If the Desktop pane is missing then it sounds as if it has somehow become deleted or corrupted.
    I use Application Enhancer, windowshade, uControl, and Lite switch. They are all properly registered, but the icons are weird at the bottom... almost squished together? And the International icon shows up 3 times in System Preferences, once in Personal and twice in Other, where the other programs are located as well.
    Third party hacks such as those can wreak havoc on the OS and things can become corrupted and cause a variety of system problems. It may very well be that that is what is causing the anomalies with your Desktop pictures/preferences.
    Personally, I would uninstall them, if possible, and Repair Permissions from Disk Utility and try applying the 10.2.8 Combo update from Apple's downloads.
    Back when I was using 10.2.8 I remember many problems users were having with system hacks like those back then. Perhaps others here may have a simpler approach to straightening out your situation.
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  • Can't change desktop pictures(error)

    When i try to change pictures on my decktop, error comes out.
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    Hello, sounds like maybe this...
    OS X: System Preferences stops responding after viewing Desktop & Screen Saver pane
    Products Affected
    OS X Lion, OS X Mountain Lion, iPhoto
    Symptoms
    System Preferences may stop responding if you select an iPhoto Event that is no longer available in iPhoto as the source for your desktop picture.
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 If System Preferences is running but not responding, choose Force Quit from the Apple menu, or right-click its icon on the Dock and choose "Force Quit".
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  • Can't change desktop picture on Mountain Lion.

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  • Desktop Pictures missing in preferences but not in Library...

    When I go to change my desktop picture in system preferences and I click on a folder (like "nature" or "abstract"), the pics in that category do not appear and the preview screen stays blank. I checked and the files are still under Library->Desktop Pictures and I can select them from there if a add a new folder to the system preferences desktop pics list. The problem is that this should not be happening... anyone have a fix?

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    Message was edited by: CodLBi

  • System Preferences quits suddenly. I have lost the dock, including the trash and ability to change desktop image. How can I replace this part of System Preferences? Where can I find Trash?

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