Cannot quit system preferences

Odd situation. My son's MacBook, running SnowLeopard, suddenly can't shut down System preferences. When we try to quit... we notice the 'Quit System Preferences" is grayed out; we can't 'x' out, or even minimize the window. when we click on the red 'x' option, we get the ker-klunk error sound. The computer can't even shut down, due to the system preference still running. We can't even do the control/alt/escape either. We try to apple Q to quit... nothing. THis is the FIRST time this has happened. Any idea of how to solve this?
Thanks!

HI,
Open Activity Monitor (Applications/Utilities)
Click the pop up menu on the right and select: All Processess
Select System Preferences then click the red Quit Process button, click Force Quit.
You should be able to shut down the Mac now.
Carolyn

Similar Messages

I can't quit system preferences ??

I cant quit sysyem preferences... when I try to close shut down or restart my macbook it says I have to quit system preferences but I cant quit system preferences??

Try presing Option+Command and the tapping Esc - that should bring up a 'Force Qiut Applications' dialog. Select System Preferences in that dialog and click Force Quit. That should close it down and give you back contral of your system.

Macbook a1181 cannot access System Preference or any apps such as Safari, iPhoto, etc. How can I fix this?

Hi, I recently purchased a used MacBook a1181 and cannot access anything. I am new to Apple computers/laptops so I don't know if there is a simple solution or if it's maybe a HD problem? I tried to go into System Preferences and nothing happens. The dock (?) at the bottom also has a bunch of question marks. When I scroll over the question marks, I can see apps like Safari, iPhoto, etc. but I cannot open anything. I also tried to go to About this Mac and can't get anywhere either. Any ideas what could be wrong?

" The dock (?) at the bottom also has a bunch of question marks"
So usually that means that the applications are missing. It's like in a PC where the "Short Cut" link is broken.
"When I scroll over the question marks, I can see apps like Safari, iPhoto, etc. but I cannot open anything."
So just like when shortcuts are broken and for the same reason: applications are moved, renamed etc.
and with this:
"I also tried to go to About this Mac and can't get anywhere either. "
Probably a bad install.
"When I tried to re-install the OS, the disc would spin and then eject. I tried several different installation CDs and even an external DVD player and each time the CD ejected out without installing. "
What disks are you using? The originals would be Tiger and gray, 10.4.8 (Not the retail installer which would be 10.4.0.), Leopard, Snow Leopard. So 10.4.8 to 10.6.8 compatible.

Itunes artwork screensavor force quits system preferences, but works

One time I put the itunes artowkr screesavor at liek 3 picutres wide, and 2 pictures tall, and suddenly system preferences quits on its own when I click on it, but on the screensavor, it shows just fine.
What can I do to fix this error?

This issue is often caused by a plist file which is corrupt or contains an invalid setting. To fix this issue, create a new folder on the desktop and then choose Go to Folder from the Finder's Go menu. Enter ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/ as the folder's path and drag everything with a name containing com.apple.screensaver to the folder on the desktop. If the issue persists, return to the ByHost folder, press the Command and Up keys simultaneously, and then move the file named com.apple.desktop.plist to the folder you created earlier. If everything works properly with both files in the folder you created, it is safe to throw it away.
(20327)

Cannot open system preferences on G4 running 10.10, console shows multiple icloud errors

Updated to 10.10 a week ago. Grateful for any help. Cannot access or change system preferences and mac is also unstable. Can you help identify problem and fix for it?
After multiple disk utilities permissions verifications and repairs, removal of com.apple.systempreferences.plist (I still have it) ran the console while trying to open System Preferences and got following messages (hope this is not too much)
11/28/14 5:13:23.458 PM com.apple.InputMethodKit.UserDictionary[314]: CoreData: iCloud: Error: failed to receive initial sync notification call back in 90 seconds
11/28/14 5:13:38.214 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't create url from dataclass properties (null)
11/28/14 5:13:38.214 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't pull url from backing account <CKDBackingOSXAccount: 0x7ffb99d359d0> or context <CKDClientContext: 0x7ffb9b0579c0; applicationBundleID=com.apple.Safari containerID=<CKContainerID: 0x7ffb9b04bfa0; containerIdentifier=com.apple.SafariShared.WBSCloudHistoryStore, containerEnvironment="Production">>
11/28/14 5:13:38.215 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't determine base URL for server type 2 partition type 1 off account info provider <CKDAccount 0x7ffb9b05b980> ("[email protected]" Account ID: 31C8845D-1256-4EBA-A654-963394862CAB)
11/28/14 5:13:38.215 PM cloudd[219]: <CKDTokenRegistrationURLRequest: 0x7ffb9b057db0> Request does not have a URL. Failing.
11/28/14 5:13:38.215 PM cloudd[219]: <CKDGetRecordZonesURLRequest: 0x7ffb99c62520> Failed to get push token, soldiering on.
11/28/14 5:13:38.216 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't create url from dataclass properties (null)
11/28/14 5:13:38.216 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't pull url from backing account <CKDBackingOSXAccount: 0x7ffb99d359d0> or context <CKDClientContext: 0x7ffb9b0579c0; applicationBundleID=com.apple.Safari containerID=<CKContainerID: 0x7ffb9b04bfa0; containerIdentifier=com.apple.SafariShared.WBSCloudHistoryStore, containerEnvironment="Production">>
11/28/14 5:13:38.216 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't determine base URL for server type 0 partition type 1 off account info provider <CKDAccount 0x7ffb9b05b980> ("[email protected]" Account ID: 31C8845D-1256-4EBA-A654-963394862CAB)
11/28/14 5:13:38.217 PM cloudd[219]: <CKDGetRecordZonesURLRequest: 0x7ffb99c62520> Request does not have a URL. Failing.
11/28/14 5:13:38.238 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't create url from dataclass properties (null)
11/28/14 5:13:38.239 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't pull url from backing account <CKDBackingOSXAccount: 0x7ffb99d359d0> or context <CKDClientContext: 0x7ffb9b0579c0; applicationBundleID=com.apple.Safari containerID=<CKContainerID: 0x7ffb9b04bfa0; containerIdentifier=com.apple.SafariShared.WBSCloudHistoryStore, containerEnvironment="Production">>
11/28/14 5:13:38.239 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't determine base URL for server type 2 partition type 1 off account info provider <CKDAccount 0x7ffb9b05b980> ("[email protected]" Account ID: 31C8845D-1256-4EBA-A654-963394862CAB)
11/28/14 5:13:38.240 PM cloudd[219]: <CKDTokenRegistrationURLRequest: 0x7ffb99d45c40> Request does not have a URL. Failing.
11/28/14 5:13:38.240 PM cloudd[219]: <CKDGetRecordZonesURLRequest: 0x7ffb9b26afa0> Failed to get push token, soldiering on.
11/28/14 5:13:38.240 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't create url from dataclass properties (null)
11/28/14 5:13:38.240 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't pull url from backing account <CKDBackingOSXAccount: 0x7ffb99d359d0> or context <CKDClientContext: 0x7ffb9b0579c0; applicationBundleID=com.apple.Safari containerID=<CKContainerID: 0x7ffb9b04bfa0; containerIdentifier=com.apple.SafariShared.WBSCloudHistoryStore, containerEnvironment="Production">>
11/28/14 5:13:38.240 PM cloudd[219]: Couldn't determine base URL for server type 0 partition type 1 off account info provider <CKDAccount 0x7ffb9b05b980> ("[email protected]" Account ID: 31C8845D-1256-4EBA-A654-963394862CAB)
11/28/14 5:13:38.240 PM cloudd[219]: <CKDGetRecordZonesURLRequest: 0x7ffb9b26afa0> Request does not have a URL. Failing.
11/28/14 5:13:41.605 PM CoreServicesUIAgent[298]: unexpected message <OS_xpc_error: <error: 0x7fff7824ec60> { count = 1, contents =
"XPCErrorDescription" => <string: 0x7fff7824ef70> { length = 18, contents = "Connection invalid" }
}>
11/28/14 5:14:08.161 PM mds[32]: (Volume.Normal:166) vsd:0x7fe62e837000 DisabledStore recycle:6 context:{
DisabledRecycleCount = 6;
11/28/14 5:14:08.200 PM mds[32]: (Volume.Error:577) vsd:0x7fe62e8e0400 Open failed. failureCount:6 {
DisabledRecycleCount = 6;

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Startup Disk Quits System Preferences??

I have just installed Jaguar and updated to 10.2.8 on a recently acquired machine. Everything else seems to work well, including other System Preferences but, when I click Startup Disk, it starts to load and then I get a message that "The application System Preferences has unexpectedly quit."
Is there some way to fix this other than reinstalling the system? I have run First Aid and Repair Permissions - First Aid says OK??

Hi Gene:
I was having a similar problem, except it was the System Preferences on an iMac running 10.3.9: check it out here for a summary of the troubleshooting I went through.
I think it's a logic board issue, but I've been wrong before.
Good luck!
Andrew

Force quit systems preferences dialog box

Please help. Yesterday a "friend" tried to set up a wireless connection to a printer from my laptop. Since he does not know Macs, I asked him to stop his tinkering which he did. Now, a dialog box comes up that says: "Another application has changed your network settings" Upon cliking the OK button, the box remains - it does not close until I force quit. This prevents me from even getting into the system preferences to check what has been changed. How can I circumvent this dialog box? All else seems to be working fine; I can still connect to the internet using wireless.
Thanks for any advice you can give.

This is a common bug after the Oct 2008 security update. It appears you can try several things, as mentioned in Macintouch Reader Reports Oct 27 and later:
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/security/topic4307.html
and go to Oct 27, 2008 and read several subsequent entries.
To recap:
-Try the latest security update.
-You might be able to dismiss the dialog by clicking at exactly the right moment.
-Or, upon a restart, go to system prefs/security and check, "Require password to unlock each secure system preference"
-you can delete several network and location preference files, but then you have to recreate them all manually.
and there are more suggestions that I haven't tried. I deleted preferences and had to manually reenter location data, which was a hassle.

Cannot "LOCK" System Preferences any longer???

OK, this just started, I can no long lock any of the system perf's. When I press the lock the window flashes (say's 'De-authenticating' ) very fast and returns to the unlocked state. Logging in as 'Root' or 'Admin' makes no difference. Everything seems to work fine I just cannot lock anything.... any suggestions???

..."Logging in as 'Root' or 'Admin' makes no difference."...
If you happened to have run "repair permissions" on your 10.5 drive while booted into 10.4 (or while using eg. "DiskWarrior"), that would have resulted in changes to permissions that are incompatible with 10.5. One of the consequences is that some user processes may end up running as "root", which might account for there being no difference between logging in as "root" and "admin". The "root" account is meant to be authorized to make most changes through "System Preferences" without being required to authenticate, so it may not be possible to close the "Lock" when "System Preferences" is running as "root".
If the above describes your situation, unfortunately, the tools currently provided with 10.5 will not fix this problem automatically -- specifically, "repair permissions" in 10.5 doesn't repair the permissions that are causing the problem. If you are an experienced user, you can fix the permissions manually (using the output from a "verify permissions" run conducted while booted in 10.5 as a guide to determine what changes are required).
For most users, an "archive and install" may be the easiest solution. It should be acceptable to preserve user and network settings.
This issue could potentially pose a serious security issue. I think Apple needs to fix this quickly, and at the very least, post a support article describing the specific symptoms and warning of the dangers.

Cannot open System Preferences after update to Snow Leopard

Hi, everybody,
Just updated to Snow Leopard and everything seemed to go smoothly, but when I tried to open System Prefences, I get the message, "You can't use this version of the application System Preferences with this version of Mac OS X. (You have System Preferences 5.0)"
After upgrading to SL, I did download and install all the software updates.
Ideas? Thanks,

HI,
Go to
~/Library/Preferences and move this file to the Trash.
~ meaning your Home Folder.
com.apple.systempreferences.plist
Restart your Mac.
Carolyn

Cannot open Systems preferences as the time is set to 1980

Macbook Pro OS X 10.9.5
Can I reset the clock without using System Preferences (which won't open in any case.
On re-booting warning message comes up saying dates before 1990 can upset various systems.

See if SMC and NVRAM resets help:
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063
Ciao.

I cannot open System Preferences on my Mac.

Every time I select the icon, the dot appears beneath it, but then it "unexpectedly closes". In addition, whenever I shut down my computer, it resets all of the user preferences I had prior to shutting it down, for instance, wallpaper, dock layout, default browser, etc etc.

on your main finder screen
-press option + command key while clicking on the GO (on top)
-by pressing the two keys you will see the hidden icon for library
-click on library
-click on preferences
-locate the file com.apple.systempreferences.plist
-move the file outside of the folder or erase it(i would advise against it until your problem is fixed)
-close everything
-restart your system
-- it should fix everything, thus you can delete that file you dragged out..

How do i quit system preferences when its frozen

i tried to download icloud now it wont let me quit the application

You will need to re-install OS X using your Snow Leopard DVDs and then can restore your data from your backup. If you do not feel comfortable doing this plan on a trip to your local Apple Store or AASP and they can assist you.

My laptop died last night and the date and time was set for 1/1/2000. I went to change the date and time and cannot. For some reason when i pull up system preferences it will not load date and time but will load other stuff. Please help.

Last night my laptop died and the time and date was reset. I cannot acess date and time preferences to change it and my laptop is acting really weird. My CD drive is broken so there are no options to put in a cd. Please someone help i need my laptop for school and cannot afford another.

Many system actions will misbehave, given an inaccurate date. Resetting the NVRAM and / or SMC will not fix it, and if the system has a preposterous date you may not be able to open System Preferences to correct it. This dilemma may or may not be addressed in a future OS X update.
If you cannot open System Preferences you can reset your system date and time using Terminal.
Please read everything that follows before proceeding. Write them down if necessary because the effects of setting a preposterous system date are unpredictable.
Quit System Preferences, force quit if necessary: OS X: How to quit an unresponsive application using Force Quit
Open Terminal - it is in your Utilities folder and looks like this
You can find Terminal by using the Finder's Go menu and choosing Utilities, then double-click the Terminal icon.
At the prompt, you will be typing a command resembling the following:
sudo date mmddhhnnyyyy
... but you must substitute the actual date and time in the command that corresponds to the date format used for your location. In other words if your custom is to use a date like 8 February 2014 then reverse the mm and dd values.
Substitute numerals in the above command according to the following:
mm = month
dd = date
hh = hour (24 hour format)
nn = minutes past the hour
yyyy = year
Each of those values must be two digits except for the year which can be two or four digits. As an example if the current date and time is February 8, 2014 at 9 PM your command will be the following:
sudo date 020821002014
or
sudo date 0208210014
Either one will work. If you enter nonsensical values the system will attempt to parse the entry correctly.
To recover from your inability to use System Preferences to set the date and time, the value entered does not have to be precise, it just has to be approximate.
Enter that command using the actual time and date for your location and in the appropriate format, then press the Return key. Terminal will ask for your Admin Password - the same one you use when you log in to your Mac. Type it and then press the Return key. What you type will not appear, not even with •••• characters.
To determine if your change was effective just type the date command and press the Return key. Terminal will reply with the date and time. If it appears correct and in the correct format, you should be able to open System Preferences > Date & Time once again. Selecting the "Set time and date automatically" and choosing an appropriate time server will adjust your Mac's system clock to the precise time.

TS3988 I am using mountain lion. iCloud works fine with my iMac iPads and iPhone with one annoying exception. I cannot use the systems preferences on my iMac because I cannot log in. When entering my apple id and password I get a window saying "You can

I cannot log into systems preferences for icloud on my imac. icloud works on all devices including the imac, but I get the window "You can't sign in at this time" when using system preferences on the imac. I am using mountain lion, but it didn't work on lion either. Help

You may wish to try the following:
1. Sign out of your account
(If you are unable to do this because System Preferences has frozen, Force Quit System Preferences and try again)
2. When prompted, opt to delete, contacts, calendars etc from your Mac.
(You are only deleting this data from your Mac, not from iCloud, the data will be reinstated when you log back in. If you need to check that the data is in iCloud before deleting it go to iCloud.com and check each section for data)
3. Having logged out, check that the iCloud accounts along with their data have disappeared from the Mail, Address Book and iCal Applications.
(If necessary, delete the iCloud accounts from each of these application separately from each Applications Preferences)
4. At this point it may be worth trying to log into iCloud from the System Preferences iCloud settings again, if this works, all well and good, if it doesn't continue to step 5.
5. Open your User Library folder in the Finder. (When in the Finder, go to the Go menu, hold down the option key (alt) and choose Library when it appears in the Go menu)
6. Navigate to Library > Application Support > iCloud and drag the iCloud folder to your desktop. (This action only copies the folder and will provide you with a back up)
7. Select the iCloud folder again in Library > Application Support and drag it to the trash, enter your administrators password when prompted.
8. Restart your computer.
9. You should now be able to enter your ID and Password in system Preferences > iCloud and log into your account. Check the services you wish to use and once you are satisfied it's working as it should, trashh the iCloud folder you copied to your desktop earlier.

System preferences automatic 'quit' and re-open'.

I cannot get System preferences to quit and reopen to allow for 32-bit compatability mode to work.

Mackinstyle wrote:
Somehow the .plist for the auto backup had its' permissions changed. No idea how, since I haven't fooled with it or with any Time Machine third party apps.
For future reference, you probably didn't need to do a restore. A "full reset" of Time Machine probably would have done it. See #A4 in the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum.
Either way, Repair Permissions noticed a problem and fixed it. My problem is resolved. Thanks so much!
For bonus points:
When I did a restore, to my pleasure, I surprisingly found that it had included all my configs and even my wallpaper. I thought it only backed up data.
No, Time Machine backs-up your entire system: OSX, apps, configuration, users, preferences, etc. (unless you exclude things).
If I exclude the Library folders, will all these settings not be backed up
Correct. In most cases, it's a bad idea to exclude much of anything. See #11 in the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum.

Cannot quit system preferences

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