Desktop changes arbitrarily

Sometimes my iMac Intel Core 2 Duo with Mac OS 10.6.8 starts with an arbitrarily changed desktop. Though I have my personal order, all the icons come in alphabetical order on the right site of the desktop, which causes frustration and time to reorder everything.
PRAM-cleaning didn't help.
Combined with this or independently (?) my Wacom tablet is ignored: "No bluetooth mouse detected". Disconnecting and reconnecting solves this problem.
Independently of these two problems, sometimes the Mac shows a kernel panic window (Black, "restart!"). Some months ago this happened regularly. At Gravis they supposed/found a harddisk problem and changed the harddisk to WD 1TB WDC WD10EALS-00Z8A0.
Who knows something about these problems and can help?

Alas, this didn't work. I made a copy of the com.apple.desktop.plist and saved a copy onto my desktop. I logged off then back on and Aurora was still there. Great. However, when I restarted my mini it changed to water upon.
Anyother ideas - thanks.

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My desktop changed the file names

My desktop changed the name of the files that were in. Ex: the name of the disk that I use for time machine was "TIME MACHINE".
Now it appears as "to8jmt". Also other files had the name changed
This isn´t the first time it happens.
Does anyone have a clue
Many thanks

Someone has been playing with the computer while you were away from it.

[Suggestion]: I've got a suggestion on the multi desktop changing screen...

Hi,
I've got two suggestions on the Multi-Desktop Changing's Screen (WinKey + TAB):
- It would nice if you guys could add shortcuts keys to access the diferents desktop created by the user;
- It would be awsome if we could change apps from desktop by draging the app's miniature to the new wanted desktop.
Gracefully,
Filipe Certal

Please send feedback to MS directly : http://www.howtogeek.com/197604/how-to-send-feedback-to-microsoft-in-the-windows-10-technical-preview/
Arnav Sharma | http://arnavsharma.net/ Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading
the thread.

Wallpaper of additional desktops change after reboot

This is the first time I have encountered this issue and I can't seem to find any solutions online. The problem is that every time i relog or reboot my macbook pro the additional desktops change their wallpaper. The main desktop's wallpaper is unchanged though.
Thankful for advice.

Actually, it worked for me but another wallpaper appeared this very morning.
It's not that the wallpaper changed, but I discovered that actually, my left screen has been "duplicated" on the right screen, hiding my setup on the following screenspace.
(does my explanation make any sense?)
Here is a screenshot to explain a bit better what I mean:
So I just have to delete the duplicate to find my setup back, but it's still not a viable solution.
Also, I looked for the files I deleted to see, here is what I found:
I hope we can find a good solution, thank you for your help guys.

Mouse problem and desktop changes

When left clicking my mac mouse (wired) my desktop changes to widgetwindow and vice versa. This problem suddenly started by itself.
Pointing and clicking as should be no longer possible.
My trackpad works fine though.
Anyone can help me out on this?

Hello SNUTS,
Your mouse settings may have been inadvertently changed. Take a look at the article "Troubleshooting Mighty Mouse and determining expected behavior" for some tips about the features of the Mighty Mouse. I have attached a picture of what the default setting typically are:
This Preference Pane is found under  > System Preferences... > Mouse
Hope tha helps,
Griff W.

Desktop changes on its own?

I am having an odd problem with my desktop changing images on its own. I go into System Preferences and select an image from iPhoto and the desktop changes to that for a bit and then the next thing I look again, it has changed back to the nebulla/cosmos shot. I change it to some other factory setting image like a nature shot or leaves from the plant folder and after a few minutes, I have the nebulla back again.
Either my machine is telling me it secretly has a desire for me to send it to the moon, or I have a ghost in my machine.
Please, any ideas?

I'm not sure by what you mean by AD.
that means you are not bound to one so don't worry about that. I just wanted to make sure that your computer is not centrally managed in some way. right now I don't know what could be doing this. try clearing all caches with YASU
http://jimmitchelldesign.com/yasu/

How to unlock windows desktop change w/ Resource Hacker?

Is it possible? to unblock windows desktop change w/ Resource hacker?

Resource Hacker is not a Microsoft product and is not supported in these forums.
For assistance with your question contact the publisher of the software @
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread. ”

Dual Screen Desktop Change Timing Error

Hi,
First a short background to my question:
I have a MacPro with 2 x 30 inch cinema displays on which I want to change the desktop images at certain intervals: every 5 seconds, every minute, every five minutes etc. I want to enjoy the full benifits and visual beauty of having a large image split over two screens, See example here:
http://badtastic.com/temp/screens2.png
The images are of course split into 2 versions, a left & right version that are stored in correspondingly named "left" and "right" folders from which the right and left screen preferences access the images. Note the images are also named so that they left and right image are in the same order irrespective of folder.
For some unknown reason the internal timers for each desktop change / interval are no longer in sync which results in something looking like this:
http://badtastic.com/temp/screens.png
And now the question:
How does one reset or sync the timers in the desktop preferences so that the changing desktops sync up nicely again. Is there a script...a simple terminal command or trick?
Any help or input is highly appreciated.
Kind Regards / Badtastic
Message was edited by: Badtastic

some update last few weeks has broken xgamma (or x?) here too.
In my case xf86-video-ati 6.12.99.git20091014-1 and xfwm4. I used to disable my notebook monitor with
xrandr --output LVDS --off
and then correct the gamma of my external monitor using:
xgamma -rgamma 0.95 -ggamma 0.99 -bgamma 1.18
Now if I issue the xgamma command before the xrandr command I get this output
[user1@dell-notebook ~]$ xgamma -rgamma 0.95 -ggamma 0.99 -bgamma 1.18
-> Red 1.000, Green 1.000, Blue 1.000
<- Red 0.950, Green 0.990, Blue 1.180
But nothing visually changes. If I issue xgamma *after* xrandr x even crashes, but not always. in Xorg.0.log
Backtrace:
0: /usr/bin/X (xorg_backtrace+0x28) [0x45b808]
1: /usr/bin/X (0x400000+0x62939) [0x462939]
2: /lib/libpthread.so.0 (0x7fb99ddb8000+0xee80) [0x7fb99ddc6e80]
3: /usr/bin/X (0x400000+0x13ea49) [0x53ea49]
4: /usr/bin/X (VidModeSetGamma+0x6b) [0x534deb]
5: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libextmod.so (0x7fb99bf4d000+0x9431) [0x7fb99bf56431]
6: /usr/bin/X (0x400000+0x46684) [0x446684]
7: /usr/bin/X (0x400000+0x2205c) [0x42205c]
8: /lib/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xfd) [0x7fb99d064b6d]
9: /usr/bin/X (0x400000+0x21c09) [0x421c09]
Segmentation fault at address 0x1b8
Last edited by rwd (2009-12-01 22:14:44)

Desktop Image Arbitrarily Changes Upon Reboot From Aurora to Water

I leave my MacMini on 24/7 and tend to restart only after installing updates or new apps. This past week I must have restarted about 3 times and each time the desktop background image has changed to 'Water' even though it was previously set to 'Aurora'. I change it back and then it's fine, until the next restart.
I'm at a loss as to what may be causing this. However, I tend to use Back to my Mac a lot (to control my mini desktop through screen sharing on my MBP) and it seems a strange coincidence that my Mini's desktop defaults to the Water background, which just so happens to be the desktop image on my MBP. Weird huh?
Has anyone else experienced this?

Alas, this didn't work. I made a copy of the com.apple.desktop.plist and saved a copy onto my desktop. I logged off then back on and Aurora was still there. Great. However, when I restarted my mini it changed to water upon.
Anyother ideas - thanks.

Desktop "Change Picture" grayed out

Before installing Tiger I was able to select "Change Picture" in System Preferences Desktop. Now that feature is grayed out, and a single picture is continuously display on the desktop. Any idea how to fix this?

carpet1,
You said:The file does contain an instruction in the default folder "Change..Never." When I tried to change this to 0 and save, finder could no longer find the file. I'm lost!I too am lost. My previous instructions did not specify any file alterations. I do not know, nor did I specify that you should make any changes to the com.apple.desktop.plist file. The fact that the file was altered without a plist editor probably disrupted normal behavior.
If I open my com.apple.desktop.plist file with TextWrangler, I do see the following string...(YPlacementVChangeVRandomPlacementKeyTag_ChooseFolderPathCollectionStringZ ChangePathZChangeTime^ImageFileAlias]TimerPopUpTag]ImageFilePathZFillScreenUNev er), but I do not know how to change specific phrases in this plist to alter desktop behavior.
Whenever a plist file is removed from preferences folder a new one will be regenerated to replace the old one after a log out/in or restart. That means you will have an old com.apple.desktop.plist file on your Desktop and a new com.apple.desktop.plist in your ~Library/Preferences Folder. You should be able to discard the old plist and allow the new one to resume normal default functions. Plist files should not normally be edited unless you know specifically with certainty what effect your changes will produce.
Repeat the plist removal procedure if necessary, but do not make any changes to the replacement file. Permission repair may be considered without penalty.
;~)

After upgrade - desktop changed, files, icons, etc. disappeared

I just updated to 10.4.7 from 10.3.9 and after a restart, my desktop is totally changed. Program alias icons, files, folders, background, etc. - everything - is gone. I now have the default blue screen with standard LARGE program icons in the huge dock at the bottom of the screen. What happened? Where is my stuff? Help!
Thanks
Colleen

Open two Finder windows and arrange them so that both the Users folder and the folder containing your data are visible. In the Users folder, rename the folder which currently has the house icon to temp, and then drag the folder with your user name into Users. Log out and back in.
(16360)

Help help.... what part of the OS writes the dock and desktop changes to memory in the .plst files associated?

I've tried rewplacing .plst files, reinstalling the 10.5 and running 10.5.8 combo updates, gone line by line thru user prefs comparing to my working laptop using the same software, but nothing works. What I have noticed is that on my working OS10.5.8 on my MacBookPro the Dock.plst file gets updated everytime I restart. Something is broken in the ability for my MACPRO tower to write to the .plst and .db files associated with screen settings such as what folders are left open at closedown and any changes to the dock. I completly reinstalled 10.5.4 OS from the cd saving my user info because I have a lot of music software on here that I seem to be losing through all this, but the reinstall did not fix this problem. It just took a long time to get everything back to 10.5.8. The .plst files are in there from last month or last week and the just don't update. I replaced them in a test from my working laptop and they make everything look llke the laptop dock but then when I change them they don't save. Where is the app that saves these changes to the dock and desktop? If I knew I could see if that script/app etc would look like my laptop. Line by line I've tried to compare in all system and library folders, cashes preferences, but I can't seem to find it. Anyone here deep enough into this software to help me. I would be so very grateful... very... P.S.the dock reverts to an old setting and the screen looks like it did when I shut down about 3 weeks ago. Nothing I do is saved on these parts of the mac. I've redone permissions etc...
steve

no change....
I even went to the other user name I just set up where things work and put all the dock system etc and desktop .db & .plst files into the main user name where I'm having the problems and it opens upon restart looking like the other users settings, but when I make a change in views or dock or windows open on desktop they do not get saved when I restart. It's frozen as the one I put in there. I need to know what part op the OS writes to these .plst and .db settings so I can replace it or parts it needs to do this. It might be another part of the user Preferences as it only happens in my older user name. But that name has so many plug ins and apps tied to it, it would be insane to try to change all that...... maybe I can drag my older preference folder to a new user and see what happens.....

Desktop change when remote controlled

I'm not sure if this is supposed to happen but when I remote control a
workstation after the workstation has passed the client login screen
(either by logging into the network or by logging into the workstation
only) the desktop wallpaper of the workstation is changed to the default
desktop colour.
If I remote in while the workstation is still sitting at the login screen
I can log it in but the desktop doesn't change then.
Does anyone know how to stop this?
Thanks.

Thanks Timothy, that's exactly what I was looking for.
> If you are trying to not change the wallpaper when you initially RC try
> Disabling the "Suppress wallpaper" setting on the admin PC.
>
> Once remote control or remote view has been established on a
> workstation, right click on the upper left icon in the navigation
> window. Go into configure, this brings up the control parameters
> window. If the check box is disabled, (unchecked) to suppress the
> wallpaper, and enable the check box to save settings on exit.
>
> --
> Timothy Leerhoff
> Novell Support Forum Volunteer Sysop
>
> "A bicycle cannot stand alone because it is two tired."

My complete desktop changed over the weekend. I cannot get back my background or the tabs I had. I don't have the expertice to get back what I had.

The background now is a grey/black HP background. all of my info is gone. I tried to go
back to a p rev. session but that did not work either. I worked on it and got back my
desktop background but when I turned on the computer this am it was all back to the black/grey
background and info is gone again. I cannot get to the Firefox back where I can log on and
get to Yahoo page.

A possible cause is security software (firewall,anti-virus) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Server+not+found
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firewalls
See also:
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Error_loading_websites
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser_will_not_start_up

Random Desktop changes

When reawakening, the Lion OS will sometimes change to another Expose Desktop without cause. Usually, the current Desktop slides left, exposing the Desktop to the immediate right. Seems like a bug. It's rather annoying, because if you are working on something then turn away for a few minutes, you shouldn't have to make any extra effort to get back to what you were doing.

Matt
Message was edited by: Matthew Morgan

Desktop changes arbitrarily

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