Dock disappeared and Mac hangs

Hey guys,
Please help my get my baby back! This is how it started...
I was doing my work and tried to open the Mail app but as it half bounced on the dock it froze mid air and the whole comp hung. I had excel, safari and photoshop I think still open. So I 'hard' restarted. Hope thats the right term for when you hold the power button down till it shuts off.
After that I did some searches to sort out the issue and did the following.
Deleted the com.apple.dock.plist and db, and restarted but still no dock and I was told the plist would be recreated but it wasn't. So I found one online and put it in the prefs folder. Still no show.
Next thing I did was check out activity monitor - CrashReport kept popping up every few seconds. Internet search again and found below repeating lines in the console.
com.apple.launchd.peruser.501 and cn.com.zte.usbswapper.plist
So I was told to delete these offending files in the LaunchAgent and LaunchDeamon folders in the system library and the other one.
Restarted with command+alt+p+r
Still no luck... please help me figure this out. I am in Poland and my startup disk and stuff is still in London, no Apple Stores nearby and well Mac lovers will know how this feels.

Sounds like fishy mail to me and as far as I know (a) apple doesn't send such mails, and (b) apple doesn't even know are having problems. They could care less about stuff posted here. I wonder if that mail is spawned if you crash in some way and ask it to send the crash to apple. I don't know. At least it isn't asking for personal info.
On the other hand the advice is good. You should always have backups. Carbon Copy Cloner is a good way to make a clone of your disk on to a backup which itself would be bootable. Super Duper is another good backup utility. These backup utilities are different than Time Machine which doesn't create a bootable backup. I use CCC to back up my system daily.
By the way, you can use DU to make backups too using it's Restore mode. Personally I've never used that because I prefer more functional backup utilities.
Another good piece of advice, and something I think is next to do is to boot from your installer dvd and run Disk Utility from there to repair/verify your boot drive. Nothing else has worked up to this point so I think it is indeed time to check your drive.

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4 questions: at login black rectangular box, appears and speaks- 2 annoying black box over text- 3 bluetooth doesnt always pick up keyboard/mouse at login- 4 dock disappears and reappears at will

Here we go,
1) at login a black rectangular box with white text appears and voice over seems to be on (even though its switched off)
2) after login an annoying black square surrounds the cursor
3) upon waking computer from sleep the bluetooth doesn't pair with the keyboard or mouse (I usually just power them both off and then back on and this seems to work)
4) the dock disappears and reappears on its own even though "hide the dock" is not checked
iMac running Lion
Thanks for any help!
Dennis

In the login screen, press the key combination command-F5 to deactivate VoiceOver.

When changing wallpaper dock disappeared and background turned gray

dock disappeared and background gray

Delete com.apple.dock.plist
Click on an empty spot on the Desktop to activate Finder.
Hold the option key down and click”Go” menu in the menu bar.
Choose “Library” from the drop-down.
Library > Preferences
Look for com.apple.dock.plist
Right click on it and select “Move to Trash”.
Restart the computer.

Some mac app icons disappears and mac App Store didn't open

some mac app icons disappears and mac appstore cant open

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, or by corruption of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. Note: If FileVault is enabled on some models, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal boot may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in 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, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

Upgraded to Mavericks ... Dock disappeared and background is flashing

I upgraded my OS to Mavericks last week. Since the install, the dock disappeared and the desktop background flashes repeatedly. I have rebooted several times and reinstalled Mavericks 3 times.

Had the same problem. Realised after web searching that the dock processes were probably at fault - dock controls a lot more than just the dock itself. I did the following and i've now got a good install of mavericks.
Deleted an add-on app i put on called LaunchPad Control from Preferences pane.
Removed all widgets from Dashboard.
Removed any other desktops from Spaces (so only left with an empty dashboard and one desktop).
Removed an Automator script i had to automatically check mail on start up.
Finally i created a new administrator user and was logged into this when i did the install.
Hope this helps.

Help please with ipods dock windows and mac based

Hello everyone,
I have an ipod but want to upload from two different locations. I found out from a reply from a previous question that I can do that but my problem seems to be that I have a windows based laptop at home but at my other location in my office I am using a Mac. From what I read I can not do this from one location to the other without reformating my ipod everytime which would be useless to me sense I do not have the same music or do all of my purchases from one location. Is this possible to upload from a windows and mac computer from two different locations or is this impossible? Thanks in advance!!!

Probably the easiest way to use an iPod on both Mac and Windows computers is to format the iPod (using iPod Updater) using the PC. This will force your iPod to use the Windows file system (FAT32) which both the Mac and PC can read from and write to without the help of additional software. Of course then all your software updates for the iPod will have to be done on Windows.  If you need to use a Mac (HFS+) formatted iPod on a Windows PC, you'll need to install some 3rd party software such as XPlay 2.0 (which you can get from MediaFour Software). This will enable your Windows PC to read a Mac-formatted iPod.
Then see this.
See this.
How to use an iPod with more than one computer.

Dock disappears and Word documents open

I'm having trouble lately where the dock is disappearing for a moment, and when it comes back a bunch of Word documents open up all over the screen. They pop up all over the place and then settle with different ones open and in the foreground.
Is there any place I can check to see why the dock is disappearing, or a way to stop my documents from opening up each time this happens?

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.
Step 1
Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left. If you don't see that menu, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar.
Enter the name of the crashed application or process (Dock) in the Filter text field. Select the messages from the time of the last crash, if any. Copy them to the Clipboard (command-C). Paste into a reply to this message (command-V).
When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough.
Please do not indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.
Step 2
Still in the Console window, look under User Diagnostic Reports for crash reports related to the process. The report name starts with the name of the crashed process, and ends with ".crash". Select the most recent report and post the entire contents — again, the text, not a screenshot. In the interest of privacy, I suggest that, before posting, you edit out the “Anonymous UUID,” a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes in the header of the report, if it’s present (it may not be.) Please don’t post shutdownStall, spin, or hang logs — they're very long and not helpful.

Time machine and Mac hang before finishing backup

Reaches to about 16GB and then although it says its still working and has more to backup its not and the Mac stop working as well requiring hard reset.
I have removed all files from timemachine just in case it had reached its limit and was not removing old backups (even though I had this checked) but this made no difference.

Have tried every option now. Have been able to back up onto a USB drive with no problems. Tried fully cleaning and resetting the timemachine back to factory settings but still it stops at around 10gb and the Mac then hangs and needs a reboot manually.
Called help desk only to be told my timemachnie went out of warranty 20 days ago - should have called them when I first had the problem and they would have replaced it - now I have to chance my arm with an in-store rep. Have an appointment on sunday - lets see how I get on.
Not happy that something that costs so much only lasts for just under one year.

Open quicktime file to play movie and mac hangs and leaves artifacts (screen smear) on screen mac slows down

I recently completed a clean install of snow leopard and added some RAM to my MAC
when I open a QuickTime file... my MAC slows down, I get the rainbow pin wheel and screens and menus that I try to access start to "smear"... leave behind artifacts
ultimately the movies flutter and don't play properly, and I have to restart my MAC to reset my desktop
I suspect it may be related to my RAM because I've never had this issue previously although it only seems to occur when I use QuickTime
... also I installed "flip for mac"
I purchased the RAM from OWC
thoughts?

The codec info should have been listed before the comma that precedes 640x360. Seems to be a bug in the recent versions of QT 7. If you have QT Pro you can still find the codec name by opening Movie Properties and checking the video format that way. Anyway, since Perian cant play it I suspect you are out of luck in MacOS x. Not all avi decompressors have been ported to OS X. It may be that the compressor is one of the old Indeo codecs and those definitely will not work in X. They will work in the Classic environment but a lot of you folks have given up on Classic. Just in case here is a link to the Indeo codecs for Classic: Indeo codecs for Classic
Have you tried playing it in VLC. If it is not an Indeo file VLC may play it.
The Mac version of WMP doesn't play avi or mpeg files -- mostly it plays wmv or asf files and not even the most recent versions of those formats.

I have a MacBook Pro and one day, my dock disappeared and so did the time, the battery percentage, and the spotlight! The left side of my top bar is still there showing the Apple sign with the application that is open and other options. I need help!!

Help pls!

Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.

DHCP disappeared and Mac will not connect to internet!

When my Macbook's config is switched to DHCP the Airport Express will not connect to the internet but when it is PPPOE it has not problem at connecting. I never had this problem before but now I am worried and want my DHCP back because it is interfering with other configurations.

Go to the System Preferences and Network and when the Box opens make sure that you are set to Automatic and below that the name of your Network is in there and finally in the box on the left that Wireless or Airport is selected and Drag it to the top of the list and the Green Dot is on the Wireless Network that is selected.
Then repeat it on both computers.
Welcome to the Discussions
Don

Disappearing and Re-Appearing Dock

I have a Macbook Pro that runs 10.4.11.
I just installed several updates last night including some sort of security patch and new version of iTunes and ever since then, my Mac has been randomly freezing with the hourglass icon (rainbow disk keeps spinning indefinitely) and the dock disappearing and re-appearing at variable intervals.
I have already restarted the computer a few times, but the problem persists.
I don't have the OS disks with me at the moment, since I am out of town.
Are there any other known workarounds?
Thanks, in advance.

Hi,
I attempted the Disk Utility Repair but it did not work.
So I disabled the application 'StickyWindows' and this resolved the problem.
Hope this helps.

Whenever I try to open an app on my Mac it just bounces on my dock and then settles. At first it bounced the disappeared, and then I had to reinstall it, but now it just bounces. Any help?

Whenever I try to open an app on my Mac it just bounces on my dock and then settles. At first it bounced the disappeared, and then I had to reinstall it, but now it just bounces. Any help?

Try one or more of the following:
> Restart Your Computer
> Uninstall and Reinstall iTunes
> Reset iPod (nothing will get deleted)
> Look in My Computer (Windows 98, XP) OR Computer (Windows Vista or 7) and see if your iPod is in there.
In some cases (and this happened to me before) plug your iPod in and out your computer a few times. It should get it going. If not, then I strongly recommend starting your computer.

I have Mac OS10.4.11 with MS Office 2004 installed. Yesterday, when clicking on the Entourage icon, in the dock, to receive my Email, the icon disappeared and I lost my Email service from the HD and from Spotlight, as well. Word, Excel and PP are still OK

I have Mac OS10.4.11 with MS Office 2004 for Mac, installed. Yesterday, when clicking on the Entourage icon, in the dock, to receive my Email, the icon disappeared and I lost my Email service from the HD and from Spotlight, as well. Word, Excel and PP are still OK. Could this be a virus?

Just thinking, if things are really missing...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Tiger Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)

Menu bar disappears, and dock stops working

I run a simple server using a Dual 2 GHz PowerPC G5 with 7GB memory, a 1T raid drive and OS 10.5.8. The last time I changed any hardware, ram etc, was two years ago.
The Mac simply sits there and feeds files to the other Macs in my network, so no one is looking at it. It seems to have an odd crash, which does not affect its ability to serve files.
The menu bar will disappear and the dock and all applications will stop working. The dock will bounce an icon when it's clicked, but the program doesn't launch.
Neither "control-comand-eject" nor "option-comand-escape" work. I have to do a hard shut down.
I've run disk utility and repaired permissions. I've run DiskWarrior (v4.1) and rebuilt the directory etc. I've run Techtools Pro (v4.6.2) and run all diagnostics, including the surface scan (took 15 hours). It still acts the same.
The only other oddity I've found is that photo files will randomly go "bad". They're not going bad during a transfer, as I open each file after transferring to the Mac, and confirming they are okay. Then a day, a week, a month or a year later, I look for an image and find it with coloured strips through it, sometime wiping out the entire image. I have no idea if this is related.
Any ideas what's wrong and how to fix it?

Hello Keith,
Sounds like a RAM problem mostly, or RAM slot problem.
The Memory test can really only be trusted if it finds a problem, not if it doesn't find a problem.
Memtest OS X...
http://www.memtestosx.org/joomla/index.php
Rember is a freeware GUI for the memtest ...
http://tech.kateva.org/2005/10/rember-freeware-memory-test-utility.html

Dock disappeared and Mac hangs

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