Finder, Mac HD, System Preferences, and Trash wont open!
Some icons on my desktop have become blank, and I cannot open finder in the dock. I click it, but it wont open. I cant open the "Mac HD" icon in the desktop either. Same with trash. I can use spotlight to search for things, but it is becoming very tedious, for I have never used it before. This all started when one night, I turned off my Mac Mini Version 10.5.8. When I turned it on, this issue occured. I have shut off, and restarted numerous times, done a boot to single user mode, even created a new user by entering all those letters after pressing shift, and the S key, but still, nothing! Please help me I don't know what to do :'(
Before doing anything make sure you have at least two backups.
Boot from your Tiger install disk and select Disk Utility from the menu after you select your language. Repair your boot disk. If there are any errors repeat the repair process until no errors are reported. Repair permissions.
If that doesn't help try resetting the PRAM. Hold down the Option-Command-P-R keys right after you hear the startup chime. Keep holding down the keys until the startup chime sounds twice.
If things still aren't working properly you can try installing the 10.5.8 Combo update over your current installation.
Mac OS X 10.5.8 Combo Update
As a last resort you could try doing an archive and install followed by an erase and install if the archive and install is unsuccessful.
Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5: About installation options
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Because I downloaded from internet, I am unable to open. I cannot find where I give permission and/or if I need to download some plug in or something. Please help and thanks.
Hello Charlene,
It sounds like you are getting a message that the application you downloaded can't be opened because it's from an unidentified developer.
Gatekeeper is a feature of Mac OS X that by default blocks software from unknown developers, but you can change the functionality to download and install software from developers you trust:
Gatekeeper gives you more control over what you install. You can choose the safest option and only allow apps that come from the Mac App Store to open. There is also the option of only allowing apps that come from the Mac App Store and identified developers. Or you can choose to allow any apps to open, just like previous versions of OS X.
Gatekeeper options are found in Apple menu > System Preferences… > Security & Privacy > General tab under the header "Allow applications downloaded from:"
If you trust the source you are downloading the application from, you can switch the option to "Anywhere" to download the file. Once you finish downloading the file, you can always switch back to one of the other options.
OS X: About Gatekeeper
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5290
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M. -
Mac 10.5.8 system preferences not responding when opening print and fax
My HP photosmart printer has stopped responding. The pinwheel comes up and freezes the computer when ever I try and access the printer, or anything to do with the printer. I have also tried going in through system preferences and the I cannot even access it. The pinwheel again pops up. I have not added any software lately. I have tried to update my software both for the Mac and the printer. There are no updates available. I am using Mac 10.5.8
Any ideas / solutions????First, Safe Boot , (holding Shift key down at bootup), use Disk Utility from there to Repair Permissions, test if things work OK in Safe Mode.
Then move these files to the Desktop...
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist
Reboot & test.
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive. -
It always open system preference and firefox everytime i start my mac
it always open system preference and firefox everytime i start my mac.
what should I do to get ride of it?When you shutdown a window appears to uncheck the loading of programs when the machine starts back up again.
Unfortunately one of Lion's annoyances is you have to keep unchecking this box each time as it rechecks itself.
A hack is to lock a preference file (aka .plist), I haven't tried it.
Unfortunately, it will recheck itself. One permanent fix is as follows:
1. Close all apps you don't want to open at startup.
2. Open your user Library folder. It is normally invisible, so press the Option key while selecting the "Go" menu in the Finder then select "Library" to open it.
3. Use the Get Info dialog "Locked" checkbox to lock this plist:
~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.loginwindow.*.plist
where "~" is your home folder and "*" is a sequence of characters (12 in my case). No need to delete the corresponding lockfile.
This plist is where the System stores "reopen windows" info, so the System can't change/delete it if it is locked. Works fine for me and others.
hope it works for you.
Also look for Lion Tweaks, that also may help.
Also take a look at my large post here for backup, restore and other information
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201 -
I need to apply for a job but I'm told I need to enable cookies and java script, how do I do that? I can't find it in system preferences
I just updated to the new operating system which i'm starting to think was a bad idea, because it reset all my settings and I don't know how to fix them.so when I go to safari>preferences>security>uncheck box labled enable java script links on webpages don't work and pictures and links son't want to appear on websites. this made it so webpages don't want to work past loading the content in text format. I have to check enable java script to go the webpages to work right so images and links work again but when I try to apply for this job the error message pops up saying I need to enable cookies and java script.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IF JAVA SCRIPT IS ALREADY ENABLED HOW TO I ENABLE COOKIES? -
I moved system preferences to trash and probably need to reboot computer help! I also cant open iphoto
Move it back. It is essential for the operation of thngs.
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I accidentally dropped my firewall, or openned it. I checked it in system preferences and it is turned off but I can not find how to put it back up. PLEASE HELP! I obviously do not want to leave this open very long, if you get my drift.
Did you "click the lock to make changes"
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The instructions say "Go to Mail Preferences."
I cannot find any place called "Mail Preferences". I have tried looking under both "Mail" and "System Preferences" and there is nothing there entitled "Mail Preferences". Under "Preferences" there is no subheading as described in the iCloud instructions. Where is that "Mail Preferences" button located?Open Mail, go to the 'Mail' menu, select Preferences.
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Hey Guys i have a problem with my mac since last month and it wont boot up it freezes in a grey apple logo and and spinning gear any body know how to fix this?
Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a boot failure is to secure your data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since your last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to boot. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at the startup chime, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in the support article linked below, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.”
How to back up and restore your files
b. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, boot the non-working Mac in target disk mode by holding down the key combination command-T at the startup chime. Connect the two Macs with a FireWire or Thunderbolt cable. The internal drive of the machine running in target mode will mount as an external drive on the other machine. Copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode
c. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to boot, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can boot now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Before reconnecting an external storage device, make sure that your internal boot volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Step 3
Boot in safe mode.* The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
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.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. Post for further instructions.
When you boot in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, your boot volume is damaged and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to step 5.
If you can boot and log in now, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the boot process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 4
Sometimes a boot failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 5
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see above for instructions.) Select your startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it produces. Look for the line "Permissions repaired successfully" at the end of the output. Then reboot as usual.
Step 6
Boot into Recovery again. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, follow the prompts to reinstall the OS. If your Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.
Step 7
Repeat step 6, but this time erase the boot volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically reboot into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer your data from a backup.
Step 8
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine tested. -
I seem to have lost fax capability with Snow Leopard.
Does not appear in Print as before. Cant find fax in System Preferences. No drivers for fax found.
Initially said it was downloading software but no longer does this. Fax test works on HP site.
Using HPC410aHP Photosmart Premium
Any help would be appreciated.
Bob Wines.Thanks for your detailled description of the faxmodem installation!
I've tried this with Mac OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion and it works fine.
I've to type "cupsctl WebInterface=yes" in terminal to see the interface.
Does anybody know, if send faxes are saved somewhere? -
Why my MacBook Air keeps hanging on System Preferences and Setting whenever I attempt to open it ? ?
Why my MacBook Air keeps hanging on System Preferences and Settings whenever I attempt to open it ?
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. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select Help from the menu bar, and enter “Set up guest users” (without the quotes) in the search box. 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. 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. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Shut down your computer, wait 30 seconds, and then hold down the shift key while pressing the power button.
When you see the gray Apple logo, release the shift key.
If you are prompted to log in, type your password, and then hold down the shift key again as you click Log in.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs. 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. *Note: If FileVault is enabled, or if a firmware password is set, or if the boot volume is a software RAID, you can’t boot in safe mode. 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. -
The icloud icon is no longer showing up in my system preferences and I can't access it
I can't get to my desktop on my network and thought it might be a problem with the icloud. So I went to system preferences and the icloud icon is no longer there, although the mobile me icon IS showing... so, I don't know what's wrong!
Thanks, I guess I'm confused, because it WAS showing up on my ipad. My main problem is that my Mac desktop icon is no longer showing up on my home network and I cn't acess it from my laptop (share screen)... although I was able to access my desktop a few days ago. Can you help me with that? Thanks again!
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System Preferences and Safari issues
Hi I have a very concerning issue with system preferences and a smaller issue with Safari (7.0). When I open system preferences and navigate to the "internet accounts" page and try to remove an account or click the "Advanced" button, nothing happens. I see a faint flicker of the system prefs window but nothing changes. Another example is when I click on the "networks" page and try and open the "Advanced" window, nothing happens. I also can't sign out of iCloud or view my iCloud account information the buttons seem to do nothing. I've already tried installing mavericks again, deleting appropriate plists, resetting PRAM/NVRAM, repairing the disk and repairing disk permissions to no avail and I really need to find a solution. If this helps, the guest account does not have any issues described above. The safari issue is minor but when Safari opens, there is a gray box around the page title in the top bar of safari no matter what webpage im on. I have tried resetting safari, deleting caches and extensions but nothing works. I really appreciate any help with these issues.
Here is an example of the Safari issue.Do you have the installer DVD? If you do:
Clean Install of Snow Leopard
Be sure to make a backup first because the following procedure will erase
the drive and everything on it.
1. Boot the computer using the OS X Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see
a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
2. 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 the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive
size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of
partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
(Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.
3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed
with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup
Assistant. Be sure you configure your initial admin account with the exact same
username and password that you used on your old drive. After you finish Setup
Assistant will complete the installation after which you will be running a fresh
install of OS X. You can now begin the update process by opening Software
Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your installation current. -
In System Prefereneces, when I am in Desktop and Screen Saver, I am unable to remove folders. I can click the "-" and the folder appears to be gone, but when I close and then reopen System Preferences, and open Desktop and Screen Saver, the folder reappears in the list. I have tried deleting preferences "plist" but I am totally unable to remove the folders.
I've seen one other report like yours, and I think the issue is caused by a bug, but I don't know what triggers it.
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, 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, 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 iMacs. 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 the test. -
monitor too faint to read. the greays on my monitor are so faint, they're almost impossible to see. especially the numbers of the dates in ical.
i've gone to system preferences and contrast controls. but no luck. any other suggestions? thank youThank you. I didn't know about the universal access adjustment. All the way left is a little better, but still much fainter than on my own imac. I'm not sure why apple uses grey typeface, but it's so faint on this imac monitor that it was difficult to find the "reply" option on this post. Are there any other suggestions? thank you
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