Finder resets every minute

Question

Last week I upgraded my ibook from 10.4.8 to 10.4.9 via software update. i think i also updated quicktime and iTunes at the same time. After doing this I began experiencing a problem i've never seen before in which the finder 'resets' every minute or so, regardless of what program i am running. the desktop items disappear for a few moments and when they reappear, i'm "in" the finder and have to click on the window of the progam i'm in to continue using the program (e.g. if i'm typing in Word or Mail, i have to click on that doc in order to continue typing, something i've done 3 times since beginning this message). I downloaded 10.4.9 combo and installed that. no change. i thru away the system and finder preferences in my library. no change, and the finder prefs renews itself at every 'reset'. there is no 'finder reset' option from the finder dock icon like there once was--the only option is "hide". Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I suspect the magic word is "StuffIt"--for some reason its various add on goodies frequently have unfortunate effects on the Finder.
Restart and hold down the Shift key as soon as you hear the startup chime. This will boot you into Safe Mode, which will repair the disk, clean a couple of caches, and disable ALL third party startup items (and a few of Apple's too). The start will take longer than normal as it does all this. The Finder should now work normally, and you can start looking for Stuffit add ons: check here:
"/Users/yourname/Library/Contextual Menu Items"
"/Library/Contextual Menu Items"
If you find something from StuffIt in either location, drag it to your Desktop. Also launch System Preferences, go to Accounts and click the Login Items tab. If there is something in there from StuffIt click on it to select, then click the minus button at the bottom. Now restart normally and see if the Finder is working correctly.
Francine
Francine
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