Finder window opens every 3mins, desktop flashes & folder icons vanish

This started on my computer past 2-3 days and is getting worse. Finder window appears top left unexpectedly approx every 3mins, desktop items flash and vanish for a couple of secs & if typing I get cut off, or when using spotlight search the window vanishes.
I've tried all the several diagnostics and Safeboot. According to First Aid, Repair disk & permissions, Techtool Deluxe and Disk Utility everything is fine. But it's not!
I've also had the Address Book open without warning in multiple and if I try to quit it, it just reopens.
Thought it might be connected to new back up software I just installed for a new external HD, but I've uninstalled all 3 programs: Intego, Silverkeeper, Lacie 1click Back Up & all prefs and files linked with them except for the dmgs.
found another posting online with same problem who was using iTunes at the time. I'd just opened itunes8 for the first time on Sunday which is around the same time that these problems started. (hadn't used it for a while and this was the first use since updating (from itunes 7?)
Not sure if it's to do with itunes now but can't find a way to fix this.
Please help, everything was working fine just before Christmas!
Thanks in advance.

I found a possible answer in another post.
The post is here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1873700&tstart=0
Here is the fix summary:
"It seems all to be linked to Stuffit and a preference called Stuffit AVR (Archive Via Rename): In your system preferences go to the bottom and click on the Stuffit AVR option. Click the Stuffit AVR tab
on the left, and click the "STOP" button. This should do the trick. For some reason this is cycling through our desktop/finder and causing so much of the frustration since this update."

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FINDER WINDOW OPENS UP AFTER STARTUP !!!!

Hi all i seem to be having a problem that was not happing before I installed the
Latest Mac OS X 10.6.5 (10H574) update. Here is the problem when I startup
The system and log on after the desktop shows up a finder window opens
To the top level in other words it opens my computer showing the drives
Net and devices it never did this before it does this every time now, ok
Now lets talk about what other people have done about this problem
It would seem that some of these solutions worked for some and Did
Not for other in other words it not all the same problem or solution.
1. Delete the finder pref plist did not work!
2. Check user login startup items no there was not any items in there that
Would cause this!
3. I also checked to see if it was a wallpaper problem that did not work!
4. And no I did not have any windows or app’s running when I shutdown
The system.
So I have had no luck with this problem oh here some more info
I have two Mac systems and they are both doing the same thing
Now both have the same os version slash updates
One system is Mac Book Pro the other is a Mac Pro

it shouldn't be blank... it should look something like this:
finderinfo[0]: 164 => Blessed System Folder is /System/Library/CoreServices
finderinfo[1]: 510937 => Blessed System File is /System/Library/CoreServices/boot.efi
finderinfo[2]: 0 => Open-folder linked list empty
finderinfo[3]: 0 => No alternate OS blessed file/folder
finderinfo[4]: 0 => Unused field unset
finderinfo[5]: 164 => OS X blessed folder is /System/Library/CoreServices
note the *finderinfo[2]: 0 => Open-folder linked list empty*
if this is the case for your system (including other mounted volumes) then it must be a separate issue.

Finder window opens with inconsistent view

Since I upgraded to Yosemite, Finder windows open with inconsistent size, position and view. After a power on a Finder window generally opens as a small, centrally-located window in Icon view even though preferences is set to always open in column view; sometimes the small window is in column view. Rarely, the first new window opens in the same size, position and view as the last one was before power off then the next one - opened using Command-N - opens as a small, central window in Icon view. In all previous versions of Mac OS, new Finder windows opened in the same size, position and view as the window I closed last on screen, even after a power off/on. Once I reset the window size, position and view to my preference, new windows generally open correctly.
Is there some setting I can change so new windows always retain the size, position and view as the last one closed?

Do a backup.
Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.
Re-launch Finder by restarting the computer and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.
If the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.
Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

MacBook Pro can turn on and off, but does not start up. Stays on white screen with flashing folder icon, does not go to desktop.

MacBook Pro is not starting up. It just stays on a white screen with a flashing folder icon. Have tried restarting while holding the Option key, and the cursor becomes visible and movable, but it does not go to the desktop.

Hello Sonya_Rose,
I found this article when researching the issue you describe here named A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac found http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1440.
Check the mouse and keyboard
This issue might occur if a mouse or trackpad button is pressed during startup. Make sure the button isn't pressed.
If the issue persists, shut down your Mac with its power button, disconnect any external mouse and keyboard, then turn on your Mac with its power button. If the flashing question mark issue persists, reconnect the keyboard and mouse.
Additional steps
If your Mac still starts to a flashing question mark, follow the steps below. If any step resolves the issue, you don't need to continue to the next one.
Select your Mac OS X startup disk with Startup Manager by restarting and holding the Option key. After your Mac starts up, restart again to verify that the flashing question mark does not appear.
If the issue persists, insert your Mac OS X installation disc. Be sure to either use the disc that came with your Mac, or, if you installed a later Mac OS X version from disc, use the newer disc.
MacBook Air note: On a MacBook Air, there are two options for starting up from Mac OS X media: Either connect a MacBook Air SuperDrive to the MacBook Air via the USB port and restart the computer, holding down the C key during startup, or use Remote Install Mac OS X to startup from a system software DVD that's located on a partner computer. Once started up from Mac OS X media, skip to step 3.
Restart the computer, then hold the C key during startup.
From the Utilities menu, choose Disk Utility. Don't click Continue.
Select your Mac OS X disk (named "Macintosh HD" by default) in the left side of the Disk Utility window.
Click the First Aid tab.
Click Repair Disk to verify and repair any issues with your Mac OS X startup disk.
After repairing the disk, try to start up normally.
Important: If Disk Utility finds issues it cannot repair, you may need to back up as much of your data as possible (or use Time Machine to back up to a different disk), then erase the disk and reinstall Mac OS X. You should back up important files and data before erasing a drive. Erasing deletes everything on the hard disk (including things on your desktop). Also, you can install Mac OS X onto an external disk, start from the external disk, and use Migration Assistant to transfer items from your usual internal Mac OS X startup disk to the external disk, then erase the internal disk and reinstall Mac OS X.
If the issue persists, and Disk Utility didn't find any irreparable issues, quit Disk Utility, quit the Installer, select your disk when prompted, and restart.
If the issue continues, reset PRAM. Note: After resetting PRAM, if the computer starts up normally, reselect the startup disk in the Startup Disk preferences.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, start up from the Mac OS X Installation disc and reinstall Mac OS X.
Regards,
Sterling

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Is there anything in your login items?
You might find something in the console.app logs about what is starting up when you log in and why.

Finder window opens when user logs in

I apologize if this has been answered previously - I can't find anything on this topic.
Every time a user logs in to one of my eMacs - OS 10.4.10 (whether it be a local or network user) a new finder window opens that displays the users home. I would like this window to stop opening. I've read some responses that say to close the window then log out and the window should be gone when you log back in. That is not the case. I thought this solution my work on my local users but it doesn't work for either type of user.
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I do not have anything checked in the login items. This is happening for both local and network accounts. I'm more concerned about this issue for my network users.
I've discovered that the problem seems to have something to do with a script I had running via a login hook. Is there any way to run a script when a network user logs in without adding it to a login hook?
We have a program on our eMacs that resets the computer back t o its original state every time the computer is restarted. For this reason network user profiles are never stored on the eMac they are recreated from the default user template every time a user logs in.
Maybe this extra information will help!
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I just had this problem come up, and it took quite a lot of digging to find out why. I thought I would post the cause of my particular problem and it's solution as a reference for others who have been unsuccessful at stopping a finder window from loading at startup.
For reference, here's what I tried that didn't work:
- Looked for the Finder listed in Preferences>Accounts>Login Items (wasn't there)
- Deleted User>Library>Preferences>com.apple.Finder.plist, restarted the dock, restarted computer.
- Changed background wallpaper (some said this worked for them)
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thanks for sharing this. I've seen a number of posts by people struggling (unsuccessfully) with a finder window opening at login. I don't know if any of them use GimmeSomeTunes but this is certainly something to consider.

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Finder window opens every 3mins, desktop flashes & folder icons vanish

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