Hotkeys to bring up sys prefs?

My Pismo screen flaked out & I'd like to mirror the screen to an external monitor. When I boot up the Powerbook & plug in the external monitor, I see only blank bg...no way to access the menubar (except blindly hunting around...which is futile).
Is there a way (hotkey, keyboard menu navigation, etc) to bring up the System Prefs for display & turn on mirroring? Or get the menu bar over to the other monitor?
Thanks,
-G

Thanks jpl,
As I tried your first idea, I came up with a variation - used cmd-N to make a new Finder window, which had more area to blindly grab & drag over to the viewable part of the screen than the HD icon.
At that point, it was easy to open the Sys Pref application & turn on mirroring.
Thanks for the inspiration!

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Startup Disk Utl/Sys Pref Quits Unexpectedly

I have a G4 533 DA that has 2 HD's. One HD has OS 9.2 loaded and the other HD is partitioned into 3 HD's. One partition has OS 10.1.5. The others were for storage. I loaded OS 10.4 onto one of the partitions and then used the installer to bring over apps/data,etc., to the OS 10.4 HD.
Whenever I try to open "Startup Disk" as a Utility or Sys Preferences I get the "Quit Unexpectedly" notice. I read in a prev. disc. that someone said to use "console log" to see what was happening and post it. So I am posting it below.
I also tried another prior suggestion and created another User and tried to open it but the same thing happens. In fact, if I open it through the Sys Pref's it doesn't show any of the HD's only sort of an image of a HD with "network" "?" on it before it quits.
Is 10.4 finicky about having 9.2 on a separate HD or another OS X on the same HD even if it's partitioned?
Any help wold be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks.
Error Log
===== Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:32:44 PM US/Pacific =====
2006-03-22 22:32:47.679 Startup Disk[552] An uncaught exception was raised
2006-03-22 22:32:47.679 Startup Disk[552] launch path not accessible
2006-03-22 22:32:47.679 Startup Disk[552] * Uncaught exception: <NSInvalidArgumentException> launch path not accessible
Mar 22 22:32:50 localhost crashdump[555]: Startup Disk crashed
Mar 22 22:32:51 localhost crashdump[555]: crash report written to: /Users/gerardff 1/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/Startup Disk.crash.log
===== Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:32:54 PM US/Pacific =====
2006-03-22 22:33:01.636 System Preferences[556] An uncaught exception was raised
2006-03-22 22:33:01.637 System Preferences[556] launch path not accessible
2006-03-22 22:33:01.637 System Preferences[556] * Uncaught exception: <NSInvalidArgumentException> launch path not accessible
Mar 22 22:33:03 localhost crashdump[561]: System Preferences crashed
Mar 22 22:33:03 localhost crashdump[561]: crash report written to: /Users/gerardff 1/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/System Preferences.crash.log

Thanks to all who posted replies!!
After receiving so much help I decided to try reloading 10.4. I did an archive/install, and creation of a new second Sys. folder seemed to do the trick.

How Do You Get the Apple Trackpad Icon to Show Up in Sys Prefs?

Just upgraded to 10.6.4, did all software updates, and bought the Trackpad. Trackpad works, but there is no icon for it in the Sys Prefs to make adjustments. Suggestions?
Thanks
Tom

Thanks!
Yeah I saw it last night on the Apple website, and ran to the Apple store today to get one, All Things Apple Fanboy that I am
It really looks cool, and is very responsive as you would expect, but after decades with a mouse, will take some getting used to. I've been using it all evening and starting to feel a bit more comfortable with it. Quite a change though. I do love not having the space it saves in not having to move the mouse around....thanks again..
Tom

Help. I have a Google Hangout in 40mins and my sound seems to have vanished. I went to Sys Prefs and it came up with Digital Out....and the Internal Speakers option is no longer there. How do I reboot, or fix this please?

help. I have a Google Hangout in 40mins and my sound seems to have vanished. I went to Sys Prefs and it came up with Digital Out....and the Internal Speakers option is no longer there. How do I reboot, or fix this please?

There are many possible causes for this issue. Take each of the following steps that you haven't already tried. Some may not apply to your model. Back up all data before making any changes.
1. Start with the steps recommended in this support article. Don't skip any of the steps. It's the starting point for further efforts to solve the problem.
2. Make sure you have a fully up-to-date installation of OS X.
3. If you've installed an application called "Memory Clean" or any other third-party software that is supposed to "clean" or "purge" memory automatically, remove it according to the developer's instructions and restart. You should do that even if the software is not causing the problem, because it's useless.
4. Other third-party software that has been reported to interfere with sound output includes "Boom" and "Samsung Kies." If applicable, uninstall according to the developer's instructions (not by dragging something to the Trash.)
5. If an AirPlay device is selected for sound output from iTunes (or from other applications via third-party software such as "Airfoil"), deselect it.
6. Launch the application "Audio MIDI Setup" by entering the first few letters of its name in a Spotlight search and selecting it in the results (it should be at the top.) Select Built-in Output from the list on the left. If the Mute boxes are checked, uncheck them.
7. If a red light is visible in the audio-out port when sound should be playing, the internal switch is stuck in the position for digital output. You may be able to free it by inserting and removing a mini-stereo jack of the proper size. If not, the machine needs to be serviced. Inserting any kind of tool in the port may cause damage that won't be covered by the warranty.
If there's no red light, the switch may still be stuck in the headphone position. Try to free it the same way.
8. Disconnect all wired peripherals except keyboard and mouse, if applicable. If more than one display is connected, disconnect all extra ones. Restart and test.
9. If you have a MacBook Air, turn off Bluetooth and restart.
10. Start up in safe mode. Don't log in; just restart as usual when the login screen appears. When you do, make sure the words "Safe Boot" do not appear in the login screen. If they do, the system is still in safe mode and sound won't work.
11. Reset the NVRAM.
12. Reset the SMC.
13. Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Library/Preferences/Audio
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password. Restart the computer and empty the Trash. Recreate your settings in the Sound preference pane.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
14. Reinstall OS X after backing up all data.
15. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store.

ITunes does not sync with sys.pref.

Mac Pro. Mt. Lion, iTunes 11.0.2. When I insert music CD iTunes does not launch. Started wiith last upd. for iTunes. All apps are greyed out
in sys. pref. but not greyed out in main HD app folder. hat to do to get all in sync as before update?

You don't say what exactly you moved. You don't tell iTunes to use a previous library with preferences, you do it by holding down the option/alt key while starting iTunes and guiding it to the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder you want to use. A library is everything in the iTunes folder. Hopefully you copied the entire folder and not just the media files or else you will have to rebuild the library structure from scratch (and erase the phone).

In large PDF files my cursor moves around the page at warp speed. It does not seem to make any difference if I slow it down with Sys Prefs. This is not only in preview but also other programs to open PDFs.

In large PDF files the cursor moves at warp speed with a mind of it's own, I've tried slowing it down in Sys Pref with no luck. On small files cursor action is normal. This happens in Safari, Preview and other programs that use PDF files. Sorry to say this does not seem to be a new problem with 7.# I've had it with prvevious versions of operating system Right now I'm using a Apple wireless mouse and key board. Using the USB keyboard and mouse the same problem does not go away.

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, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you boot, and again when you log in.
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, with limited graphics performance, 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 (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

4S: Photo Stream shows up in Photos even tho it's off in Sys Prefs-iCloud

The subject says it, really. I should add that it is also not active on my two Macs.
I've tried turnin it on and off in Sys Prefs on the phone but it's still there.
Any ideas how I can turn off Photo Stream?
Thanks
/P

Go to https://www.icloud.com
Log in and top right click your Apple ID.
Here you can reset your Photo Stream.

Firewire HDD -recognised in sys pref but can't access

emac 700mhz 10.4.11
sys pref recognises the external firewire HDD caddy and shows that it recognises the HDD but no desk top icon pops up.
how do i get access to this ext firewire drive?
are there other issues that I should look for?
thanks

Check the settings in the Finder's preferences, and whether the Disk Utility is able to see or repair the drive. If it still won't show up and doesn't need repair, click here and follow the instructions.
(56521)

User accounts have disappeared from the Sys prefs and log-in screen!

When upgrading to 10.4 from 10.3, I used Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable copy of my hard disk to an external (La Cie) drive. After performing an erase and install, the Migration Assistant would not recognize the installation on the external drive. After numerous attempts, I finally re-entered all my settings and transferred most of my files by hand into the new OS. Everything seemed to be fine until I attempted to update the user settings on one of the standard accounts. When I went to the Limitations window for this account in System Preferences the computer froze completely, necessitating a forced shutdown. When I rebooted, the account I was modifying had disappeared from the log-in screen. When I attempted to restore it in Sys Prefs, the Accounts window was blank, and clicking on the resulting items in a Spotlight search gets a preferences error message. I repaired the disk and the permissions with Disk Utility to no avail, and DiskWarrior says the directory is too damaged to rebuild. I re-installed Tiger using archive and install, also with no success. I can log in as Root and access all data, including all user accounts, but still no user accounts in the log-in window or sys prepfs. Does anyone have any thoughts on this before I (aauuugghhh) erase and install again? Any idea why the Migration Asst. can't see the clone? Did I move something into the new OS I shouldn't have?
Mac OS X (10.4.3) 700mHz G4 iMac (Flat panel)

When upgrading to 10.4 from 10.3, I used Carbon Copy Cloner to create a bootable copy of my hard disk to an external (La Cie) drive.
Did you boot into the clone to ensure that it was working just like the original? If so, can you still do that? If so, I'd boot into the clone, use Disk Utility to erase and reformat the internal HD. Then, clone the clone to the original and install Tiger on top of it using the upgrade earlier version option. Then, you won't have to change or migrate anything. IMHO, it's the best way to do it.

In Sys Prefs Desktop, folders won't stay in sidebar

In the Desktop & Screen Saver pane of System Preferences, any folder I've added to the list at left by clicking the 'plus' button [+] fails to appear when I close Sys Prefs and open it again, unless that folder's name is selected when I close Sys Prefs. Additional added folders will not remain.
This problem is affecting one user account only. The others are fine.
I can add other folders, but they don't persist after I close System Preferences. By clicking the 'minus' button [-], I can remove the folder I've added and it remains properly removed. Since I can add only one folder, I can't really alter the list in any useful way and so the plus and minus buttons become almost pointless; there may as well be just a simple Open dialog for choosing the one non-Apple folder of images I'd like to use (except that, as I said, the pane does behave as expected in other user accounts).
The screenshot above shows the Desktop pane's folder list right after I've added two folders, 'fluff images, misc.' and 'night earth'. Since 'night earth' is selected, that folder will remain in the list after I close Sys Prefs, but the other folder will not:
So for now I have no way within the Desktop pane of Sys Prefs to maintain a list of several favorite folders of desktop images. Not terribly important, but that I can't fix it bothers me.
Things I've tried:
repair permissions (several times)
delete:
com.apple.desktop.plist
com.apple.sidebarlists.plist
com.apple.systempreferences.plist
reset PRAM

This annoyance is more common and perplexing than I thought:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/2592572#2592572
https://discussions.apple.com/message/19854308#19854308
https://discussions.apple.com/message/21746716#21746716%2321746716

Sys Pref panel "Mail Contacts Calendar" freezes

Sys Pref panel "Mail Contacts Calendar" completely freezes just by trying to open it. And I've discovered that If I remove my gmail account (from the mail.app) It works again. I've made 2 clean installs of Mountain lion and the problem stays.
If it helps I have set up icloud, twitter, facebook, gmail and my gmail adress is the same that I use for icloud as apple id.
Has anybody any idea.
Thanks.

This was happening to me too. I deleted the MobileMeAccount.plist file in my user's Library/Preferences folder and the Preferences window now loads and responds to input properly.

ICloud not showing up on 10.7.5 laptop. It is enabled in sys prefs.

my 10.7.5 laptop has icloud enabled in sys prefs/icloud but i cannot save a text doc to icloud. nor does icloud show up in Devices on Finder window. Help.

Here are the requirements for saving documents to iCloud from this Apple docuemtn: iCloud: System requirements.
So 10.7.5 can save/sync to iCloud.
Documents in the Cloud
iOS 5
iWork for iOS (Pages 1.5, Numbers 1.5, Keynote 1.5)
OS X v10.7.5
iWork ’09 (Pages 4.2, Numbers 2.2, Keynote 5.2)
Make sure you have Documents and Data selected in the System/Preference pane. Also under Options make sure TextEdit is seleted. If it's checked toggle it off and then back on and try again.
OT

There used to be a "spaces" selection in sys prefs in 10.5; how can I switch to another desktop space if I don't have a trackpad?

There used to be a "spaces" selection in sys prefs in 10.5; how can I switch to another desktop space if I don't have a trackpad?

You can either click on Mission Control in your dock/Applications folder & select a space or your can use 'CTRL+ left or right arrow to navigate through spaces'

Sys Prefs won't launch after update to 10.6.6

Hi,
V odd problem. Unable to launch sys prefs, some applications (like coda & other text editors). They attempt to load, bounce in the dock, then sit there with the glowing jelly below them. They're showing as unresponsive in force quit. I suspect it may be something to do with 'secrets' which I have installed. Or some other extension.
Can anyone advise how I go about isolating/removing a troublesome extension?
Other extensions are little snitch & growl. I have also run disk utility from the start up disk and done a repair permissions and repair disk... no difference.
Cheers
R
Message was edited by: rickblackdog

Pardon me while I talk to myself
Finally persuaded googles updater software to stop torturing me by deleting the launcher files. This solved the system pref issue, it will now restart properly.
One last problem remains, which may or may not be related. DMG's are incredibly slow to load, small ones (3mb) takes about 4 mins to show. Tried downloading chrome again (because I'm a glutton for punishment) and it's been 6 mins so far and still hasn't mounted.
Anyone know if this is related?
13/03/2011 10:55:18 com.apple.quicklook[212] Sun Mar 13 10:55:18 Blackmac.local quicklookd[212] <Error>: Corrupt JPEG data: premature end of data segment
13/03/2011 10:55:18 com.apple.quicklook[212] Sun Mar 13 10:55:18 Blackmac.local quicklookd[212] <Error>: Corrupt JPEG data: premature end of data segment
13/03/2011 10:55:18 com.apple.quicklook[212] Sun Mar 13 10:55:18 Blackmac.local quicklookd[212] <Error>: Corrupt JPEG data: premature end of data segment

Lost Screensaver Options - Sys Prefs 10.8.5

I still run Mountain Lion 10.8.5 on my Mac Pro
Unexplained loss of Screensaver choices today.
The Sys Pref --> Desktop & Screen Saver window used to look like this:
Note the SOURCE drop-down menu
For some reason, it now appears as :
There is no SOURCE menu.
The Screen Saver Options simply direct how the Apple Screen Savers appear on the screen.
Can't figure out how to access my iPhoto Library to use the photos for screensaver use.
If I click on the Desktop Tab, the iPhoto libraries are available as options for the Desktop - but not the screensaver.
Any suggestions appreciated!
Thanks!
...John

Hello there, John.
The following Knowledge Base article provides the information you're looking for:
Mac Basics: Using Screen Saver when your screen is idle
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2485
Particularly:
To create a slideshow screen saver, do one of the following:
In the Screen Saver preferences window, select one of the slideshow choices, such as Floating, Reflections, Origami, or Shifting Tiles.
Change the source for your slideshow.
OS X comes with pre-installed collections such as National Geographic, Aerial, Cosmos, and Nature Patterns.
If you have iPhoto installed, you can choose a recent iPhoto Event or your photo library.
You can also choose a folder of images on your computer to use for your slideshow.
Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Pedro.

Hotkeys to bring up sys prefs?

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