Position of desktops keeps getting rearranged in mission control

I would prefer that the sequence of desktops remain the same in Mission Control so that I can always view them in consecutively numbered order when Mission Control is activated. For example, sometimes when I launch Mission Control, the desktop labeled "4" appears immediately to the right of the desktop labeled "1", so that "2" appears immediately to the right of "4" and "3" appears immediately to the right of "2". I can remove all but the first and add 3 more to get the expected order back again, but the same occurrence soon follows for no reason I've yet been able to determine. How can I keep them from jumping around?
Oops, sorry, I see something in the Mission Control System Prefs that appears to address this: Automatically rearrange spaces based on most recent use. Hmm, I thought they were called "desktops" now. Never mind.

In the Finder, hold down the option key and select Go > Library from the menu bar. In the folder that opens, select the file Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist. Open the Info window. Do you have read & write access to the file? Is it locked? What is its modification date?

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My MacBook Pro is stuck in Dashboard overlay. When I opened the case this morning there it was. I did not enter this mode and cannot get out and back to the desktop. I have tried Mission control, but it will not open, escape doesn't work either.

I have a MacBook Pro running Yosemite.I did not shut down the computer last night. When I opened the computer this morning Dashboard in overlay was on the screen. I have not been able to get out of dashboard. I have tried esc, F12, and accessing System Preferences in the Dock. I clicked on Mission control and nothing changed. Help be get back to my desktop.

     Did you try restarting the computer?
    Delete com.apple.dashboard.plist file.
    Quit all applications.
    Option click the "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.
    Select "Library" from the drop down.
    Library > Preferences > com.apple.dashboard.plist
    Right click on it and select "Move it to Trash".
    Restart.
    If this doesn’t help, Put back the com.apple.dashboard.plist
    Right click the Trash icon in the Dock and select “Open”.
    Right click the com.apple.dashboard.plist and select “Put Back”.

Desktop wallpaper overlapping Spaces in Mission Control

This is a weird one. Since upgrading to Mountain Lion I can't access Spaces in Mission Control properly because I have desktop wallpaper from a previous space overlapping most of the spaces at the top of Mission Control, i.e. desktop wallpaper from Space 1 carrying over onto Space 2 and blocking out the spaces at the top two-thirds of Mission Control (see image).
This currently occurs with my MBP hooked up to my Thunderbolt Display. (Haven't confirmed this behavior on the MBP alone yet.)

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.
Feedback
Or you can use your Apple ID to register with this site and go the Apple BugReporter. Supposedly you will get an answer if you submit feedback.
Feedback via Apple Developer

How do I create multiple desktops in 10.8.2 Mission Control?

I've been given to understand that in 10.8.2, Mission Control allows for up to 6 desktops. If this is true, how does one create and maintain them? I can't find documentation anywere--or am I just on a wild goose chase?
Thanks...

I'm not sure what the limit is, but it's a lot more than six.
Move the cursor to the right of the rightmost desktop. A dark "+" (plus) icon will appear.
Click it!

Desktop background problems: 27" iMac/Mission Control

I've just installed a 27" iMac running 10.8 with 16 GB RAM. I use 4 desktops at a time with different backgrounds in each. When changing between e.g. desktops 2 and 3, via CTRL-right-arrow, Mission Control annoyingly flashes the desktop 1 background before replacing it with the desktop 3 background.
I have replicated the problem on the other 27" iMac's I have access to, and with a variety of desktop backgrounds (e.g. only the Apple provided ones)
and with various amounts of RAM (8 GB to 16GB). It is a consistent problem on all 27" iMac's running 10.8 as far as I can see.
Mission Control handled multiple desktop backgrounds flawlessly under my previous set up (iMac 21"/10.7).
Does anyone know how to fix this behavior?

I've just installed a 27" iMac running 10.8 with 16 GB RAM. I use 4 desktops at a time with different backgrounds in each. When changing between e.g. desktops 2 and 3, via CTRL-right-arrow, Mission Control annoyingly flashes the desktop 1 background before replacing it with the desktop 3 background.
I have replicated the problem on the other 27" iMac's I have access to, and with a variety of desktop backgrounds (e.g. only the Apple provided ones)
and with various amounts of RAM (8 GB to 16GB). It is a consistent problem on all 27" iMac's running 10.8 as far as I can see.
Mission Control handled multiple desktop backgrounds flawlessly under my previous set up (iMac 21"/10.7).
Does anyone know how to fix this behavior?

Mavericks showing 3 desktops when I use the mission control

Hi Guys,
I was hoping someone could give me some advice. I have y cintiq plugged into my macbook pro. Everything works fine but when I used mission control it shows I have 3 desktops active. How can I reduce it to 2? Not only is it something I believe should not be there, I also feel it may be eating up memory.
Any advice very appreciated, Thanks.

Ah, I figured it out. As I hovered above a window whilst using the mission control action I noticed an 'x' in the corner of the display I didn't want and closed it. Hope this helps incase anyone had the same enquirey

Photos keep getting rearranged or disappearing

Each week, I have to take a bunch of pictures and set them to an audio recording as part of my job, and I've been using iMovie to do this since the start of the year. Basically, I just drag all my photos into iMovie and then drag the audio on top of it and set the amount of time each photo is displayed so that the photos line up with the audio. Easy enough right?
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Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? I feel like iMovie is playing practical jokes on me.
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Thought maybe I should mention that I do the videos in Widescreen, and I have a widescreen logo that runs at the beginning and end of each video for a few seconds. I use the same logo file here everyweek, and then I add a new folder full of fullscreen images to it. These logo files seem to cause problems about twice as often as the regular images. On my current project, the logo thumbnails are fine, but when I attempt to play them, I get nothing. The other images are fine except for 2. One of these just gets randomly replaced as a thumbnail and as the actual playing photo by another photo in the group. The other problem image gets replaced by the logo photo as a thumbnail and displays black when I attempt to play it.

W700 desktop icons get rearranged every time I boot up

I read in this forum about a similar problem some people were having on theThinkpad W500 laptop running XP where their icons got messed up when they closed the lid. My problem is that my icons get messed up every time I turn the laptop on, and I'm running Win7. I have no idea what setting needs to be changed to prevent this. Does someone have the solution?

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 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 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.

Bookmarks keep getting rearranged every morning when I open Firefox in the morning

For the last week everyday when I open my browser either on my PC or laptop all my bookmarks are jumbled (no longer in alphabetical or) as when I closed it in the evening. This has just started to happen this week and I have been using Firefox for over eight years with no problem. In some case like today a whole folder of bookmarks was gone. I have not changed any settings or added new apps to either the PC or Laptop.
Drewski

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database file in the Firefox profile folder.
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Bookmarks+not+saved#w_fix-the-bookmarks-file
If you have software like Advanced SystemCare that might reset some files to older versions to protect these files against changes then check the settings or uninstall this software.

After installing Lion os I cannot see my desktop 1 nor can I see my open windows when I go to finder, I just get the grey/black background that comes with mission control. Any ideas as to how to solve this problem?

The top picture is what my Desktop 1 looks like. And the picture below is what my desktop looks like after clicking mission control. Ive tried changing wallpapers, changing preferences, etc. and I still can't figure out what's wrong. As you can see, on mission control you can't see any of the open windows, or anything that I have placed on my desktop. Any ideas as to how to solve this issue?

Hello cor-el, thanks for your reply. I changed my settings for downloads to desktop and it has appeared on there. When I double click I am asked which program I want to open file. I click firefox and another box "opening install" says I have chosen to open the file which is an application and do I want to save it. This is the only real option so I press save file. I get a box saying this is an executable file which may contain viruses - do you want to run. I press ok and the final box showing C drive file name and desktop appears stating application not found.
This happens the same whenever I try to install.
To my untrained eye the application is not being recognised as an application and I cannot work out how to get it to do that.
My plugin is still showing as out of date.
Is there anything you could suggest. Thanks for your time.

Desktop background disappears, Mission Control doesn't work correctly

Sometimes it happens that my desktop background completely dissappears, and Mission Control stops working as well.
It seems to happen when I open a new window in a fullscreen app (like Safari), and while it's opening I switch to another space.
Whenever this happens, my desktop changes to the Dashboard background, and Mission Control doesn't show the other spaces anymore (but you can see active windows in your main space). I've added pictures below.
I can still swipe between spaces, my dock still works and all apps still work in all spaces.
Any way to fix this without rebooting? To avoid this happening (apart from me being more patient)?
This is my desktop at the moment:
And this is Mission Control:
I am using: Macbook Pro 5,4
OS X 10.7.1
2,53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

I am experiencing the same thing as most of us, exactly as explained by - Acid_Raccoon.
UK-Max - This is not just a specific problem involving external screens. The dissappearing wallpaper, and loss of function of mission control (do not show spaces, but you can click in empty area where it should be located and it actually works as normal) occurs also when there is no
external screen input involved - You have to restart computer for it to return to normal. As a matter of fact, I am experiencing it right now for the 10th time in 1 week period, and it´s quite annoying. I would guess more than just a few people are experiencing this, and as postmechanical mentioned about having a brand new computer - this shouldn´t occur, and if so should get a fix immediately.
Over time, I have experiencing other system problems produced from installing OS lion. Sure it deliver a few smart, and smooth features, but since more and more bugs are discovered (and not fixed by apple), I am considering returning to snow leopard. For instance, sometimes when my computer goes into screensaver, it can shift to a picture of pixels (black&white) in 4:3 screen ration. This has never occurred before installing Lion. Another thing which is extremely annoying is that since installing lion, my computer refuses to go to sleep when I close my lid. Nothing happens, and it just stays on. I have to manually select in apple-menu to sleep.
I really hope Apple take these notes people have mentioned in this forum (and others) seriously, and fix them. I really hope Apple show more custumer service-spirits, than Apple´s lack of hardware-quality. (I have owned 4 apple computers(1 powerbook G4, 1 macbook & 2 macbook pro), brand new, and 3 of them have experienced hardware-failure on more than one occasion in less than a year. The one that didnt required service was my powerbook G4 titanium, released in 2001, and kept going for 4 years straight without any problems.) (Actually, the last one experienced 3 times in-a-row mother-card failure). I only go for Apple´s products due to its smart and clean features (and seriously PC is not an alternative if you want to stay mentally healthy), but what I´ve been reading on multiple forums over the web, more than a few, experience occuring hardware problems with their Apple computer.
I guess this is the result of Apple trying to push for higher revenues. If Apple keep go in the same directions as it has been doing in the last 4-5 years it will be its doom, and loose the customers that once caught the Apple-wave due to it´s innovative and personal aspect, but most important - it´s superiour quality it once had! Apple´s products is quite expensive, and thus should be combined with its smart and innovative system, along with lasting quality. But if $ revenue is the only thing that keep Apple going nowdays, and produce smart product that is meant to last for only 2-3 years maximum, it is deeply disturbing and the company will loose track of what stevie was initially producing - clean, smooth system (just works, no migraine), with everlasting quality far seen in PC-world. Apple - please consider !

Mission Control Lion 10.7.3 assigning apps to desktops

How do I get an app to stick in a desktop.
I have the mission control desktop and then desktops 1 through 7.
I have them all opening up various applicaitons, but even though I move the app to the desktop I want, and I shut down with the app open in that desktop, on restart it opens up in the wrong desktop...always the same one, but always the wrong one.
iTunes - I put it in Desktop 7, its there when I shut down. It always opens up in Desktop 1. I don't have trouble with calendar, mail, addressbook.
Also, sometimes 'finder' folders that I have left open in a specific window when I shut down do not open up on restart. They do sometimes, but most of the time not.
Thanks!

If you are running the program ctrl+click on its dock's icon.
Choose Options -> This Desktop
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Keep getting message "You can't sign in at this time. Try signing in again" on iCloud.

Keep getting message "You can't sign in at this time. Try signing in again" on iCloud. No problem with iPhone or iPad, just desktop.

Keep getting message "You can't sign in at this time. Try signing in again" on iCloud. No problem with iPhone or iPad, just desktop.

Keep getting error message when I try to reinstall itunes

I tried to install the latest update but got an error message. Uninstalled itunes now cant get it reinstalled. Keep getting error messages

Go to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (Win XP) or Programs and Features (later)
Remove all of these items in the following order:
iTunes
Apple Software Update
Apple Mobile Device Support (if this won't uninstall press on)
Bonjour
Apple Application Support
Reboot, download iTunes, then reinstall, either using an account with administrative rights, or right-clicking the downloaded installer and selecting Run as Administrator.
The uninstall and reinstall process will preserve your iTunes library and settings, but ideally you would back up the library and your other important personal documents and data on a regular basis. See this user tip for a suggested technique.
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Some users may need to follow all the steps in whichever of the following support documents applies to their system. These include some additional manual file and folder deletions not mentioned above.
HT1925: Removing and Reinstalling iTunes for Windows XP
HT1923: Removing and reinstalling iTunes for Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8
tt2

How can I switch the first desktop in Mission Control?

I can switch between all others just fine. I've messed around with Mission Control in System Preferences but I haven't found anything useful. Right now if I want to switch say the first and second desktop, I have to...
enter mission control
drag app A from desktop 1 to desktop 2
enter mission control
drag app B from desktop 2 to desktop 1
enter mission control
drag app C from desktop 1 to desktop 2
Which is extremely frustrating.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are trying to do because the dragging applications around is making me unsure. I'll give you some information and maybe that will help me help you.
You don't have to go to Mission Control and move applications to change desktops. Three ways to navigate between desktops:
1. Hold down the control key and use the left/right arrows to change desktops.
2. Open Mission Control and click on the desktop you want to have showing.
3. Go to System Preferences/Keyboard, unlock if locked and select Mission Control. Check the boxes "Switch to Desktop X."
Two other possibilities I can think of:
1. Do you want to assign applications to a certain desktop?
2. Do you want the desktops to always be in the same order?

Position of desktops keeps getting rearranged in mission control

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