Restart = no finder, no icons, no menu-bar, nothing

My computer froze when trying to eject a DVD of files that was burned. Had to force a restart, and when that happened, it was fine until I logged in. Then there was/is no finder, no menu bar, no icons, no ability to access anything within the computer. Any ideas on what this might be and how I might fix it? Have applecare, but wanted to check first before I dove into a lengthy phone wait and probably someone telling me I need to reinstall everything Any help appreciated. Thanks!

maybe your system files got corrupted, you could try to boot from OS CD and run "archive and install" - it will create new system folder.
make sure "preserve user and network settings" option is selected.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301270

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No icons on menu bar

I previously had spotlight, time, language, ect. icons on the menu bar but now there is only the gmail icon. I tried clicking on the options of adding icons on menu bars, but it doesn't work. For example, i click "show time and date" and when i switch panes, it resets itself. Spotlight and others doesn't work either. So if anybody can help, I really appreciate it.

Hi, Dale —
Seems as if there've been a lot of folks lately who've encountered problems with SystemUIServer — the process that manages the right-hand side of the menu bar.
Troubleshooting this may require several rounds of interacting. For now, try these:
(1) Delete the preferences file ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systemuiserver.plist, restart, and reset as required in System Preferences
(2) Disable all "system enhancers" — including especially any 3rd-party Menu Extras — that you may have installed. Some of these may show up in System Preferences »» Other. In particular, disable or uninstall Application Enhancer (APE) if it's there.
Please post back to share your progress, and we'll take it from there
HTH!
Regards,
Dean

ITunes icon in menu bar

I was looking at a friend's Powerbook G4, he had an iTunes icon (rewind/play-pause/ff) icon in menu bar, next to clock etc.
I can't work out how that icon gets there.
Any clues please?
My iTunes is 5.0.1 (4)
btw - my friend has gone away, so can't ask him!

It' not an iTunes feature. Some 3rd party applications can put some items in the menubar.
Go to versiontracker.com and search for 'itunes menubar'.
You will find a few applications that can do what you have seen.
M

Why is the Time Machine icon in menu bar not spinning when backing up? It stop working when I changed to Maverick.

Why is the Time Machine icon in menu bar not spinning when backing up? It stop working when I changed to Maverick.

my imac came with lion and don't think it ever span with lion and mtn lion and now maverick not sure if it's a setting

How do you remove unwanted non mac icons from menu bar? ie. mcafee

how do you remove unwanted non mac icons from menu bar? ie. mcafee

Yep. MacKeeper is a nasty program.
See: http://applehelpwriter.com/2011/09/21/how-to-uninstall-mackeeper-malware/
Phil Sokes' website.
http://www.reedcorner.net/beware-mackeeper/

Unwanted MobileMe icon in menu bar

This is what I did:
I went online and ordered a power adapter replacement for my iPhone. I was asked for my Mac Support username and pw.
Then, after doing so, the MobileMe icon suddenly appears on my menu bar. (I've never subscribed to this).
I then went to system prefs then MoblileMe (wanting to remove said icon from menu bar). I was told that I had changed my password and that I should type in my new one (?). I tried a few of my pw's (for the heck of it) to no avail. I'm now unable to get into MobileMe prefs and I seem to be stuck staring at this (ugly) icon. I checked my keychains, nothing.
(I did do the 6-month trial on .Mac when I got my MB last Feb. but I wasn't into it. The pw I had for that's not working either.)
Any suggestions?

This is the iSync forum. The MobileMe forums are here:
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=116
Anyway, an 'ugly' MobileMe icon in your menu bar? Do you mean the Sync icon, which looks like 2 arrows in a circular formation?
If so, to get rid of it just hold down the command key (to the left of the space bar) and drag it out of the menu bar.

No airplay icon in menu bar

no airplay icon in menu bar (Apple tv 3, mavericks)

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
You will see the AirPlay icon on the menu bar by two reasons:
1. Your computer is compatible with AirPlay Mirroring > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5404
2. Your computer has detected an Apple TV in the network.
If both things are done, you will see the AirPlay icon. You can see which Mac you have got in  > About this Mac > More Info. If your computer isn't compatible, you can use an application like Beamer or AirParrot

Removing 3rd Party Icon from Menu Bar

Just switched from being a PC user for years to Mac. I have a 21.5 in iMac and I thought it was a good idea to install an anti-virus program, in this case McAfee security (Mac Trial Version). I did not like how I could not access some websites (www.cnn.com, www.yahoo.com, etc). I tried to drag-n-drop any files using Finder with the name "McAfee" into Trash, but the old McAfee icon is still sitting on the menu bar. To remove it, I tried the "Command key/drag off the menu bar" move, but it would not work. I tried starting the activity monitor and I noticed a file called McAfee reporter. Even forcing it to close does not work as it reappears on its own after a few seconds. Finally, I attempted to edit the start-up menu (Apple icon--> System Preferences --> Users --> Log-In Items), but the program does not exist in that menu. I also resorted to restarting the Mac three different times, and the dreaded icon still appears. It's not affecting performance, but I hate clutter and I want this icon removed from my menu bar. If anyone has any advice on this issue, please let me know. I have also sent an e-mail in to McAfee, but I doubt they will be able to help unless they are proficient Mac users.

I am not sure if this will help anybody in the future, but here is what I discovered on the McAfee community forums. This worked for me (OS X 7.2), but bring up your Terminal window (Launchpad --> Utilities --> Terminal) and follow these directions. The password they are referring to is the password you set up for your Mac:
To uninstall McAfee Security:
1. In the Terminal window, type the following
command and press "return".
/usr/local/McAfee/uninstallMSC
2. When prompted, type your password and press
"return".
NOTE:
No characters appear when you type your
password.
When the uninstallation process completes, a message
appears in the Terminal window stating that McAfee
Security 1.0 beta 2 version has been uninstalled
from your computer.
I cannot take credit for this fix, but here is where I located the information.
https://community.mcafee.com/message/21696#21696

Icons in Menu Bar disappearing

Since installing Yosemite 10.10 the icons in my menu bar disappear and reappear constantly. All that remains is the spotlight icon (the File, Edit, View, etc. tabs are unaffected). From what I have read, not many others are experiencing this, since I haven't been able to find a forum regarding this problem. Anyway, one thing that might be relevant is that when installing Yosemite, my MacBook Pro shut off. The battery was fully charged. When I turned it back on, the MBP restarted the installation process and now I'm here. Aside from problems with iTunes 12.0.1.26 not detecting my iPod Classic, which many others seem to be experiencing, this is the only issue I have with Yosemite. Should I just wait for an update? I've posted two screenshots of exactly what it looks like with and without the icons. I named my MBP gucci little piggy after a track on Ok Computer haha.

that's what I was referring to, yeah.
Yes, when I entered it in terminal this was the result:
Last login: Wed Dec 3 17:46:05 on console
Macintosh:~ Jonah$ ps -axwwwww | grep -i uiserv
2618 ?? 0:00.23 /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app/Contents/MacOS/SystemUIServer
2622 ttys000 0:00.00 grep -i uiserv
Macintosh:~ Jonah$
Looks like my font has changed haha. Anyway, when I manually run it, it forces the icons to appear briefly, but then they return to flashing at seemingly random intervals. At one point I was spamming the .app and occasionally two sets of icons would appear in the menu bar; one set on the right where they normally appear, and another set of identical icons including my user name, time, battery life, etc. appeared in the middle of the menu bar. That led me to believe the problem may be independent of the SystemUIServer.app
When I created another user the problem wasn't there! Nice! Unfortunately I'm still stuck with the notorious flashing.

Sync Icon on Menu Bar? What does this mean? How can I get more info on it?

I just noticed for the first time, a SYNC icon on the Macbook Pro/Lion menu bar and it is going strong - twirling its little heart out. Im not sure what this is or what it is doing. Im having a feeling something got set up (I dont really know what Im doing ) that had to do with maybe syncing a calendar with Google? for an Android phone? Is t here a way I can check out what this is and what its doing - It just keeps twirling around so Im not sure what its doing or how long it will take and I dont know that I want it doing wh atever its doing. Maybe it has something to do with contacts? The only option I can find when I click on the icon, it says 'cancel sync.' Is there a way to "get info" - and find out what its doing. I dont want it twirlling forever as I assume thats going to eat up the battery...I dont have anything set up to sync consistently so I dont know whats its doing or whether I should stop it. Its been going on for like over 5 minutes and that doesnt seem right to me

If it's a one-time "glitch," you can try restarting your computer with the iPod still connected. Try ejecting again after the restart.
If the problem recurs, you may have a process running (other than iTunes) that is accessing the iPod's storage. When connected, the iPod's "disk" is like other mounted volumes. This process may be some type of utility that continously monitors your mounted volumes for security reasons, such as to prevent access by malware.
If you know of such a program that you have running in the background, there may be a setting to exclude your iPod's disk.

Unknown icon in menu bar

I have an unknown icon in my menu bar. Ir It looks like two long, downward pointing triangles with a smaller triangle pointing up in the middle. The number 1 appears just to the right of the icon. When I mouse over it, I get the beachball spinning cursor, so I can't find out what it really is.

I think the problem is in the menubar, not the dock.
Some things to consider trying:
What happens when you restart your computer? Same again?
What happens if you quit SystemUIServer from Activity Monitor?
(It will relaunch, but maybe without the problem icon.)
You could try trashing the SystemUIServer preferences in your home directory/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systemuiserver.plist and then restarting SystemUIServer from Activity Monitor.
charlie

Date/time icon and other movable icons on menu bar cannot be loaded on startup,but it works if manually loaded

Strange things happened since my mbp 13' (MD-101) was upgraded to 10.8.4 ----------- time icon, battery icon,and language icon (these icons can be moved when held Command key and drag) cannot be loaded on startup, but they still can be loaded when you get into System Preferences and manually turn them on, as well as iStat Menus
However, some other icons didn't bother, things like BetterTouchTool, NewsBar. They are immovable!! I guess it is the key factor that the icon is movable or not making the difference.
Someone please lend me a helping hand?
I've attached some pictures in order to make my situation easier to be understood.
these icons can't be loaded on my loggin in.
but they can be loaded manually
however, these icons will be loaded on startup
I've almost despaired to resolve it . Thanks for your help!

I have a similar issue. When the computer goes into "Hibernate" mode -- that is, it loses power while sleeping and it writes the contents of it's memory to disk in order to boot into that exact configuration when woken up -- many of my icons when Apple-Tab'ing to another application appear as static. They look like a slightly colorized version of the "static snow" you see when tuning into a station that doesn't exist on a UHF antenna television. Also, icons in Chrome such as web sites "favorite icons" or favicon.ico (the icons that appear in the URL bar and bookmarks) will be scrambled in the same fashion , at first , until the actual icon is loaded.
Between this, my menu bar and finder icons not displaying, and being unable to boot into safe mode, I'm getting quite ******. I have no idea what the **** is going on with my Macbook Pro. The issue of the scrambled icons actually existed prior to installing an SSD and doing a fresh install of Mountain Lion. I may end up throwing in the towl and re-installing the operating system but I'm sure SOMETHING will happen. It seems the latest update, 10.8.2, is absolute garbage.
What the ****, Apple? And I really don't want to take the computer to the morons at the Apple Store. They are not "geniuses" by any measure.

Icons in menu bar and standard menus are invisible!

I'm having an issue with OS X 10.8.2 on my 15" (not Retina) Macbook Pro (late 2011, Core i7 2.4 GHz w/ 16GB RAM and SSD);
The majority of system icons in the menu bar "extras" area (that is, to the right near the date/time in the menu bar) are blank. The area where the icon would be located is responsive to clicks, and drops a menu item down upon click, but the icons themselves are invisible. The same goes for Spotlight which has a spot for it's icon and responds to the hotkey of Apple + Spacebar, but the icon itself is invisible. The only icons that are visible are third party programs that run and place themselves there such as Little Snitch, and the battery low ("red" battery) indicator icon; other battery icons are invisible.
Also invisible/blank are the icons for going back and forward in a Finder window as well as the back/forward icons in System Preferences sub-dialogs. The icons for choosing labels, changing the way Finder windows display (their view options), and a few others that I cannot name as I cannot see them are invisible as well. Icons that would normally display to the left of "All My Files", "AirDrop", "Applications", "Desktop", et cetera in the Finder window do not display, either.
I have tried installing the 10.8.2 Combo Update and using the Disk Utility "Repair" and "Verify" Filesystem options but neither fixed the issue. I have tried deleting the cached plist files for the SystemUIServer as well but there was no change in the icon display (or, that is, lack of display!).
I am running Mac OS X 10.8.2 (including the Combined Update) on the late-2011 Macbook Pro 15" w/ 2.4 GHz Core i7 (default 4GB memory and 750gb HDD; upgraded to 16GB of RAM and a Crucial M4 256GB SSD). I cannot recall if the problem started after I updated any system software or not; I upgraded to 10.8.2 via buying OS X Mountain Lion from the App Store so that I would have a copy on USB to install after replacing my HDD with my SSD. Everything worked fine on fresh installation, and I am not sure at what point the icons disappeared.
Does anyone have any insight into this problem, and more importantly, how to correct it? Please see the screenshots below for a proper illustration of the problem I am experiencing. The sole icon visible, with the two columns, is Little Snitch 3.0.
   ^-- Clicking the menu bar battery icon (except, there is no icon!)
   ^-- Finder window with the icons for back/forward, view options, icons for location list items on the left, etc. missing
   ^-- System Preferences dialog, with icons for the back/forward function missing.
    ^-- Help window with the icons for back/forward and some other function missing.
Thank you in advance!
Brandon

I have a similar issue. When the computer goes into "Hibernate" mode -- that is, it loses power while sleeping and it writes the contents of it's memory to disk in order to boot into that exact configuration when woken up -- many of my icons when Apple-Tab'ing to another application appear as static. They look like a slightly colorized version of the "static snow" you see when tuning into a station that doesn't exist on a UHF antenna television. Also, icons in Chrome such as web sites "favorite icons" or favicon.ico (the icons that appear in the URL bar and bookmarks) will be scrambled in the same fashion , at first , until the actual icon is loaded.
Between this, my menu bar and finder icons not displaying, and being unable to boot into safe mode, I'm getting quite ******. I have no idea what the **** is going on with my Macbook Pro. The issue of the scrambled icons actually existed prior to installing an SSD and doing a fresh install of Mountain Lion. I may end up throwing in the towl and re-installing the operating system but I'm sure SOMETHING will happen. It seems the latest update, 10.8.2, is absolute garbage.
What the ****, Apple? And I really don't want to take the computer to the morons at the Apple Store. They are not "geniuses" by any measure.

Bluetooth, Airport, sound icons in Menu bar flashing

I just recently bought a new iMac and installed Leopard but I am having a problem with the Bluetooth, Airport and speaker icons on the menu bar, they keep flashing, and when I went into system preferences I found that each items checkbox to show in the menu bar was unchecked, and when I tried to check them they kept flashing to unchecked. I hope this doesn't sound too confusing, but it's driving me mad.

I don't know if this is going to help anyone, but I found this message after I encountered the very same problem. I had just upgraded to Leopard and everything was fine except the flashing Bluetooth, Sound and Login icons on the right hand right of the Finder menu. Also, the clock wasn't visible at all. As Kevwadd said, enabling these items in System Prefs did nothing, as they would uncheck themselves as soon as I checked them.
After trying just about everything, I decided to disconnect my external drives and hubs to see if it made any difference? Hey presto, when I disconnected one particular Lacie firewire drive, my menu items reappeared. The strange thing is that my Mac could read the data quite happily on the drive, but having it connected was definitely the cause of the problem. So I backed up the data on it and reformatted it. After that it's been fine.

Huge gap between icons in menu bar

Lately the menu bar will randomly throw in a huge gap between icons. Initially I thought it was a specific app, but now it's happening with all sorts of random icons there...definitely not the same icon each time.
The icons you see on the left are the ones I launched after the gap appeared.
Restarting my machine seems to be the only solution to removing the gap.
http://share.shpigford.com/images/menubargap-20090323-113604.png
Message was edited by: Josh Pigford

I've tried trashing the prefs for this and have the icons down to just the Apple ones. Then, as I slowly add other menu bar items, they'll start adding the gap directly next to the Apple items.
http://share.shpigford.com/images/menubar-20090507-074520.png
But the thing is, it doesn't matter which items are on the left. Different ones can be next to the gap and it still is there.
Restarting or logging out/in so far has been the only fix (albeit, temporary).

Restart = no finder, no icons, no menu-bar, nothing

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