System preferences disappeared

My son's Imac has mysteriously lost its ability to open System preferences. I tried some of the solutions suggested in previous posts(trashing some preferences, etc) but without success . When I asked my son (age 11) if he did anything to cause this, he said he changed some passwords. Of course, I can't access his passwords without System preferences. What should I do ?

Jay ...a few other tips
System Preference Quits/Crashes/Lost a Preference Pane
(~ means your home directory)
Preferences folder corrupted
It has been reported that DiskWarrior has solved the problem in some cases
If you have trouble opening any system preferences. try this....
• Try logging on to OS X using another admin account. If the same problem exists, it is a system level problem..Try repairing permissions (from Disk Utility). Then log out out/login or restart and test the system preference again.
Corrupt Preferences......Quit System Preferences if it is open.
• Candidates for trashing of files......
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ATS.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.BezelServices.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist
~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.(title of item).xxx.plist
where - xxx is an alphanumeric string
~/Library/Caches/com.apple.preferencepanes. cache
(3) Empty the Trash.
(4) Log out/Log in or restart. If this did not help, go to ~/Library and drag the folder Preferences to the desktop. Restart and see if this solved the problem
• If it still doesn't work, try deleting the contents of all the cache folders on your mac:.... or use ONYX....
/library/caches,
/system/library/caches,
~/library/caches within their home folders.
You may need to log in as root to accomplish this. Then reboot and test.
Next step... ....
- Quit System Preferences, if it is open.
   - Navigate to ~/Library ..... drag the "Preferences" folder to the desktop.
   - Restart and test your applications.
   - If this works, delete the old preferences folder. (You'll have to go through some of your System Preferences and apps to set the preferences back to how you like them).
Navigate to ~/Library/Fonts ....... drag this folder to the desktop.
   - Restart and test your applications.
   - If they work start adding the fonts back few at a time.
( A likely suspect is Time RO, also if you do not use Classic you can trash the classic fonts.)
• If that doesn't help, try disconnecting all peripheral devices except for monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and resetting the PRAM, then test before reconnecting any peripherals.
george

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HT201250 i was trying to manually erase files from my macbook air. at one point, my system preferences disappeared from the dock and i had a pop up message telling me the application was 'incomplete'. I tried to reinstall iLife but i wont work.

I used the small key that comes with the air but it doesn't seem to be doing much. Am i supposed to be reinstalling OS X or iLife? I tried OS X and I didn't see much difference except for the return of my system preferences and safari which had initially disappeared, but I'm still missing the App Store and iPhoto. I can't reinstall iLife either.

Try a few things: 1) restart in safe mode (restart holding the shift key) and this will repair the drive (if need be) and trim/delete cache files. Restart normally.
2) if you use iPhoto or Aperture launch the program and then empty the trash folder of the program(s). Launch your Mail program and check out how much is in the Trash and Archive folders. You can delete the really old stuff if there is any.
3) Download omniDiskSweeper (free) to see what's on your drive. Be careful about deleting anything that isn't in your personal drive space and be very careful about deleting anything in the Library folder.

Help ! System preferences disappeared on me !

I just recently started using the iMac so while i was "experimenting" I accidentally dragged the System Preferences icon from the dock and it disappeared with a dust cloud After that i tried to restore it by dragging system preferences from the menu bar to the dock. This didn't work though. Then when I tried to open System Preferences from the menu bar again nothing happened. Can anybody explain to me what i did wrong and how to restore this without having to reinstall everything ???

The "real" System Preferences application is located in your Applications folder. Simply drag the System Preferences icon in the Applications folder to the Dock. That will restore it in the Dock.
Normally System Preferences is not in the Finder's toolbar unless you put it there.
Now, if you cannot find System Preferences in the Applications folder then that means you probably have deleted it. If you have not emptied the Trash then open the Trash (click once on its icon) window and drag System Preferences out of the Trash and back to the Applications folder. If you have emptied the Trash then your life has gotten a bit more complicated, and you will need to extract a new copy from your OS X Installer Disc. To do that see the following:
How to Use Pacifist to Replace Deleted OS X Applications
Insert the OS X Installer DVD into the optical drive. Use a simple utility like TinkerTool to toggle invisibility so you can see invisible items. Alternatively, open the Terminal application in your Utilities folder and at the prompt enter the following:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles Yes
Press RETURN.
To turn off the display of invisible files repeat the above command substituting No for Yes.
The install packages are located in the /System/Installation/ folder on the DVD.
Download the shareware utility Pacifist from VersionTracker or MacUpdate. Use it to extract a fresh copy of the missing item(s) from the file archives on your OS X installation DVD. The file archives are in the /System/Installations/ folder (use Go to Folder option in the Go menu of the Finder.)
Here are Four Basic ways to use Pacifist (courtesy of George Orville.)
A. Drag a .pkg icon onto the Pacifist window .....proceed to step 7.
B. Click on “Open Package ....” and navigate to package desired and click “Open” in the open/save window.....proceed to step 7.
C. Insert Mac OS X installer CD and when it mounts, navigate to .... Menu->Go->Go to Folder.
In the path field enter or paste ....
/Volumes/disc name/System/Installation/Packages (where disc name is the name of the CD/DVD that you inserted.
• Click on the "Go" button .....
• Drag a .pkg to Pacifist..... proceed to step 7.
The package you'll need will have to be discovered by trial and error, but for most applications you should start with the Essentials.pkg and/or Additional Essentials.pkg.
D. Insert your Mac OS X install disk 1 .... and open Pacifist.
1. In Pacifist, select "Open Mac OS X Install Packages" ... dialog may appear asking for disk 2, then disk 3 and finally disk 1 again.... {if DVD is not used)...If “Stop Loading” is selected...the procedure will stop!!!
2a. When loading is complete, a new window appears, click the triangle to display contents of each package...Select item and proceed to step 7.
2b. or click the “Find” icon in the Pacifist window and type the name of the software you need.
3. In the list that comes back, click the top most entry for the item that you want. ..... that is the one for the English language.
4. On the top of the Pacifist window, click “verify” .... you will probably be prompted for your password.
5. Enter checks for.... “verify permissions” and “verify file contents.” and click “verify” ....enter password when prompted.... you will get back output which may look like this:
20 files were scanned.
20 of 20 files were present on the hard disk.
0 of 20 files had file permissions that did not match those specified in the package.
0 of 20 files had checksums that did not match those specified in the package.
6. Click “close”. Go to step 7.
Extract or Install........
7. In the Toolbar (upper left), you now have the option to extract or install. Click a file in the lower list and those two icons will be enabled.
8. If “Extract to...” is selected.... navigate to the location where the file will be placed, select “choose”, select “extract” in new dialog that appears,authenicate , if prompted, click “OK”.
9. In the next dialog, click “Extract”.
10. If “Install” is selected... dialog will appear with the location/path of the installed software. Click “Install”
11. Type in your password, click “OK”
• Pacifist will begin to extract files.
12. In steps 8/10ß.... you also have the choice to “cancel”
Notes.....
• Pacifist may find that a file it is installing already exists on the hard disk. Pacifist will present you with an alert panel....
Stop
Leave original alone
Update ..... Default selection
Replace .... Replace option should only be used on full install packages

Security Icon in System Preferences Disappeared

Just recently I have a recieved a Wireless Mighty Mouse and in the process of installing the software that came with it, my security icon in System Preferences has disappeared. It shows a lightswitch instead. Any ideas? Here is a picture:
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/8378/picture1db0.png

thefarky,
Quit System Preferences if it's running and trash the following file:
Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Caches/com.apple.preferencepanes.cache
Then launch System Preferences and hopefully the Security Icon will return to normal appearance.
;~)

System Preference icons corrupted after 10.4.7?

Following installation of 10.4.7, there's prpblems with the graphic card: some icons, particularly in System Preferences, disappear or appear completely garbled.
Has anyone the same issue and found a fix?
Thank you!

Repairing Permissions and/or Resetting the Power Management Unit (PMU) may resolve certain issues. It can’t hurt so perhaps it’s worth a shot.
PERMISSIONS
Go to: Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
Select: your Hard Drive
Select: the First Aid tab
Select: Repair Permissions
PMU
Resetting the Power Management Unit (PMU) is known to resolve certain anomalies and may well help with your symptom.
If the computer is on, turn it off.
Disconnect the AC Adapter and remove the computer's battery.
Press and hold down the power button for 5 seconds and then release the button.
Reconnect the battery and AC Adapter.
Press the Power button to restart the computer.
Ref: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303319
User's Guide: page-95
Regards,
MBP-15" / 2.16 / W8612... Mac OS X (10.4.6) G4 Tower (OS 9/10), Dell 620 WorkStation (XP Pro), Gateway P4 (XP Home)

System preferences and panels

I was having trouble with Entourage (Microsoft Office 2004) not quitting when I told it to and hanging up my shutdowns. I tried a few things, then decided to run disk repair and verify. Right after that, my system preferences disappeared from the dock and elsewhere on my MacBook. Now, it appears I have two problems to resolve. Ideas?

Hi Shoofly!
Sounds like your System Preferences could use some help.
First, have you tried doing a Search to find your System Preferences panel? If not, click the Spotlight icon top right of your Desktop. In the Search field that opens, type in: System Preferences. At the top of the list it will say: Show All. Click where it says: Show All. When that window opens, look for System Preferences. When you see it, select it and then click the circle on the right with little "I". That will give you the path to find the System Preferences Pane. When you locate it, double click so it launches System Preferences. You will see it in the Dock at this point. Click Sys Prefs in the Dock, then click, Keep In Dock.
As for Microsoft Office 2004. Sounds like the sys preferences file for that application needs repair. Here's how to do that. Locate this file: com.microsoftoffice2004.plist (It may not have that exact wording but it's close). It should be located here: Home/Library/Preferences. Open the Preferences folder, locate the .plist file, drag it to the Trash, empty the Trash and reboot your MacBook. See if Microsoft Office behaves. If not, you may need to reinstall the software.
I hope something I've suggested helps!
Carolyn

Account icon systems preference

The 'Account' icon in the Systems Preference disappeared. Without that I can't manage my user accounts and implement parental control. How can I recover that? My iMac was bought end last year so the software version is new enough.
Thanks in advance.

Greetings,
I'm not sure what you mean by "the software version is new enough". New enough for what?
The current version of the Mac OS is 10.6.7, make sure you are up to date.
Check to see if the Accounts Pref Pane is still installed:
Macintosh HD > System > Library > PreferencesPane > Accounts
If the Accounts.prefPane is present simply double-click on it to launch / reinstall it.
If the Accounts.prefPane is not present, try searching for it by name using File > Find "Accounts.prefPane"
If you cannot locate and restore the PrefPane then you'll need to reinstall the Mac OS: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/8177.html
Hope that helps.

My system preferences are missing

At some point in the past month, my system preferences have disappeared. I am an admin on my machine, but although the other admins have their system prefs visible, I do not. I could create a new account and that may work, but I'm wondering if there is perhaps an easy fix or if it might be a recurring problem. Any thoughts?

Has System Preferences disappeared from the Apple memu, or from the Dock?
If it's from the Dock, open the Applications folder, then drag the item System Preferences to the Dock; wait for the exisiting items to part, then park System Preferences onto the Dock.

My system preferences dissappeared

My system preferences disappeared when I click it said it is damaged Thanks for your help

Where are you clicking it? In the Dock?
See if the Apple Menu > System Preferences opens it correctly.
Do you have a backup?
As Niel said, you may need to restore the System Preferences application, however the 'damaged' status may indicate that the disk is failing. Run Disk Utility to see if it has any errors, use the Verify/Repair option & the Repair permissions option for the boot disk. It's safest to do this when booted from the original 10.6 install disks, select Disk Utility a few screens in (it's in the top menu).
If you don't have a full backup I'd suggest making one now.

Username 'disappeared' from System Preferences List

System is a MAC Mini with 8GB of memory and 250GB SSD with a 4TB Pegasus R4 subsystem. It is running Mavericks 10.9.4 and Server 3.1.2. A month or so ago one of its non-admin users disappeared from the System Preferences User list and from the server app's Users list. The user is unable to connect to the server. When I tried to recreate the user I was told that the shortname is already in use. Changing the name of the folder in /Users doesn't change anything.
I need to either regain access to the username or delete the username so I can create it again.
Can anyone help me?

The following command will output a list of local users. Is the one in question included?
dscl . -list /Users

System preferences icons disappeared!

My friend has a problem ... several icons from "System Preferences" simply disappeared one day. Now he doesn't have Accounts, Desktop & ScreenSaver and several others!
Does anyone have any idea why this happened and how to solve it?
Come on guys, he threatens to go back to HP/Vista if he doesn't solve this
Thanx!

Before you get too drastic, try creating another user account (with admin privs), log into it and see if you have the same issue. If not, (everything is "normal" in the test account) copy the entire prefs folder from the test account to your account, overwriting "existing" folder. Then log back into your account and see what you got. Doing this will mean that you will have to reset all of your prefs but at least you will not have to reinstall. The thing is, if you do an "Archive and Install" that preserves your user prefs, you are very likely to have the same problem in the new system. So resetting your prefs is going to need to be done anyway. If you do have the same problem in the test account, that would indicate a "global" issue in which case a reinstall would be in order. Also, assuming that everything works in the test account, you could temporarily use that as your "main" account and delete the messed up account. Then you could create another account (from "test"), give that new account the same name and password as the original one, log back into that account and not have any ownership issues.

My system preference, powner off, restart disappeared after installing lion twice! Anybody can help?

After installing Lion on my Imac, the System Preference option in the apple menu (Apple sign on top left side of desktop) has disappeared. In addition, the power off, restart options are gone too. I have reinstalled the Lion twice but the problem hasn't been resolved yet. This is happening when I am logged into adm. user. In other users account, the menu seems to be ok. Any suggestions or recommendation to help me fix this issue?

Let me clarify the issue again:
A number of items have gone missing from my apple menu: Software Update, System Preference, Dock, Recent, Restart, and Shut Down are gone.
All that's left are About, Location, Force Quit, Sleep, and Log Out. Can anybody help?

Bluetooth Icon disappears and no Bluetooth in System Preferences. Can anyone help please. Have reset PRAM and SMC, but this does not work at all.

This issue happened randomly. I was working away and the bluetooth just disappeared. The first time this happened, I reset the SMC and it solved the issue. Now, nothing seems to work including removing the bluetooth plist file. Any ideas on how to fix? Thanks.

To find out if it's system wide or user specific, try this...
Open System Preferences>Users & Groups, unlock the lock, click on the little plus icon, make a new admin account, log out & into the new account.
Does it work in the new account?

System Preferences Toolbar and Toolbar Button have disappeared

My Systems Preferences toolbar disappeared, and so did the small button in the upper right that toggled the toolbar off and on. Any ideas on how to fix this without reinstalling OS X?
I do not know when the toolbar disappeared (I don't change preferences often), and I do not know if any specific actions or software installations/upgrades caused the problem.

iTBotB,
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Quit System Preferences (if it's running) and trash the following file: Macintosh HD/Users/username/Library/Caches/com.apple.preferencepanes.cache
Then launch System Preferences again and check for functionality.
There is no toolbar button on the System Preferences window. My toolbar only has the following selections: ←/→, "Show All," and a "Search" field.
;~)

Display pane disappeared in Systems Preference, how do I get it back?

Display pane disappeared in Systems Preference, how do I get it back?
I've looked everywhere, tried the restart in Restore mode, that didnt work...any ideas?

Select
View ▹ Customize...
from the System Preferences menu bar. If the missing icon appears, check the box next to it, or click Show All. Then click Done.

System preferences disappeared

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