System Preferences gone!!!! Noobie

I recently purchased a G5 without the install disk and the System Preferences is missing in action and no where on the HD's...I looked everywhere!!! I do have an opportunity to purchase Leopard version 10.4, but can I upgrade back to my current version for free? Or is there some way of restoring the System Preferences without buying any new software?

Boot up from your Leopard install DVD by inserting it, restarting, and holding down C at boot time.
Then, follow the instructions to do an Erase & Install. This will completely wipe everything from the hard drive and reinstall everything from scratch.
If that sounds like overkill, keep this in mind: When buying a used Mac, there's no telling what sort of hacks, security holes, pirated software, keyloggers, password sniffers, or other even riskier stuff that may have been left on it by its previous owner. Using such a pre-owned Mac when you don't know its history is a Very High Security Risk. I would never even hook a used Mac up to the internet without a reformat and reinstall from the original install discs.

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My system preferences have suddenly disappeared! I have the language and text icon but that is the only icon that is displayed! where have my system preferences gone and how do i get them back??

I went to my system preferences today and they are all gone except for my language and text icon! I have the language and text icon but that is the only icon that is displayed! where have my system preferences gone and how do i get them back??

Double click on the picture of the HD on your desktop, then look at the bottom of the window that opens.
First check the S.M.A.R.T. status on your HD: Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility > in the panel at left, select the first item in the list/your HD mechanism > look atthe bottom of the main window next to S.M.A.R.T. status and see if it says “Verified” or something more ominous like “Failing.”
If S.M.A.R.T.status is "Verified," run Repair Disk: Boot from install disc (insert disc > restart > immediately hold down c key and keep holding it until you see “Preparing Installation”) > at first screen select the language and click Continue > click on the Utilities Menu in the menu bar > open Disk Utility > select your HD in the panel on the left side > click Repair Disk at bottom of main window. Run this at least twice, and keep running it until it says “appears ok” twice in a row. If that doesn’t happen, you may need a stronger utility such as DiskWarrior or if the directory is damaged beyond repair, you may need to reinstall the OS, or you may have a damaged HD (repair utilities can only repair the directory structure, not the HD itself). When this is finished, quit Disk Utility, quit the installer, and restart. Once booted normally, go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility and run Repair Permissions.

Bluetooth System Preference Gone / Can't Find Keyboard

i booted up my mac pro today and it couldn't find my wireless keyboard. I went to System Preferences and clicked on bluetooth and got the spinning beachball. Restarted and now my bluetooth preference is gone. Changed the batteries on the keyboard and no luck. Ran cocktail (repair disk permissions, etc) and re-set p-ram. Please help!

Same thing hapened to my Macbook overnight. I leave the computer on all night. When I left my Macbook, I know my Bluetooth keyboard and Mighty Mouse were working, but now all I get is Bluetooth: Not Available. I've restarted several times and nothing changes. I appreciate any help.

Where have System Preferences gone???

After re-installing the operating system, because it was no longer possible to log on to my iMac, suddenly there are no more system preferences. I select "System preferences" in the Apple menu and nothing happens.
Any ideas what to do or try to get access to system preferences back?
iMac G4 Mac OS X (10.2.x)

Hi Michael!
Is System Preferences still in your Applications folder?
Does it appear in the Dock?
Computer > HD > Applications: HERE?
In Another Of Your Posts, your computer specs state that you are running iMac G4 Mac OS X (10.3.5).
This post states iMac G4 Mac OS X (10.2.x).
What type of install did you do, to go from 10.3 to 10.2?
Is there a Previous System Folder on your HD?
When you discovered your Memory Problem, which OS X were you using?
Have you tested the new RAM?
Sorry for all of the questions, but I'm trying to lay some groundwork, to assist readers who may be able to help you.
When posting a question, it is best to divulge as much background info as possible.
All of your problems, seem to me, to be somehow related.
Good Luck!
ali b

Mighty Mouse - Mouse/keyboard system preferences gone

I have a bluetooth mighty mouse instaled in my computer but now I cannot access the mouse/keyboard preferences in the System preferences. They do not appear. The mouse is working just fine but I cannot change anything in the preferences. And I cannot watch the state of charge of the batteries either. I cannot see nothing. That tab is all grey now.
I tried also to do so via the bluetooth preferences but when I ask to open the Bluetooth preference of the mouse a window appears and says that the mouse preferences are not shown because I haven't any mouse connected to my computer.
I remember that when I had access I changed the name of the mouse.
I already deleted the connection and tried to re-install it again. But the mouse appears with the same name, and the problem persists.
Please... Any bright soul?

I have a slightly different problem: My bluetooth Mighty Mouse works in a basic mode (primary & secondary button, scroll wheel) but the side buttons and scroll buttons do not work. In the Keyboard & Mouse preferences, I have Dashboard set up for the scroll button and Expose set up for the side buttons. They do not work. If I set up the primary or secondary buttons for Dashboard or Expose, it works. In the Bluetooth tab, the Bluetooth Mouse Name is blank and Battery Level is grayed out. In the Bluetooth Preferences, it shows Mighty Mouse connected. Any ideas? I am running OS X 10.5.4 (but it didn't work in 10.5.3 either)

System Preferences Gone!? 10.5.8

HELP ME PLEASE
for reasons unknown... my system preferences dissapeared. Im running 10.5.8 in my mac. I need that someone with the same OSX Uploads the system preferences Archive or send it by email. pleasee!!

You will have to reinstall OS X. What you ask for is illegal and piracy.
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

System preference gone

I am trying to use an old office mac mini for a new job but it seem that who ever used it last in an effort to clear all personal information deleted system preferences along with just about everything else beside itunes and safari.
i have the install disk but i have tried many time to reboot it by holding c but it will not work i get a missing driver error
any clue on how i can wipe this thing clean
it is runnign 10.3.9

The original Mac Mini G4 model that shipped with Panther 10.3 in it,
had an install-restore disc set with a specific version of Panther.
That disc would say something to this effect: Mac OS X 10.3.7 (7T21)
and in order to have a working 10.3.9 system, that would have been
updated via downloads from the Apple Support software site.
If you did have that original set of software, the applications it had
when new could be installed along with a totally new system folder.
But without that installer set, you probably could consider looking
for a deal on Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.5; and the computer may need
more RAM installed, and since it is getting old, maybe a new HDD.
{An "Archive and Install" from the original install-restore disc set
could give you a working complete system folder; but there may
be damaged files or low-level corruption on the Mini's hard drive.}
There should be a DIY manual or instructions available online to
help you get into such a computer and do the hardware upgrade;
to be sure an OS X software upgrade was supported by the Mini.
However that works out...
Good luck & happy computing!

Systems Preferences gone.

I hope someone can help me out. When I go to open my Systems Preferences under the apple icon nothing appears. I used the finder to try to locate it and nothing was found. Is there anything that I can do to bring it back? Thanks for any help.
M

Welcome to Discussions - try force quitting finder by clicking on your desktop, then holding down the Command, Option and esc keys at the same time, then select Finder. If that doesn't work, reset your PRAM. Let us know how you make out,

System Preferences gone afoul

When opening my System Preferences I noticed that I now only have 4 useless items available. To my knowlwege I've done nothing to remove them. I've tried everything I can think of to get them back, but not luck.Could use some quality help.

"Pacifist 2.5.2 is a shareware application that opens Mac OS X .pkg package files, .dmg disk images, and .zip, .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, and .xar file archives and allows you to extract individual files and folders out of them. This is useful, for instance, if an application which is installed by the operating system becomes damaged and needs to be reinstalled without the hassle of reinstalling all of Mac OS X."
http://www.charlessoft.com/

System Preferences Gone Insane

Ive just restarted after installing new security update. And went to change some spaces. And it just went crazy. Check the pics:
Direct Link: http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1373/screenshot20100221at220.png
What wrong? Anyone?

If it were me I'd boot up into my clone and run DiskWarrior on the main HD. If you have none of these things, THIS site tells you how to firstly try starting up in *Safe Boot Mode* and if that doesn't help, boot up from your system disc in order to run *Repair Disk*.
If none of the above work, try downloading the 10.6.2 Combo Update and install it over the top of what you've already got. It might repair whatever's gone wrong.

System Preferences gone wrong

Currently i've set my wallpaper to my own pictures, and expose settings. After a while, the wallpaper turns blank (blue) by itself and the expose suddenly didnt work. i have to set it again in order to work. pls help.

You may need to rebuild permissions on your user account. To do this,boot to your Recovery partition (holding down the Command and R keys while booting) and open Terminal from the Utilities menu. In Terminal, type: ‘resetpassword’ (without the ’s), hit return, and select the admin user. You are not going to reset your password. Click on the icon for your Macs hard drive at the top. From the drop down below it select the user account which is having issues. At the bottom of the window, you'll see an area labeled Restore Home Directory Permissions and ACLs. Click the reset button there. The process takes a few minutes. When complete, restart.
Repair User Permissions
You can also try, User File Ownership - Reset see post by Linc Davis

Apple Menu System Preferences no longer works

When I click on the System Preferenes item under the Apple Menu, nothing happens, but when I click on the System Preferences icon in the Dock, the System Preferences pane opens normally. How can I reactivate the System Preferences item in the Apple Menu?
PowerMac 1.25DP MDD Mac OS X (10.3.9)

George,
Thanks for asking that question.
I offered this solution based upon similar successful advice which was given to another poster who solved this problem:Long story short I ended up reinstalling Mac OS X using Archive and Install. When I first used the computer following reinstalling Mac OS X, I was able to access the System Preferences by selecting them under the Apple in the menu bar. However, I have now updated my software using Software Update, and now I can't access System Preferences when I click on them under the Apple in the menu. The computer just acts like I never selected System Preferences.
Where have System Preferences gone??? provides another example of Previous Systems folder interfering with System Preferences.
Applications don't work after reinstalling Mac OS X explains a different problem with a Previous Systems folder: Example 1: You downgrade by performing an Archive and Install installation, but do not update to a later version of Mac OS X. The Previous Systems folder contains later versions of applications that may contribute to this issue.If you have proper backups, I recommend trashing the Previous Systems folder as soon as you can determine that the new system is functioning properly. The Previous Systems folders will either take up too much space or contribute to unexplained system problems.
;~)

Under APPLE MENU system preferences only opens sporadically, mostly not

Under APPLE MENU system preferences only opens sporadically, mostly not. I booted up with installation disk and ran a check but everything was alright. However, when I tried to click on items using the disk as a startup disk it frequently wouldn't function.

George,
Thanks for asking that question.
I offered this solution based upon similar successful advice which was given to another poster who solved this problem:Long story short I ended up reinstalling Mac OS X using Archive and Install. When I first used the computer following reinstalling Mac OS X, I was able to access the System Preferences by selecting them under the Apple in the menu bar. However, I have now updated my software using Software Update, and now I can't access System Preferences when I click on them under the Apple in the menu. The computer just acts like I never selected System Preferences.
Where have System Preferences gone??? provides another example of Previous Systems folder interfering with System Preferences.
Applications don't work after reinstalling Mac OS X explains a different problem with a Previous Systems folder: Example 1: You downgrade by performing an Archive and Install installation, but do not update to a later version of Mac OS X. The Previous Systems folder contains later versions of applications that may contribute to this issue.If you have proper backups, I recommend trashing the Previous Systems folder as soon as you can determine that the new system is functioning properly. The Previous Systems folders will either take up too much space or contribute to unexplained system problems.
;~)

Display System Preference Underscan Slider Gone

I always look for solutions in these support communities but have never posted one. Figure I was due as I was up till 3:30am fixing this problem, sort of.
My TV is a Mac mini with an old/ancient Sony WEGA LCD Projection TV for a display. When I upgraded from Mountain Lion to Mavericks, the image displayed was larger than the TV screen so the Menu Bar and Dock were not visible. I remembered using the Display System Preference Underscan slider to correct the issue but it's gone in Mavericks. Afer massive searching online, the only solution I found that worked was SwitchResX. It took a lot of setting tweaking and restarts but finally I have the full screen displaying now except it's shifted left a bit. That I can grin and bear. Still on the trial version.
http://www.madrau.com/indexSRX4.html
I have to agree with other posts I've read. Why does Apple remove features? First the ability to change resolutions in the Menu Bar and now this. Seems like Apple is sacrificing function for form these days. Sad and frustrating.

Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Quit System Preferences and delete these files:
Delete these files or folders then relaunch System Preferences.
Users/yourname/Library/Preferences /com.apple.systempreferences.plist
Users/yourname/Library/Preferences/By Host/com.apple.systempreferences.xxx.plist
and com.apple.PrefPane.Network.xxx.plist (the X's will be numbers)
Also, Users/yourname/Library/Caches
-mj

Airport icon gone from system preferences ?!

Airport icon in system preferences is gone!?

no, i ment the icon in network preferences, but maybe the wifi icon is the airport icon ?
I think i remebered a airport icon in the bar at the left in the network preferences? Or am i wrong ?

System Preferences gone!!!! Noobie

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