System Preferences Stuck In Spaces

I was using a 2 column, 3 row layout for Spaces when I accidentally deleted the second column. Now System Preferences, which was assigned to that column, is stuck IN Spaces. Meaning that when I press F8, the 3-window spaces screen pops up with the System Preferences window overlaid on top. The result is that I can't use System Preferences, and can't re-add the second column. What do I do?

Force-quitting doesn't help -- System Preferences simply reloads in the Spaces page (F8 screen) without assigning itself to another space. And I can't reassign it because the buttons/checkboxes on System Preferences are inaccessible...

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Help Quickly Please: System Preferences Stuck Between Spaces!

Please help me people. My system preferences window is stuck between my spaces. I can't chang any setting on my mac now because of this. I'm hoping that I can get help for free from the apple community instead of paying someone who might not be able to fix it! Even when I quit system preferences and restart it still appears there. I even tried restarting my macbook but its still not working!
Please Help!
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36803476@N03/3629972332/

Never saw this before.
You probably wouldn't have to do an erase and install but rather an Archive and Install. Try booting from your install disk first.
Insert the installer disk and Restart, holding down the "C" key until grey Apple appears.
Go to Installer menu (Panther and earlier) or Utilities menu (Tiger and later) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in the left panel.
Select First Aid in the Main panel.
(Check S.M.A.R.T Status of HDD at the bottom of right panel. It should say: Verified)
Click Repair Disk on the bottom right.
If DU reports disk does not need repairs quit DU and restart.
If DU reports errors Repair again and again until DU reports disk is repaired.
When you are finished with DU, from the Menu Bar, select Utilities/Startup Manager.
Select your start up disk and click Restart
If that doesn't help, try deleting this file. com.apple.windowserver.plist
/Users/YourName/Library/Preferences. Drag that file from the Preferences folder to the Trash, empty the Trash and restart your Mac.
Carolyn

When I go to system preferences expose and spaces is not there for me as an option. What can I do to restore it?

I have tried to fix permissions and restart and that did not help it show back up and I have also deleted the system preferences cache and still nothing. What can I do?

I also miss the grid layout of spaces. In fact, I'm considering downgrading back to Snow Leopard just to get it back. I used to use command+arrow keys to move around in my grid of spaces. I used to use a hot corner to initiate spaces, then another hot corner to initiate expose while "zoomed out" in spaces. I used to be able to click any window of any app in any space and move it to any other space. I used to be able to move an entire space to another location.
Now I've upgraded to Lion and I cannot do any of that. Serious downgrade, serious loss of efficiency. I've taken the time to learn how Lion handles all this. I've taken the time to change options to try to make MC more efficient. Simply put, it's a downgrade that breaks something great from Snow Leopard.
For example: Initiate Mission Control while on desktop 1 and I see a window on desktop 2 that I want on desktop 3. In order to move that, I have to first switch to desktop 2, initiate MC, then move the app. Not to mention, if that window were under another window, I'd not be able to see it at all!
For example: In SL, to go from space 1 to 9 on a 3x3 layout, I could use command+right, down, down, right. On Lion, I have to use comand+right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right. seriously? Sure, I could use command+9 (if that's even where Lion decided it wanted to keep the app!), but I prefer the efficiency of using 1 hand to do the keyboard shortcut.
Tell Apple you want the option of having spaces in a grid again. Who knows, maybe if enough of us do, they'll bring it back: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html
Message was edited for grammar by: pistolpete_sf

Loading Security and Privacy System Preference stuck

Clicking "Security & Privacy" does NOT take me to setting window. Instead all I see in title bar is "Loading Security & Privacy . . .".
Don't know if this is related but I download an update from EASTWEST Sounds for their PLAY engine, and I got an error indicating I could not open the install package because it was not signed or downloaded from the App store.
Then I clicked Security & Privacy and nothing happened.
I rebooted, still same problem.
I found a workaround on the Internet to get the software installed, however I still have a stuck "Loading Security & Privacy ..." title bar.
Workaround was to type in Terminal:
sudo spctl --master-disable

I think you misinterpreted. This command "sudo spctl --master-disable" solved my problem of not being able to install PLAY which did NOT come from the Apple Store but was downloaded from the SoundsOnline.com website.
Let me try to rephrase.
1) Downloaded PLAY update
2) Tried to install and got message that I could NOT install because it didn't come from Apple Store
3) Went to System Preferences and clicked Security & Privacy
4) Got "Loading Security & Privacy ..." in status bar, but the screen never displayed (like it was stuck)
5) Looked online for solution
6) Found that I could still install downloaded file from SoundsOnline if I typed in Termainal sudo spctl --master-disable
7) Typed in Terminal sudo spctl --master-disable then tried to install downloaded PLAY file
8) It worked!!! Software installed
9) Typed in Terminal sudo spctl --master-enable to reactivate it.
System Preferences is still stuck ONLY when I click "Security & Privacy". Nothing happens.
Hope this made it more clear

System Preferences stuck after Yosemite upgrade- advice on reverting to Maverick from Time Machine backup?

I just upgraded to Yosemite from Maverick overnight on my mid 2012 MacBook air via app store. On first boot up this morning, I did NOT choose to encrypt my hard drive or use iCloud during set-up. I was proceeding thru the set-up steps, then got an unresponsive iCloud system preferences window, with a small drop down window to set up an apple id, asking for birthday, security questions, etc. I have an apple id, and drop down is too small to reveal security questions or allow me to respond. Quit didn't work, and I started trolling this support site to find out what to do. I finally managed to force quit it just now. I am NOT a power user, I use my computer for email, photo organization, internet surfing, and some docs and spreadsheets. (I retired and switched to MAC to avoid all the microsoft BS, and haven't looked back. :-)
After reading all the posts here of people having trouble with yosemite on my critical uses, (email, etc) and the complicated answers to fix things, I am really out of my league. My goal now is to get to where I was last night before the upgrade, and wait until Apple fixes the many issues people are discovering before trying Yosemite again. I did do a complete Time Machine backup prior to the upgrade. My questions:
1. What issues, if any, are people having after reverting back to Mavericks after a Time Machine recovery?
2. Are there any special instructions to do this restore that are not in the standard restore instructions? Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support
I am a bit concerned to move forward, so any advice or re-assurance will enable me to take the next step. I am gonna hang out and see what I hear before I take the plunge to time machine restore!

Yes, Mavericks has smashed people's old backups.. start a new backup in a different location.. or archive off the old backup from the TC onto a USB drive.. wipe the drive and start again. You can then access the backups on the USB any time you want.. plug it into the computer and use TM to look at the files.
Spend a bit of time reading how TM works.
And what you can do with it.
http://pondini.org/TM/Home.html
Even if you just skim through FAQ.. check out how to mount TM backups from another mac..(effectively your old Mountain Lion install is another mac).
http://pondini.org/TM/17.html
Keeping your old backup intact makes good sense.. !!

System Preferences stuck

What's up? I am trying to connect a new PC onto the same livebox that my mac is using. Unsuccessfully. Now, when on my MacBook I click 'network' on system preferences, I get a flap saying 'your network settings have been changed by another application'. I click the OK but the message will not go away. It prevents me from accessing my network page. The only way to get rid of it is to 'force quit' system preferences. Did the new computer do this? Annoying, especially as the new PC will not connect onto internet. It replaces an old one that already was on the same livebox.

Hi , and a warm welcome to the forums!
It was the latet Security Update that did it, many posts & fixes for it here.
Try Jna's cure here...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1730909&tstart=0
Or a really long thread here...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1712387&tstart=0

System Preferences stuck on "Loading iCloud..."

When I click on the iCloud icon in System Preferences window, "Loading iCloud..." is displayed at the top of the window, and the system basically locks up. The color disc is spining, and I cannot open other applications, force quit anything, or shutdown the system from the menu. I have to physically puch the button, and then restart the system.
I'm also having a problem with Aperture in which it locks up shortly after it opens, and it is showing "Updating Mobile." I cannot gracefully quit Aperture; I have to Force Quit it from within the Activity Monitor. I'm now wondering if these two situations are related.
George

It appears that the Aperture problem was due to a corrupted image stored in MobileMe that was being accessed when Web albums were being synchronized. Deleting the album containing the corrupted images seems to have resolved the problem. I've been running for a few days now without any problems.
The iCloud System Preferences is another, unrelated problem.

Unable to open AirPort options sheet in Network System Preference

Hi there,
There are several posts (and a Radar bug number, 4273111) reporting a certain difficulty with systems that have been upgraded to Tiger. For some reason: When viewing the AirPort network interface in the Network system preference, certain installations do not allow one to open the "Options" sheet.
To reproduce:
1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on the Network system preference.
3. Show -> AirPort.
4. Click the "Options" button.
Normally, this should open an options sheet. However, on three separate systems I've encountered that have been upgraded to 10.4.x from earlier versions of Mac OS X (Jaguar to Panther to Tiger), the sheet does not open at all. Console reports the following when the button is clicked:
2006-11-07 09:55:22.206 System Preferences[379] * Assertion failure in -[PreferencesApp _commonBeginModalSessionForWindow:relativeToWindow:modalDelegate:didEndSelector :contextInfo:], AppKit.subproj/NSApplication.m:3057
2006-11-07 09:55:22.229 System Preferences[379] Modal session requires modal window
I've tried replacing the following items (then repairing permissions after each attempt) with a known-good copy from another 10.4.x system (same OS version/build in each case—as of this post, tested through 10.4.8), without effect:
/Applications/System Preferences.app
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
/System/Library/PreferencePanes/Network.prefPane
/System/Library/Frameworks/Preferences.framework
I've seen references to a similar error in Safari that was able to be fixed with a reinstall of Safari—apparently, something corrupted in WebKit.framework. I'm presuming something similar would work here (and it's been reported that an Archive and Install will fix the problem, but that's certainly overkill to correct such an issue).
I've got clients that are not happy about this and the problem has apparently been documented for well over a year now. The following Discussions threads cover it as well:
"can't open airport options"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1125018
"Network system preferences stuck"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1123291
"Airport Preferred Networks"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=722797
I'm happy to lend whatever troubleshooting assistance I can, so if anyone else out there can similarly recommend files I might try replacing that I've not already mentioned here, or any other information that could be helpful, I'd certainly appreciate it!
Thanks much,
MBJ
PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) 1.0 GHz, 1 GB RAM, AirPort

I'd also try trashing...
/Users/nnnn/Library/Preferences/com.apple.internetconnect.plist
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sharing.firewall.plist

Optic disc drive not working for picture cd's. System preferences won't let me change off ignore.

When I insert a picture cd, it just gets spit back out. When I check under system preferences, in the space asking what to do when a picture cd is inserted, it defaults to ignore and I can't change it. Any ideas on how to resolve this? DVD player works fine. Music cd's sometimes work. Thanks.

Catherine, welcome to the forum.
Yes, I can feel your irritation. I have been there many times myself. Therefore, the reason that help on the forum.
Have you tried this software to see if it will help you. I have never used it, but thought that it is worth a try.
If this doesn't work, your next stop may be with ASUS Tech Support. They know their products best and will possibly have a better understanding of your problem.
Please click the "Thumbs up + button" if I have helped you and click "Accept as Solution" if your problem is solved.
Signature:
HP TouchPad - 1.2 GHz; 1 GB memory; 32 GB storage; WebOS/CyanogenMod 11(Kit Kat)
HP 10 Plus; Android-Kit Kat; 1.0 GHz Allwinner A31 ARM Cortex A7 Quad Core Processor ; 2GB RAM Memory Long: 2 GB DDR3L SDRAM (1600MHz); 16GB disable eMMC 16GB v4.51
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**Click the Thumbs Up+ to say 'Thanks' and the 'Accept as Solution' if I have solved your problem.**
Intelligence is God given; Wisdom is the sum of our mistakes!
I am not an HP employee.

System Preferences Sound Input is stuck at Soundflower (64ch). I can't change it!

So, I have a mid-2010 MacBook Pro running OS X Yosemite (latest version). (250GB HDD, 4GB RAM, 2.4 GHz)
I wanted to record some commentary for my video and to use the mic I went into System Preferences > Sound > Sound Input.
With my mic connected, I tried all of the 4 options (picture below), but then after closing and opening System Preferences again, the sound input is stuck on "Soundflower 64ch).
When I try to change it (e.g. Built-In), it "crashes", but not really: It selects the option I clicked for a second or two, then the list disappears and says "No Input Devices" briefly, then the list reappears with "Soundflower 64ch" selected.
Please help, I've tried some solutions I found online, like restarting the laptop, repairing disk permissions, even a code for Terminal.
Thanks to anybody in advance.
UPDATE: ****, I think my Mac is possessed or something. It shows the ring of death when my mouse is on the System Preferences window, and when I try to take a screenshot of the list itself, it lags and doesn't let me take it until "No input devices found" appears.

Either remove "Soundflower" or refer to its developer for support.
Any third-party software that doesn't install by drag-and-drop into the Applications folder, and uninstall by drag-and-drop to the Trash, is a system modification.
Whenever you remove system modifications, they must be removed completely, and the only way to do that is to use the uninstallation tool, if any, provided by the developers, or to follow their instructions. If the software has been incompletely removed, you may have to re-download or even reinstall it in order to finish the job.
I never install system modifications myself, and except as stated in this comment, I don't know how to uninstall them. You'll have to do your own research to find that information.
Here are some general guidelines to get you started. Suppose you want to remove something called “BrickMyMac” (a hypothetical example.) First, consult the product's Help menu, if there is one, for instructions. Finding none there, look on the developer's website, say www.brickmymac.com. (That may not be the actual name of the site; if necessary, search the Web for the product name.) If you don’t find anything on the website or in your search, contact the developer. While you're waiting for a response, download BrickMyMac.dmg and open it. There may be an application in there such as “Uninstall BrickMyMac.” If not, open “BrickMyMac.pkg” and look for an Uninstall button. The uninstaller might also be accessed by clicking the Customize button, if there is one.
Back up all data before making any changes.
You will generally have to restart the computer in order to complete an uninstallation. Until you do that, there may be no effect, or unpredictable effects.
If you can’t remove software in any other way, you’ll have to erase and install OS X. Never install any third-party software unless you're sure you know how to uninstall it; otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
Trying to remove complex system modifications by hunting for files by name often will not work and may make the problem worse. The same goes for "utilities" such as "AppCleaner" and the like that purport to remove software.

Cant find expose and spaces in system preferences

I cant seem ti find "expose and spaces" in system preferences. Can anybody help please?

Welcome to the Apple Support Community!
If you upgraded from Snow Lepoard OS 10.6.x that had Exposé and Space, then those two have been integrated into Mission Control in Lion OS 10.7.x. You can learn more in the Apple KB article Mac 101: Mission Control. Mission Control is in System Preferences. Another source of info about Mission Control, Exposé and Spaces is from the Help menu in the Finder. Just type any one of those elements in the search box and you should get a few articles that are connected to each other.
HTH

System preferences is stuck!!!HELP

So I open up my sytem preferences to change my desktop wallpaper but it just stays stuck on "loading images". It has never done this before. So I force quit it and open up system preferences again but it just goes back to the same window. It doesn;t even show me all of the other things like network,printer etc etc. It just opens to this..
I know its blurry but this is what pops up everytime I click on system preferences. It doesn't go away even after rebooting the computer. As you can see it just says "loading images. It stays frozen on this. I cant go back and or click anything. PLEASE HELP

Open Finder, select Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Preferences and delete com.apple.systempreferences.plist and com.apple.desktop.plist

Using Spaces (in the System Preferences)

I have enabled the Spaces from the System Preferences to keep my programs more organized. I am a graphic designer and I use almost every program of the Adobe Suite on a regular basis. I had put the different programs in four different spaces because I often have many windows open each program, so I like to keep them separated. When I move to a different program in my Adobe Suite my toolbars disappear and I have to hit Tab a couple times to get them back. This is very annoying especially when I am in the text tool. I am about to disable the Spaces. But I want to see if anyone out there knows what I can do if anything.

I have to press tabs twice occasionally and I don't find that too much of an encumberance for the time being

Using Spaces (from the System Preferences)

I have enabled the Spaces from the System Preferences to keep my programs more organized. I use almost every program of the Adobe Suite on a regular basis. I had put the different programs in four different Spaces because I often have many windows open each program, so I like to keep them separated. When I move to a different program in my Adobe Suite my toolbars disappear and I have to hit Tab a couple times to get them back. This is very annoying especially when I am in the text tool. I am about to disable the Spaces. But I want to see if anyone out there knows what I can do if anything.

Nothing yet, Tiffany. Nobody has admitted responsibility for that glitch. Probably its just one of those things which has to do with development cycles and timing. CS3 was created and released before Leopard was available. Adobe seems to be on the next version and this issue doesn't really matter to them. Apple keeps changing their system often enough it is hard for the engineers who have to keep up with all the changes. The net result is that problems don't get addressed while new features are prized because they seem more valuable to the marketing department who appears to be dominant at Adobe.

How do I turn Exposé/Spaces off, without access to System Preferences because I disabled it's space?

I accidentally disabled a column of spaces where I had my System Preferences running, in "Exposé and Spaces".
Now I cannot access my System Preferences at all.
I can see System Preferences as a running application in the doc and command tabbing though running applications. I can also get to it this way and see the menu bar on the top of my screen and click through the menus and drop down menus, however I cannot see any windows.
I know that I can open different windows for if the System by selecting something in the drop down menus. Then I see the selected window if I click and hold down on the dock icon of the system preferences. However, as soon as I try to click on the window it disappears.
I know that my problem would be solved if I could turn off Spaces but how do I do this if I cannot access it though System Preferences?

After a long struggle and research I found a solution.
I discovered Spaces exists in the Utilities folder in Applications.
When I opened the application from here it gave me the 3 spaces I had assigned, vertically displayed, with the system preference window sitting, outside and fairly large, hovering, partially infront of it all the other screens. After several tries of grabbing and disappearing it finally let me drag and drop the window into one of the screen.
I am really relieved now!!

System Preferences Stuck In Spaces

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