Users&groups preferences pane wants to open in 32-bit mode

Crazy isn't it? The users&groups preferences pane says: "To use the "Users & Groups" preferences pane, System Preferences must quit and reopen (like with 32-bit pps). when I click ok, it says: "Preferences Error, Could not load Users & Groups preferences pane."

I had to reinstall Lion, just running the installer again, not a clean install and the problem was gone. Just give it a try (hopefully) nothing to lose...

Similar Messages

Can't open Users & Groups preference pane?

I am only user on my MBA. I was going to add wife as another user, but each time I try open User and Groups in System Preferences I get:
Preference Error
Could not load Users & Groups preference pane.
I found this post on the same issue. I also recently upgraded to Mountain Lion from Snow Leopard. I tried to follow the suggestion to open via Terminal app by entering /System/Library/PreferencePanes/Accounts.prefPane, but only got response that it is a directory.
Armando

1. You have a corrupt user picture.
2. Read this whole message before doing anything. If you're not sure you understand it, STOP. Get someone with more experience to help you; e.g., by making a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store.
3. Back up all data if you haven’t already done so. Before proceeding, you must be sure you can restore your system to the state it’s in now. If you don't have backups, or you don't know how to restore from them without being able to log in, STOP.
4. Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/System/Library/CoreServices/Directory Utility.app
Rght-click or control-click the highlighted text and select
Services ▹ Open
from the contextual menu.* The application Directory Utility will open.
5. In the Directory Utility window, click the lock icon and authenticate. Select the Directory Editor tool in the toolbar. Select Users from the Viewing menu in the toolbar, if not already selected. Select your user account in the list. On the right is a list of properties and values. Select the property "JPEGPhoto" and delete it by clicking the minus-sign icondirectly below the property list. There are two such icons in the window. You want the one on the right, not the one on the left.
CAUTION: Do not click the minus-sign icon on the left, below the user list.
Then click the Save button in the lower right corner of the window. Quit Directory Utility.
6. Try again to open Users & Groups. If it still doesn't work, repeat the above steps with any other users you created. You'll need to reset the user pictures. Don't use the same ones.
7. Besides the users you created, there are many other items in the user list, representing built-in accounts. Don't change those accounts.
8. CAUTION: There is no "undo" in Directory Utility. If you make a mistake and delete something in the Directory Editor that should not have been deleted, restore your whole system from a backup and start over. I have no other help to offer in that case.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). Open a TextEdit window and paste into it (command-V). Select the line you just pasted and continue as above.

To use the "Users & Groups" preferences pane, System Preferences must quit and reopen.

When I try to access some of the system preferences in Mavericks I get an error pane that states "To use the “Users & Groups” preferences pane, System Preferences must quit and reopen."
Has anybody had this problem and if so what is the fix?

Usually happens if you opened one that was 32-bit. Then, you need to revert back to 64-bit.

Could not load Users & Groups preference pane.

Hi,
After upgrading to Lion from 10.6 i got this message. Preferences pane : Could not load Users & Groups preference pane.
I am unable to create accounts and access them.
I reinstalled the lion from the apple store again, and I cannot create, delete, or access the account setup.
Any help is appreciated.
thanks,
Francisco

I am still getting the same message :
Preferences error :
Could not load Users & Groups preference pane.
Every time i try to go to accounts I get that message.
Something is not allowing me to add accounts...
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 4 21:11 Accounts.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 14 14:29 Appearance.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 25 19:52 Bluetooth.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 May 25 21:36 DateAndTime.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 1 19:22 DesktopScreenEffectsPref.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 May 25 17:58 DigiHubDiscs.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 May 27 20:42 Displays.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 May 25 16:28 Dock.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 21 16:03 EnergySaver.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 25 18:46 Expose.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 May 25 17:51 FibreChannel.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 2 23:38 Ink.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Sep 23 20:57 InternetAccounts.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 25 18:50 Keyboard.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 1 15:58 Localization.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Sep 13 22:46 MobileMe.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 25 18:51 Mouse.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 11 19:46 Network.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Sep 13 22:15 ParentalControls.prefPane
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 21 Nov 9 23:03 PrintAndFax.prefPane -> PrintAndScan.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 21 16:14 PrintAndScan.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 23 21:20 Profiles.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 23 21:18 Security.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 25 18:47 SharingPref.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 20 14:47 SoftwareUpdate.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jun 1 22:27 Sound.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 31 17:15 Speech.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 17 14:33 Spotlight.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jun 20 17:54 StartupDisk.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 26 22:47 TimeMachine.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 25 18:51 Trackpad.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Aug 16 18:07 UniversalAccessPref.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Jul 12 16:42 Xsan.prefPane
drwxr-xr-x 3 root wheel 102 Sep 20 22:21 iCloudPref.prefPane
This is what i am getting.
THanks.

In MountainLion System Preferences, "iCloud", "Mail, Contacts, and Calenders", and "Software Update" all want to open in 32 bit mode. Security and Privacy won't open either.

As stated in the header,
iCloud
Mail, Contacts, and Calenders
Software Update
all want to open in 32 bit mode. Then when System Preferences quits and relaunches IN 32 bit mode, I get a dialog box saying "You can't open (pick one) preferences because it doesn't work on an Intel-based Mac." Moreover, Security and Privacy does the same thing only without the song and dance about quitting and reopening.
Whaaaaat???!!! I've never owned anything BUT an Intel Mac.
The "open in 32 bit mode" is not, and has never been checked in "Get Info"
I tried going to ~Library/Preferences and tossing all com.apple.system preferences files and rebooting. No joy.
It actually looks like some joker has included a bunch of PPC preference panes in my copy of MountainLion, except some of them are new to this OS.
My hardware is a mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro with4 gb of RAM, and a 500 gb hard drive, in three seperate partitions, running three Mac operating systems, one at a time. I have SnowLeopard in a small partition because I still have a few things that don't run in Lion/ML. Lion is still my main use machine in the largest partition, and when ML came out, I redistributed most of the unused space into a 3rd partition into which I did a clean install of ML in it's own partition so I could work through the growing pains without compromising my main computer. I'm glad I did it that way, but I DO want to get ML working properly, and I can't do that if I can't authorize third party software. Gatekeeper is currently in the way, and I can't get it to move.

I dunno, that doesn't make any sense to me.
I just shut down and rebooted into the SnowLeopard partition and took a peek at the preference panes. There are only 3 that run in 32 bit only. They are all 3rd party, and none of the prefpanes are non Intel. Like I said, I have never owned a PPC machine. Anyhow, SnowLeopard doesn't even have an iCloud prefpane, or a combined mail, contacts, and calenders prefpane, and the ML security and privacy prefpane is all new as well. The software update prefpane is Intel and 64 bit in both SnowLeopard and Lion.
As to the triple boot, unless I'm totally mistaken, what I have here is, in essence, 3 seperate descrete computers in one box. All using the same hardware. but one at a time. I wouldn't know how to get more than one running at the same time, without using a virtual machine, even if I wanted to. (Which I don't) I do sometimes transfer files from one to another using the shared folder, but other than that, they do not interact. How could ML system preferences be trying to launch prefpanes from a totally different machine?

Safari 5.1.4 breaks Google products and I want to open in 32-bit mode

As we all know, the new Safari update (5.1.4) breaks everything Google: Gmail, Docs, etc. There is a workaround, but it's NOT A SOLUTION: unchecking "open in 32-bit mode." Because when I do that, guess what? Other websites start breaking — like that of my chosen financial institution, for starters. So I'm going back to 5.1.1 until there's an update that fixes this problem.
Unless, that is, one of you has a brilliant idea that hasn't yet been mentioned in this forum.
<Edited by Host>

go here:
http://get.adobe.com/shockwave/otherversions/
choose "different version">full 64 bit and download - seems to have solved probem...let you know if it happens again

I want to open in 32-bit mode

to watch movies in Firefox, I need tobe in 32-bit mode. How do I get there from here?

On a Mac, Firefox 4 is a 64 bit application.<br />
Not all plugins support 64 bit and if not then you need to start Firefox in 32 bit mode to use that plugin.
# Close Firefox
# Open the Applications folder in Finder
# Right click or control-click the Firefox.app icon
# Select "Get Info"
# Select or Deselect "Open in 32-bit mode"
# Close the "Firefox Info" window
# Restart Firefox

Some system preferences panes won't open

I just installed Mountain Lionon my iMac. When I try to open the System Preferences panes for Notifications; Security & Privacy; iCloud; Mail, Contacts & Calendars; and Desktop & Screen Saver though, I get the message
To use the “[Name of pane]” preferences pane, System Preferences must quit and reopen.
Selecting OK causes the System Preferences to disappear and then come back, but that same error message is still there. How do I get rid of it so I can acess those panes? Thanks!

Yep:
Go to Applications folder
Select System Preferences
Enter Command I
Under General, deslect Open in 32-bit mode
Then try to acess what you were trying to earlier.
Good luck!

In settings can't open iCloud or internet accounts. Get message that preference pane can be opened.

Since upgrading to Maverick it can't open iCloud or internet accounts in settings. Get a message the the preference pane won't open.

Same here.
This was a big problem when switching from 10.7 to 10.8 and now it seems te be back, bigger than ever when going to 10.9.
All icloud related programs are effected: ical, icloud, adressbook, mail.
Systemprefereces goes easily to 100% cpu load and things like com.apple.icloud or com.apple.internetaccounts turn not responding.
At this moment it does not crash on my imac 2012. It still crashes om the imac 2009 and macbook 2009.
Someone mentioned to use keychain repair but that must be done in English mode!. It crashed in dutch mode.
I have not found a overall solution yet.
Will keep on looking or go back to good old 10.8.5.
Armand

System preferences opens in 32-bit mode

My system preferences pane opens in 34-bit mode. The 32-bit mode is not checked in the finder getinfo box, I'm not sure this has any negative effect on anything, although I wonder if some preference panes are assuming 32-bit mode as well. I tried some steps from previous posts (see: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11191454&#11191454) i.e. trashed the ,plists, and checked the architecture using the console (it has 3 architectures, including 64-bit).
Questions -
(1) how can I get this to open in 64-bit
(2) why is this happening?
(3) how can I tell if any other applications are running in 32-bit?

You may be able to repair this with The 10.6.3 Combo Update This is a fuller install, as opposed to an incremental "delta" update so it should overwrite any files that are damaged or missing. It does not matter if you have applied it before.
Remember to Verify Disk before update and repair permissions after update from /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.
-mj

ITunes will only open in 64 Bit Mode from Dock since Restore

I have only ONE big problem since doing a restore from my Time Machine backup-up for for Late 2009 iMac 27". For some reason I can only get iTunes to open in 64 bit mode if I put an icon on the dock???? It opens in 32 bit mode which is selected in the Get Info - Command+I if I open it from the Finder (which is my preference due to my many 32 bit Visualizers....) but if I put a shorcut icon on the dock REGARDLESS of what my settinigs are in the finder it Always opens in 64 bit mode and tells me my visualizers can not be loaded... Which I am well aware of!   What I don't understand is why this has just happened since reformating and restoring from a time machine backup???? Everything else... at this point appears to be working just fine.   BUT if I open iTunes from the dock... 64 bit mode no questions asked.... opened from Applications in the finder and it grabs my 32 bit mode Prefs?    This is really irritating. I have dumped caches, re-downloaded and installed iTunes.   Not sure what else to do???   Why is this ONLY happeningn if I put an iTunes link on the Dock?    Any help would be VERY MUCH appreciated.   Thanks.

Frank -
Here's the latest. I did the old standby of creating another Admin Account and the behaviour does not occur when logged into that account. So it appears that the restore somehow screwed up settings on my current account. I have indeed checked and there is no other copy of iTunes on my computer except for the DLoaded version of iTunes10.6 where I downloaded and tried to the re-install thing.
Of course still haven't heard back from Apple but I really wasn't expecting too this early. I guess that my next step is to transfer to the user/shared folder and change permissions on each and every folder/preference and file to the new Admin account... until I find out which setting is causing the problem.   To so this is a pain in 'arse' would be an understatement.
Also found out that Preferences has the same behavior as iTunes.   64 bit ALWAYS unless checked during that specific login and NOT started from the dock....   Strange though... both seem to hold the 32 bit (for the session) if run from 'recent', the Apple Menu, or the Finder???   As Alice would say "Curiouser and Curiouser"
My suggestion to ANYONE converting to LION (after this episode) is to back up and do a CLEAN install.   Obviously something from Leopard and Snow Leopard doesn't really like Lion that much.
I have been using computers since 1981 and Apples since OS 8 ... even had few dificulties with the OS X beta, but this one has me befuddled and somewhat irritated. I have thousands of dollars worth of software that I really don't want to have to re-install, re-register, but that may be the only viable option at this point.

HT201432 Open in 32-bit mode not in "Get Info"

I don't see the option to "Open in 32-bit mode" in my "Get Info" window. How do I get that checkbox to appear?

Looks like that particular pref. pane was written for PowerPC machines - you'd have to be running Snow Leopard or earlier for it to work at all
You may want to switch to something that is still supported, like Onyx
~Lyssa

A site I use every day told me today that it would only open in 32-bit mode. I cannot change this in system preferencees as suggested. Could anyone explain to me why suddenly, and how to change this? (MacBook Pro 10.6.8) Thanks!

Hi. I am in need of advice - and am not very IT savvy! I have a MacBook Pro 10.6.8 OS. A site I use every day told me today it would only open in 32-bit mode. I researched and found some advice on how to choose 32-bit mode in system preferences. I do not have that box to click in system preferences. Can anyone tell me as to why suddenly this has happened, and any suggestions on how to go back to 32-bit mode would be great! I did try restarting holding down the 3 & 2 keys as suggested too. No luck. Thanks for any help.

Does the site use 32-bit mode Java? If that's the case, you should have both 32 and 64-bit enabled though Java Preferences in your Utilities folder:
See what you have enabled...
Clinton

TS3934 Logic does not open in 32 bit mode

Macbook 10.8.5 running Logic Pro 9.18
OK ... I have tried the following.
Logic Pro highlight / get info and ticking "open in 32 bit mode" it shows as ticked
deleting user audio unit caches
running mac in 32 bit kernel mode
reinstalling logic Pro
NOTHING ..... Logic opens in 64 bit ..... I have loads of plugins that don't run in 64 bit ... i'm waiting until everybody is singing from the same hymnbook.
HELP PLEASE !!!!!!!

You are most likely opening some other copy of Logic that you (still) have somewhere else. There is no known issue with Logic Pro 9 not opening in 32 bit mode on any compatible Mac OS X system. As Jazz already said.

Aperture 3: Missing "Open in 32-bit mode" checkbox

If you installed Aperture 3 from a disc (vs. installing and registering through the Trial version), then if you do a "Get Info" on the Aperture 3 application, you'll notice that the "Open in 32-bit mode" checkbox is completely missing. To restore this missing 32-bit mode option, you need to start up your Mac in safe mode. To do that, hold down the shift key immediately after hearing the startup chime when you turn on the Mac. Here's Apple's help article on Safe Mode:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455
Tip: In order for the shift key to be recognized during startup, the keyboard must be plugged directly into your Mac, NOT into a hub of any sort.
HOWEVER.... if your boot volume is a RAID array, you cannot boot into Safe Mode. So, how do you restore the missing 32-bit mode option? Easy... Download the Trial version of Aperture 3 from Apple's site:
http://www.apple.com/aperture/
After you get the E-mail and have downloaded the Trial version, move your current version of Aperture 3 out of the Applications folder (I just threw mine in the trash). Then run the installer for the Trial version and, when it's done, run the newly installed copy of Aperture 3. Surprise.... it won't even ask you if you want to register or act any different than the copy you moved out of the applications folder a few minutes before. All of your photos and settings will load as if nothing has changed. However, if you go to the new Aperture 3 copy and do a "Get Info", there is your missing "Open in 32-bit mode" checkbox!
My assumption is that the Trial version is a slightly NEWER version of Aperture vs. what is on the discs you buy. After all, Apple had to get the discs into production at least several weeks (if not a month or more) before they announced the release of Aperture 3. It makes sense that the downloadable Trial version could be a little newer.
Mark

Curiously I used the Retail boxed version of Aperture 3 on two machines. On the first one, my quad core pro, the 32 bit option is missing. On the second machine, my macbook pro laptop, the 32 bit option is there. The quad pro runs like a dog on aperture and the laptop runs like greased lightning. I wonder if the missing 32 bit option means something went wrong with the initial installation? I can tell you for sure that the 32 bit option in my case had nothing to do with trial vs retail box versions.

Users&groups preferences pane wants to open in 32-bit mode

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