Very srange behavior in osx

Question

hello,
I have 10.4.8 and have just recently started to experience very strange behavior with osx.
1) random reboots
2) strange items showing up in finder (see linked picture)
3) items have been removed from the left side of my finder window (customized folders for music, film and photos...all gone)
3) mail application turning into a folder in dock, and when it does load it doesn't have a blue dot by unread mail.
4) applications not loading, just bouncing in the dock and the nothing
I ran a virus scan and nothing came up....most troublesome are the files showing up in finder...again, please take a look at the linked picture.
http://static.flickr.com/97/281490449d4411cd02ao.png
Thanks for any help.
Steve

Answer 1

Hmm. I'd suggest running Apple Hardware test that came with your computer and see if it turns up anything. Run both the short and long tests.
I'd also suggest running the Disk Utility from your OS X install disc. Make sure you're doing the "Repair Disk" and not just the permissions repair. If it makes repairs, run it again until it says the disk is OK. If you have disk corruption problems, they could show up as a problems like these.
As for the files showing up in the Finder, they look like they're temporary files from sqlite, which is a database engine that can be embedded in applications. I'd suggest trying to figure out what was running at the time those files get created. Perhaps one of your applications uses sqlite to store its data.
About the only other thing I can tell you is that Mail turning to a folder is disturbing, but not surprising, since you have other problems. Many applications on OS X are really bundles of files in a special folder that appears to the Finder as an application.
charlie