Finder Won't boot

[coopdog]

Hi I'm running 10.2.6 on a 350 G4. Yesterday I booted up the computer and the dock came up but not the finder. So i tried to click on the finder icon in the dock and nothing happened. All the other apps in the dock work, I can go on the internet and sleep it and so on.

Then I booted from the Jag CD and repaired permissions and the boot disk. That didn't work either.

My desktop picture comes up and all the apps that are in the Dock work it's just that the Finder won't start for anything and because of that I can't get into any folders or the hardrive.

Please Help!

[bennetsaysargh]

i can't think of anything but re-installing jaguar and trying that.

[MacsRgr8]

Finder prefs damaged?
Trash them from: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by MacsRgr8
Finder prefs damaged?
Trash them from: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
yes, which you can accomplish by running terminal and typing:

rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

followed by [enter]

[coopdog]

Thanks a lot guys. But how do i get into the console if i can't get into any folders its not in my dock.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by coopdog
Thanks a lot guys. But how do i get into the console if i can't get into any folders its not in my dock. hahahaha, oh god this is insane. this is why i keep it in my dock. what apps do you have in your dock? if you have MS word, there is a way to create links to apps on your computer which you can execute by clicking them in word... hit cmd-k in MS word to do that. i bet there is a way to do it from other word documents too.

if that doesn't work, you can download youpi key (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/11485&vid=75326), which allows you to make macros for your apps and such. just set one up for terminal and rumble. by the way, make sure you save that to your desktop... you can see desktop items, right?

[tjwett]

Originally posted by coopdog
Thanks a lot guys. But how do i get into the console if i can't get into any folders its not in my dock.

don't you have your the Trash can in the Dock? that's a folder.

[bennetsaysargh]

wouldn't he not be able to see the things on the desktop? the desktop is the finder. that would make downloading a little hard.

can you see the stuff on your desktop?

[coopdog]

no i cant see desktop items :( only my dock. I have the apps folder in my dock and because finder won't boot i can't open it and get to terminal.

I used to have the terminal in my dock but after my mom used the computer it would be oped and aol.com would be typed a bunch of times.

[FredAkbar]

But...can't you right-click (or control-click) on the Applications folder in your Dock, and get to the Terminal from there? I just tried it by quitting the Finder and then right-clicking on the Apps folder in the Dock, and it worked.

[coopdog]

I got into console through the login window >console but that command didn't work :(

[bennetsaysargh]

do yo have your HD in your dock? if you do you can look around for the finder application by going to
Your HD/'System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.

make sure you chosse the second finder because the first is a fake.

hope it works:)

[FredAkbar]

Try rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

Shadowfax put -rf in his/her post...the -f wouldn't hurt, but isn't -r just for directories?

[FredAkbar]

Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
do yo have your HD in your dick? if you do you can look around for the finder application by going to
Your HD/'System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.

make sure you chosse the second finder because the first is a fake.

hope it works:)

Even if you don't have your HD in your, um, Dock, you can still open Terminal (yes I still say you can do that) and type:
open /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app

Good luck!

[Nermal]

You could always go into single user mode (Cmd-S at startup) and delete the damaged file from there.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by FredAkbar
Shadowfax put -rf in his/her post...the -f wouldn't hurt, but isn't -r just for directories? [his]
yes, i figured it was unnecessary, but didn't think it would hurt. i guess it's definitely worth a try.

[pseudobrit]

Get access to another Mac -- hold f down at startup and use your Mac as a Firewire drive.

[bennetsaysargh]

actually, you hold down t for target disc mode.
i;m not sure what f does. if it does start it up oin FW disc mode, then t is an alternative.

[pseudobrit]

My fault; it is indeed T. I believe this would be the most practical solution to his problem.

What he could also do is copy another computer's Dock .plist (with Terminal in it) to get Terminal up and running. I imagine that's crazy enough to work.

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
actually, you hold down t for target disc mode.
i;m not sure what f does. if it does start it up oin FW dick mode, then t is an alternative.

Oh, and I'd love to hear more about this FW dick mode. :p

[Wes]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
Oh, and I'd love to hear more about this FW dick mode. :p

iBrator isyncs with the beat of itunes.

[coopdog]

Thanks for all the responces!


Ok, I put another HD in my comp and boot from the Jag CD and installed Jag on the 2nd HD so now I have full access to my files. I looked for the file you guys told me to delete the com.apple.finder.plist and it wasn't there so I guess I deleted it.

But, finder still won't start so I'm going to mess around and see if i can get it to work. Thanks!