My *System Preferences* doesn`t open

[joey4127]

When I click on it, it doesn`t do anything.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Repair permissions.

If that doesn't help, ditch the preference file: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

Edit: I'm assuming you haven't just installed some dodgy 3rd party PrefPanes...

[Jaffa Cake]

Also... is it the actual app icon you're clicking, or the one in the Dock? I know in the past a couple of my Dock icons have 'lost' the app or file they should open.

[joey4127]

Repair permissions.

If that doesn't help, ditch the preference file: ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

Edit: I'm assuming you haven't just installed some dodgy 3rd party PrefPanes...

That exact file isn`t there

[wrldwzrd89]

How about the System Preferences cache folder:

~/Library/Caches/System Preferences

Is that there? If it is, delete it.

[joey4127]

How about the System Preferences cache folder:

~/Library/Caches/System Preferences

Is that there? If it is, delete it.

Not there

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Just to be sure: you know the ~/ stands for your home folder, right...?

[joey4127]

Okay, i ditched ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist but still not working.

When I go to the apple on the top left and click dock then dock prefs, window full of prefs like expose/display..etc pups up, but when i click on one it does nothing.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Did you try to repair permissions, or...?

(You did empty trash after throwing the pref file, right...?)

Also, have you tried the easiest of solutions, a reboot...? Preferably after throwing the pref file and repairing permissions...

(And you never answered the question on whether you had installed anything prior to the problems...)

[joey4127]

Did you try to repair permissions, or...?

(You did empty trash after throwing the pref file, right...?)

Also, have you tried the easiest of solutions, a reboot...? Preferably after throwing the pref file and repairing permissions...

(And you never answered the question on whether you had installed anything prior to the problems...)


I only updated to Tiger but it worked fine till about 2 days ago and I didn`t install anything.

[joey4127]

Please help me...I really need that Prefferences :confused:

[mkrishnan]

Please help me...I really need that Prefferences :confused:

I know how frustrating it is, but can you please at least say yes or no to the question of whether you repaired permissions? :)

[joey4127]

I know how frustrating it is, but can you please at least say yes or no to the question of whether you repaired permissions? :)

Yes, i ran Cocktail and McJanitor twice and then restarted my computer. I got rid of that file you said and restarted and still tha same. I don`t think I installed anything that might have killed it, but I was playing with the Ape thing for your Dock which was located in The Prefferences section and I deleted the Ape thing.

[joey4127]

This is the folder i got rid of ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

[mkrishnan]

Yes, i ran Cocktail and McJanitor twice and then restarted my computer. I got rid of that file you said and restarted and still tha same. I don`t think I installed anything that might have killed it, but I was playing with the Ape thing for your Dock which was located in The Prefferences section and I deleted the Ape thing.

Okay, next step.... (I'm assuming that when you ran Cocktail, you actually did repair permissions...MacJanitor doesn't do that, AFAIK.) Open the Console utility in the Utilities folder. If you don't see a left-hand pane, click the Logs button at the top. Open the ~/Library/Logs tree and then the CrashReporter tree inside. Do you see an entry for system preferences? If so, copy and paste it in here.

[joey4127]

Okay, next step.... (I'm assuming that when you ran Cocktail, you actually did repair permissions...MacJanitor doesn't do that, AFAIK.) Open the Console utility in the Utilities folder. If you don't see a left-hand pane, click the Logs button at the top. Open the ~/Library/Logs tree and then the CrashReporter tree inside. Do you see an entry for system preferences? If so, copy and paste it in here.

Nope, but a lot of other things crashed :p

[wrldwzrd89]

I've got one more suggestion. Do you have a ~/Library/PreferencePanes or /Library/PreferencePanes folder? If you do, check in there for that "APE thing" you mentioned or any other third-party preference panes that might be causing problems. Move them elsewhere temporarily if you find any (or just move the whole folder if it exists), then try launching System Preferences again.

[joey4127]

I've got one more suggestion. Do you have a ~/Library/PreferencePanes or /Library/PreferencePanes folder? If you do, check in there for that "APE thing" you mentioned or any other third-party preference panes that might be causing problems. Move them elsewhere temporarily if you find any (or just move the whole folder if it exists), then try launching System Preferences again.

/Library/PreferencePanes folder is empty
~/Library/PreferencePanes folder i now emptied and still same thing

No Ape thing anywhere

[joey4127]

IT WORKS!!! Thank mkrishnan, no more trash :p

[altair]

IT WORKS!!! Thank mkrishnan, no more trash :p


wat da....

What did you do to fix this?

[bmargulies]

I've got a G4 laptop here which is experiencing an enhanced version of this problem.

System Preferences is gone .. and so is a significant portion of the installed operating system. No Utilities folder is to be seen at all. There are no interesting logs. Disk Repair finds some things to fix, including unknown types in inodes.

We've reinstalled Tiger from scratch now several times, and this melt-down has ensured each time.

[wrldwzrd89]

I've got a G4 laptop here which is experiencing an enhanced version of this problem.

System Preferences is gone .. and so is a significant portion of the installed operating system. No Utilities folder is to be seen at all. There are no interesting logs. Disk Repair finds some things to fix, including unknown types in inodes.

We've reinstalled Tiger from scratch now several times, and this melt-down has ensured each time.
Something's wrong with your laptop's hard disk. That's the only explanation I can think of given what you posted.

[zach]

Yeah, there's gotta be some disk surface problems if stuff KEEPS disappearing... I assume you tried zeroing the disk already...

[mkrishnan]

wat da....

What did you do to fix this?

If you delete system preferences.app, then you will not be able to access preferences. But a new copy will make everything right as rain. :)

[killuminati]

The quicktime icon in my system preferences is missing (the text is there but it is blank above it. This started after I updated to QT 7. Will deleting that file you guys said fix it? And by the way, what does deleting those files do?

[joey4127]

If you delete system preferences.app, then you will not be able to access preferences. But a new copy will make everything right as rain. :)


Even worse if you empty the trash can :p