My documents,desktop, iTunes, iPhoto wiping every time I restart?

[JazzyK]

Ok I recently posted about losing all my files after restarting, I recovered them using a combination of disk warrior and disk drill, but every time I restart my mac it wipes everything. The desktop is cleared all my documents all programs go back to the initial stages like they have never been used, all cookies and browsing history is gone it is as though I'm a new user but my home drive is still in my name... would love it if you could solve this mystery for me..it's driving me insane!

[LPZ]

Originally Posted by JazzyK

Ok I recently posted about losing all my files after restarting, I recovered them using a combination of disk warrior and disk drill, but every time I restart my mac it wipes everything. The desktop is cleared all my documents all programs go back to the initial stages like they have never been used, all cookies and browsing history is gone it is as though I'm a new user but my home drive is still in my name... would love it if you could solve this mystery for me..it's driving me insane!

You need to talk to the IT folks and see what is being run at start up.

Maybe show them this and ask about MCX:

Originally Posted by JazzyK

kirstyroban$ defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow
{
MCXLaunchAfterUserLogin = 1;
MCXLaunchOnUserLogout = {
s08134 = 1;
};
OptimizerLastRunForBuild = 21644448;
OptimizerLastRunForSystem = 168167424;
RetriesUntilHint = 3;
SHOWFULLNAME = 1;
autoLoginUser = kirstyroban;
lastUser = loggedIn;
lastUserName = kirstyroban;

[JazzyK]

Thanks but I was hoping for a quicker fix as I'm not back in work for another fortnight and I hate being without my mac Thanks for trying though.

[LPZ]

Originally Posted by JazzyK

Thanks but I was hoping for a quicker fix as I'm not back in work for another fortnight and I hate being without my mac Thanks for trying though.

Gee, I bet the IT guys can use a phone. Or respond to email. Especially since you know them well:

I also know the IT guys well and they wouldn't nuke me

Why am I getting suspicious about how you came to "own" this machine?

[JazzyK]

Originally Posted by LPZ

Gee, I bet the IT guys can use a phone. Or respond to email. Especially since you know them well:



Why am I getting suspicious about how you came to "own" this machine?

I don't appreciate your implications thank you, the two it guys are run ragged at work and I didn't feel it fair to bother the with a problem with my home mac. That is why I am trying to solve it myself but will ask them when I return to work. Please do not imply that there is anything suspicious about how I own this Mac, I came on here to ask for help not to have my character assassinated!

[LPZ]

Originally Posted by JazzyK

I don't appreciate your implications thank you, the two it guys are run ragged at work and I didn't feel it fair to bother the with a problem with my home mac. That is why I am trying to solve it myself but will ask them when I return to work. Please do not imply that there is anything suspicious about how I own this Mac, I came on here to ask for help not to have my character assassinated!

The symptoms you report very much describe how Macs in public computer labs on campuses might be managed. Stuff is wiped so users can't install all sorts of stuff or alter the machine's state. Since this machine was once owned by your school (if I recall your earlier post), the answer you seek should come from the school's IT personnel. Seems perfectly fair to ask them about why your mac is still behaving like a lab machine.

[kryten2]

it's driving me insane!

No need to go insane over this. You can do like LPZ said and talk to the IT guys and have it fixed or you can simply copy your documents, music etc to an external drive and do a clean install of the OS on your machine. After that copy everything back to the new installed machine. Problem fixed. And don't restart your machine before doing this.