Applications not launching

[MacAodh]

Hey all,
My girlfriend upgraded her computer night before last and it stopped working. It's now turning on but after about 30 seconds the application launcher stops working as does finder. I ran disk utility (can open it quickly) but the only diference it's made is that an error is coming up as below.
"You can't open the application (null) because it may be damaged or incomplete"
and if i go onto finder
"the application finder can't be opened -10810"
Any help would be lovely🙂. Cheers

 

[BlueRevolution]

What did she do to it?

 

[MacAodh]

Sorry, should have said i tried what i could find about deleting finder,disk utility and timemachine preferences... Didn't work 🙁

 

[Bennieboy©]

have you tried looking at this >> apple support boards

seems to be a pretty common problem on snow leopard

 

[MacAodh]

have you tried looking at this >> apple support boards

seems to be a pretty common problem on snow leopard

Yea I did, deleting finder preferences doesn't work, I deleted the disk utility preferences as well but there were no time machine preferences to delete

What did she do to it?

She reckons it started when she did her most recent upgrade via software update.

 

[-aggie-]

Try repairing disk permissions.

 

[BlueRevolution]

She reckons it started when she did her most recent upgrade via software update.

So she updated it. Upgrading usually refers to something that costs money, like new hardware or going from Leopard to Snow Leopard.

 

[MacAodh]

So she updated it. Upgrading usually refers to something that costs money, like new hardware or going from Leopard to Snow Leopard.

Sorry, upgraded it... just on software update, nothing else. She can't remember what though, just what ever was available.

Try repairing disk permissions.

Done all that fun in disk utility, permissions, verify etc

 

[JediMeister]

Are you able to safe boot the system? Note that some applications like DVD Player will not work in safe boot. Have you tried reinstalling the 10.6.3 combo update perhaps?

 

[MacAodh]

Have you tried reinstalling the 10.6.3 combo update perhaps?

Your are a gem, I'd tried safe booting it and it had worked before but I didn't know what to do then... Anyway, reinstalling the updates worded, probably one of the first things I should have done... a well