Deleting Preference Folder/Files List On Leopard 10.5.8?

[Bazzy]

Hi All!

I have a June 2009 17" 2.8 UMBP which has been driving me mad with near constant beach balls! I run no intensive programmes at all - just emails & surfing the net!

I originally used migration assistant from a Tiger MBP to this one & read that I may have corrupted Tiger P-Lists transferred over to my Leopard One. I would like to ask, how can I get rid of/delete my current preferences list to see if that fixes the problem - it did with another person who also transferred from Tiger to Leopard with Migration Assistant!

Will I lose anything by deleting the Preferences Folder/Files? I think I read somewhere that OS X automatically replaces them with current versions if that is correct? Ae Preference Lists taken care of too when deleting the folder/files?

I am a novice so please treat me like a 4 year old who needs very step by step instructions!

Many Thanks All,

Suave!

Link to data referred to:

Consistent spinning beachball - http://archive.macfixitforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/454269/1

 

[Gregg2]

I also have 10.5.8

Your preferences are in the following location:
Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences
Of course, I don't know what your user name is, but you do!

I wouldn't get rid of all of them at once. In fact, the recommended procedure is to move a suspect to the Desktop, then start the application it is for, which does in fact reproduce the file. The new one automatically gets placed in that Preferences folder, and it resets the application's preferences to default settings. Other preferences are associated with a part of the operating system, and you must Restart in order to generate a new one.

So, the question is which files (they're called plist files because that's the last four letters) to try this with. Start with whatever is active when you get a spinning beach ball. Since you say you mainly use e-mail and web browsing, that's the place to start.

Which e-mail client and internet browser do you use? More specific help is possible with that information.

 

[Bazzy]

Your preferences are in the following location:
Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences
Of course, I don't know what your user name is, but you do!

I wouldn't get rid of all of them at once. In fact, the recommended procedure is to move a suspect to the Desktop, then start the application it is for, which does in fact reproduce the file. The new one automatically gets placed in that Preferences folder, and it resets the application's preferences to default settings. Other preferences are associated with a part of the operating system, and you must Restart in order to generate a new one.

So, the question is which files (they're called plist files because that's the last four letters) to try this with. Start with whatever is active when you get a spinning beach ball. Since you say you mainly use e-mail and web browsing, that's the place to start.

Which e-mail client and internet browser do you use? More specific help is possible with that information.

Hi,

Thanks for the help so far! I mainly use Safari 4.0.4 but the beach balls happen whether I am surfing the web or not! When watching You-Tube, both my CPUs percentage use goes up drastically as well if that helps!

Many Thanks!

Bazzy!

 

[Gregg2]

the beach balls happen whether I am surfing the web or not!

So, all the time then? When you're not surfing the web, what other applications are you using?

 

[BlueRevolution]

If you're desperate enough to trash your preferences, don't. Create a new account and transfer your files over instead.

 

[Bazzy]

So, all the time then? When you're not surfing the web, what other applications are you using?

Hi,

Other than that, I use google sketch up, & very sparingly, MS Word, Pages & sometimes (vert rarely) Firefox.

Bazzy!

 

[Bazzy]

If you're desperate enough to trash your preferences, don't. Create a new account and transfer your files over instead.

Hi,

Thanks for the input! I am a novice so forgive the stupidity of any of my questions! If I open another account & transfer all my data to the new account, will not the "Problem/Issue/Fault/Corruption" etc also be transferred over?

Is there any way of knowing what is causing the actual problem so if it occurs again in future, one can isolate it & deal with it?

Bazzy!

 

[Gregg2]

Thanks for the input! I am a novice so forgive the stupidity of any of my questions! If I open another account & transfer all my data to the new account, will not the "Problem/Issue/Fault/Corruption" etc also be transferred over?

No, it shouldn't. It would be like replacing the entire Preferences folder in one fell swoop.

Is there any way of knowing what is causing the actual problem so if it occurs again in future, one can isolate it & deal with it?

Sometimes there is, other times there isn't. In your case, with the symptoms being so widespread, you fall into the latter category.