Desktop does not display files or activate Finder.

[Ookpik]

Hi, I've searched the forum but haven't found anything similar. My desktop screen displays my wallpaper, but does not show files or folders. Furthermore, clicking on the background - how I usually select the finder - does not do anything. I can still alt-tab into finder and open a new finder window and access the desktop folder - in other words, this isn't a major problem, just a strange inconvenience.

I've tried relaunching, repairing permissions, verifying all disks, running maintenance scripts and troubleshooting the entire preference folder. Any thoughts?

(Imac 24" aluminum, dual 2.4 intel, 10.5.1)

 

[NAG]

Yeah, I've had this problem a couple times on my iMac. I'm honestly stumped as to what is going on. I usually fix it by opening up the get info box for the desktop folder and applying the permissions to all within (repair permissions in disk utility does not do this, it only repairs permissions for system files). I then restart. Hope that helps.

Oh, and your hard drive is selectable/not grey in the computer window, right?

EDIT: Do you have a bootcamp partition?

 

[Ookpik]

Thanks NAG, but I tried your suggestion, to no effect. I don't have a Boot Camp partition, or any partition. I am running a virtual XP desktop though.

Edit; yes, the drive is selectable in the finder window. Nothing has apparently been affected, aside from cosmetically.

 

[NAG]

Have you tried repairing the disk using the 10.5 installer disk?

 

[Ookpik]

I just tried it again, from the upgrade DVD. No effect.

One thing I might say though - It seems that when I try repairing disk permissions, nothing actually happens. It gives me a list of things that were wrong (ACL found but not expected....), but if I try repairing again immediately after, the same thing happens - perhaps these don't need to be repaired, but I thought I would make note of it anyways.

 

[inkswamp]

Does it happen to other users with other accounts? If not, it's user-specific and you may need to consider just creating a new user account and moving your stuff over. Sometimes with really oddball issues like this, that's the best thing to do.

Before doing that, you might consider temporarily moving all your preferences files out to another folder and log in again. It could be some corruption in a plist. Although it's unlikely, it's worth a shot.

 

[inkswamp]

I just tried it again, from the upgrade DVD. No effect.

One thing I might say though - It seems that when I try repairing disk permissions, nothing actually happens. It gives me a list of things that were wrong (ACL found but not expected....), but if I try repairing again immediately after, the same thing happens - perhaps these don't need to be repaired, but I thought I would make note of it anyways.

Are you running the permissions repair from the CD or while logged in?

 

[NAG]

The ACL problem is unrelated. Here is some info on them. You can remove the acl by typing in chmod -a# 0 filenamehere in the terminal.