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Desktop/Screen Saver Pref. Pane Crashes- SOLVED

Dmac77

Dmac77

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jan 2, 2008
2,165
3
Michigan
Hi,

I'm having an issue with my iMac running 10.5.4. Whenever I try to select a screen saver System Preferences starts to beach ball, and then will crash. Sometimes I can get it to select the screen saver that I want, but then if I try to preview it, System Preferences beach balls, and then crashes. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?

Thanks!

Don
 
So I tried verifying and repairing permissions, that didn't solve the problem. So then I tried verifying the disk, and it came back saying the disk appears to be OK. I've also tried rebooting numerous times. I don't know what else to try. If anyone one knows anything else that I can try PLEASE tell me.

EDIT: I tried creating another user account, and changing that users screen saver. When I tried to change it the same thing happened. I've also noticed that it only happens when I try to use the "Arabesque", "RSS Visualizer", and "Shell" screen savers.

I also tried booting under single user mode, and running the "fsck -f" command which also didn't solve the problem.

Don
 
OK, I just noticed something when I went to the file location for the screen savers ("/System/Library/Screen Savers"). The three screen savers that are giving me problems are ".qtz" files which is a quartz compiler file. There are two other ".qtz" files and they have icons that look like frames from the screen saver, but the three that are giving me problems have a quicktime file icon. I think these three files are corrupted. Does anyone know where I could get another copy of these files?
Screen Saver image.jpg

Don
 
I don't think that they're corrupted. Try installing MainMenu and then from the menubar select Cleaning>Preferences>Verify Preferences. Then you can run "Remove corrupted preferences" from the same place. The .qtz icons do the same thing (Quicktime icons) in my Finder and the screensavers work for me.
 
I solved the issue by reinstalling Leopard:(, I have no idea as to what caused this, but oh well.

Don
 
By any chance did you install the latest beta version of Safari? Its kinda weird that I started having the same issue today, and the only thing I've done on my mac past week is install that. Nothing else :/
 
Timan said:
By any chance did you install the latest beta version of Safari? Its kinda weird that I started having the same issue today, and the only thing I've done on my mac past week is install that. Nothing else :/
Click to expand...

Yup, this same exact thing happened to me. Running Safari 4 build 5528.1
 
I'm here to confirm that the same thing happened to my mac just a few days ago. Whenever I tried selecting some screensaver such as Arabesque, the system preference will crash. And yes, I do have Safari 4 beta installed.
 
Safari 4.0

Yep I too have installed Safari 4 beta and suffer from this... my mac will not fire the screensaver either.. screen flashes like it is trying but doesn't pull it off :) Any fixes?
 
Only fix I know to get the screen saver working, is not using one of the qtz ones. Seems finder will even crash if you try to quicklook at qtz file.

Guess its one of those things we'll just have to wait for the final version and hope it was fixed.
 
Fixed!

Hi,

Ok I managed to at least get my sys pref to stop crashing for the most part and get a screensaver going..

1. I deleted Safari 4 beta and downloaded 3.1.2 and installed.

http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

2. Then believe it or not I downloaded this lame screensaver:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/icons_screensavers/3deaglemountainlake.html Install it by clicking on the installer.

3. Goto System Pref Pane -> Desktop/Screensaver -> Screensaver

4. DONT choose an "Apple" screensaver choose pictures or the lame duck you just installed. For some reason my "Apple" savers are either gone or corrupt.

This has cured my 'flashing' when Leopard tries to fire a screensaver but couldn't and the crashing of the pref pane (still crashes if I choose the an Apple saver like Arabesque, Computer Name etc)

Hope this helps :)

Joe W.
http://www.thatgrafix.com
 
I can confirm that the problem does indeed lie with the latest dev build of Safari 4. Opening Quartz (.qtz) files, whether in System Preferences or in Finder, would crash the program. After reverting back to Safari 3, the problem disappeared.

PS- Jadedbat, you need to download the dev build and uninstall 4.0 with the uninstaller that's in the dmg. Dragging it to the trash doesn't do anything.
 
Screensaver/Desktop in preferences crashes

I've got Safari 3.0.4 yet System Preferences quits everytime I open Desktop/Screensaver (it last 5 seconds but doesn't respond anyway). My default screensaver only works manually by me having created a "workflow application" with automator. Obviously I can't change any of my desktop wallpapers.

This is what my log says;

14/09/08 12:00:12 PM System Preferences[863] *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '*** -[NSCFSet addObject:]: attempt to insert nil'
14/09/08 12:00:12 PM System Preferences[863] Stack: (
2527019595,
2426274043,
2527019051,
2527019114,
2477572048,
2476103178,
408399005,
2476041645,
2476040532,
2448104533,
2448104210
)
14/09/08 12:00:13 PM com.apple.launchd[72] ([0x0-0xa20a2].com.apple.systempreferences[863]) Exited abnormally: Trace/BPT trap

Can anyone advise me. This mac is two days old.
 
ltldrummerboy said:
I can confirm that the problem does indeed lie with the latest dev build of Safari 4. Opening Quartz (.qtz) files, whether in System Preferences or in Finder, would crash the program. After reverting back to Safari 3, the problem disappeared.

PS- Jadedbat, you need to download the dev build and uninstall 4.0 with the uninstaller that's in the dmg. Dragging it to the trash doesn't do anything.
Click to expand...

I did as mentioned above and it's still crashing when I try to select screen savers... any other than the "computer name" screen saver. Even one I created with iPhoto crashes... HELP!
 
sphoenix77 said:
I did as mentioned above and it's still crashing when I try to select screen savers... any other than the "computer name" screen saver. Even one I created with iPhoto crashes... HELP!
Click to expand...

I'm having trouble with this too, i've tried all of the above - but no joy.

it's started to get annoying...
 
Sdancott said:
I'm having trouble with this too, i've tried all of the above - but no joy.

it's started to get annoying...
Click to expand...

I solved my problem with 2 things. #1) I got a Radeon 9200 (Mac Edition) Graphics Card. And #2) I re-installed Leopard. I did the re-install where it kept all my programs but made a new system folder and changed the other System folder to "previous system folder". I'm not sure if one will work independent of the other but try these out.
 
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