Disappearing Dock Icons + Archive & Install + Password Issues + Time for reinstall?

[CLuv]

Has anyone had issues with disappearing dock icons after trying to use the Sync computer function? Before 10.5.1 and 10.5.2 were released I tried to use the Sync function for my parents iMac and my Mom's MacBook, this caused major issues so I turned that function off. There are 2 user accounts on both the iMac and the MacBook. Now the only account that has issues is my Mom's account on the iMac. The default icons such as Safari, Mail, System Prefs, all disappear. You can try adding them back, they shoot off to the screen's right and disappear. Upgrading to 10.5.1 did not fix this issue, and the upgrade to 10.5.2 did not fix it either.

So tonight, I did an Archive & Install. That experience pretty much sucked. I've done it before on my MacBook with no issues. I kept the preferences and network settings, and after the Archive & Install when it was time to log in, it did not accept the password. I'm at a loss as to why it wouldn't accept the password for both users. I had to reboot off of the Leopard Install DVD to use the reset password utility to get into Leopard. Anyone ever encounter this? I've done 2 Archive & Installs before with accounts that have passwords, and that has never happened.

The issue of the disappearing dock icons was still there. The original dock showed up, but within 20 seconds Safari, Mail, System Prefs, and Spaces all shot off to the right and so did the Applications Stack.
Ran a Repair Permissions, and let's just say there were ACL and other issues that have never been there before. I ran all the updates, and still had issues.

Did some research on the disappearing dock icons, and I deleted the com.apple.dock.plist, com.apple.finder.plist, and even tried to delete the com.apple.dock.db. No luck.

Ran another repair permissions, and the issues are still there.
Has anyone encountered anything like this before?

I'm thinking it's time to do a Clean Install of Mac OS X. If you were in my shoes, which of the following ways would you go about it:

1. Clean Install
2. Run Software Update
3. Run Time Machine to get your Apps back, Docs, Media, Mail, and Contacts for both user accounts
4. Run Software Update again to update the Apps

or

1. Clean Install
2. Run Time Machine to get your Apps back, Docs, Media, Mail, and Contacts for both user accounts
3. Run Software Update to get all OS and App updates

I appreciate your help, since I want the machine to act correctly. I just don't want Time Machine to carry over the current issues to the clean install. Is there a way I can guarantee that? I have searched the forums on here and Apple, and some people have issues with Time Machine and Clean Installs and some don't.

Guess I should have done a Clean Install when I first got it for them, but I never had an issue with Archive & Install when I went from Tiger to Leopard on my MacBook or my Mom's Macbook, so didn't expect this on their iMac I got them in December that came with Tiger preinstalled.

Any suggestions will be helpful.

-Thank you

 

[beatsme]

Has anyone had issues with disappearing dock icons after trying to use the Sync computer function? Before 10.5.1 and 10.5.2 were released I tried to use the Sync function for my parents iMac and my Mom's MacBook, this caused major issues so I turned that function off. There are 2 user accounts on both the iMac and the MacBook. Now the only account that has issues is my Mom's account on the iMac. The default icons such as Safari, Mail, System Prefs, all disappear. You can try adding them back, they shoot off to the screen's right and disappear. Upgrading to 10.5.1 did not fix this issue, and the upgrade to 10.5.2 did not fix it either.

...........

Any suggestions will be helpful.

-Thank you

I'd probably save all the data I wanted to save on an external HD, and then re-format the HD (making sure to zero out all previous data) and then re-install the OS, run all system updates, re-install the applications, and then run the updater(s) for those. Time Machine I wouldn't bother with, but that's just me.

hope this helps

 

[CLuv]

Thanks, I'll give it a try this weekend.

 

[CLuv]

Does anybody know if using Restore from System Backup off the Leopard Install DVD would this pull system files that might include this annoying issue? From my understanding the Restore from System Backup will erase the OS X partition and then install OS X. Basically an Erase & Install with the automated function of restoring from Time Machine.
I'm now considering this option, but if it pulls whatever plist that is causing this issue then there is no point to this function either.
I'm considering this option for this weekend. Hopefully this will also take care of the long list of ACL issues after last weekends Archive & Install. Then 10.5.3 will hopefully be out soon to take care of the other little quirks that are present.

 

[CLuv]

So I did an Erase and Install of the Drop In DVD, then chose the recover from a Time Machine Backup, and it was flawless. It doesn't pull over whatever preference that was somewhere in the system that caused the dock issue.
It basically erase the drive, installs 10.5, restores the User Accounts, Network and Preference Settings, Documents, and Apps. It then provides support files to allow your programs to run. When I got in, I had Software Updates. Before running it, I checked the About This Mac, and it shows 10.5. I ran updates to get it to 10.5.2 and any other App update needed, and it works great and programs load faster.
Apple is f'n Genius.