Somehow while I was cleaning through my files, I deleted an unknown script/file...I am unable to see My file NAMES next to the icons only on the Desktop???? When I open the file, everything is normal, but viewing the desktop, it's just Icons. I have to click on the label or folder to see what it is and what is in it. I have tried changing the View Options and everything, nothing has worked. What is the file name that controls the desktop icon text display???
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Mac OS X Desktop Text File Deleted Help!
- Thread starter apatri1
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I had something similar happen when I installed Office 2011 on my wife's Mac mini. All her fonts in OpenOffice went to 0.2 point font and nobody could read anything. I reinstalled OpenOffice and everything was right again.
Did you install any apps recently? Maybe they damaged the font that OSX uses to label icons on the desktop. If relaunching Finder doesn't work, try reinstalling OSX. Reinstalling OSX is a non-event. You basically boot from the restore partition (by holding option during boot), or if you are on SL or older insert your OS DVD and reboot and reinstall OSX. Normal install is an "archive and install" which leaves all your apps and files alone. Apple recommends backing up before you do any install and while there isn't a lot of risk, I must agree: back up early, back up often!
Did you install any apps recently? Maybe they damaged the font that OSX uses to label icons on the desktop. If relaunching Finder doesn't work, try reinstalling OSX. Reinstalling OSX is a non-event. You basically boot from the restore partition (by holding option during boot), or if you are on SL or older insert your OS DVD and reboot and reinstall OSX. Normal install is an "archive and install" which leaves all your apps and files alone. Apple recommends backing up before you do any install and while there isn't a lot of risk, I must agree: back up early, back up often!
Yeah, I installed an updated Adobe flash player, but it did not affect it. My FontBook App is still there, all my fonts are in their proper files on the hard drive?? I realunched and NOTHING.
I think your right...I was trying to avoid it, but it looks like i will have to back up (again) and reinstall OS x............
Thanks for your help though!!
Yeah, I installed an updated Adobe flash player, but it did not affect it. My FontBook App is still there, all my fonts are in their proper files on the hard drive?? I realunched and NOTHING.
I think your right...I was trying to avoid it, but it looks like i will have to back up (again) and reinstall OS x............
Thanks for your help though!!
One interim step to try is create a test user and log in as that account. If the fonts are OK as that new user then there is something in your user account, some plist somewhere that is corrupted.
I've found OSX reinstall to be so painless I often choose to do the reinstall rather than continue to search for some little issue.
"I was trying to avoid it, but it looks like i will have to back up (again) and reinstall OS x............"
That may be completely unnecessary.
Try this first:
1. Shut down -- power right OFF
2. Restart
Any better when you get to the finder now?
That may be completely unnecessary.
Try this first:
1. Shut down -- power right OFF
2. Restart
Any better when you get to the finder now?
I agree that the dark lines to the side of the icons are the filenames. I disagree that the font size is very small. If it were, then the width of the names would also be very small, yet it isn't.
It looks like normal-sized text (the options window says 16 point) is being clipped or vertically compressed to fit into a box that's a normal 16-point width, but is only a few pixels high. To me, that suggests font-metrics corruption.
There is a system-wide cache of font data (metrics, glyphs, etc.) that can become corrupted. The simplest way to clean that cache is a Safe Boot.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1564
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11212
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455
If the desktop displays correctly after a Safe Boot, then perform a Restart and let the computer start up normally. If the problem returns, post again.