Mail + iTunes + Dock reset itself !!!

[rohanp]

Hey guys,

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere else, sorry if I've reposted but I'm desperate !!

What happened is that the 'settings' of my mbp 15" just reset itself automatically !! I didn't do anything and then when i opened itunes it went thru the set-up it does when you open it the first time.. but my songs and playlists are there..

even the dock seemed to have different settings (i used to have the magnification effect on)

now mail has done the same !!! and i've the accounts have gone from mail but they are still there in the Library > Mail folder..

please help me set everything back to normal !! is it a virus/trojan ?

also i opened my trash can and i see a bunch of .plist files there (com.apple.APPLICATION NAME.plist)

here is an image (http://grab.by/8OA3)

thanks a lot !!

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Does anyone else have access to you account on your Mac?
Do you have some kind of cleaning software installed (CleanMyMac, MacKeeper, ...)?
What did you do prior to the event?
Have you installed any application from an untrusted source (warez, codec for some website with videos, ...)?

Mac Virus/Malware Info

What about closing all open applications, except Finder, and putting the .plist files back where they belong (Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library / Preferences)?

Attaching an image to your post >>> C. Embedding images already online via copying the image address:

 

[rohanp]

nope no one has access to it, no cleaning software, didn't do anything different (was just listening to itunes) prior to the event (how i realized it was when the 'spaces' function came onto my menu bar).. nope didnt install anything from an untrusted source either..

the preferences is not that big an issue, the mail is !!!!! how do i set that up again.. the preferences ill change them once i realize it isnt there.. but the mail is the big problem

 

[simsaladimbamba]

nope no one has access to it, no cleaning software, didn't do anything different (was just listening to itunes) prior to the event (how i realized it was when the 'spaces' function came onto my menu bar).. nope didnt install anything from an untrusted source either..

the preferences is not that big an issue, the mail is !!!!! how do i set that up again.. the preferences ill change them once i realize it isnt there.. but the mail is the big problem

Put the com.apple.mail.plist file back into Macintosh HD / Users / YOU / Library / Preferences.

 

[rohanp]

that worked awesome !!! that was sweeett !!! thanks a million

but why did all this happen in the first place ?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

that worked awesome !!! that was sweeett !!! thanks a million

but why did all this happen in the first place ?

I don't know. Someone or something must have emptied the Preferences folder, which is not entirely bad, as the .plist files will be re-created again with the start of the application they are associated to. But they save your preferences, thus upon deletion, the preferences you set are gone.