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My dock wont pull up

W

wclark03

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
13
0
Florida
Hello,
I am not sure if I am posting this in the right place.
I am just in a hurry to get some help with my computer.

Symptoms:
My dock wont pull up.
The menu bar or tool bar at the top is the only thing I can click on and will get a behavior. When I do its slow.
When I open my programs the toolbar will show that it is open but I will see nothing.

I am thinking it has something to do with the spaces/exposes. The black square box on the toolbar doesnt have a number in it when it would usually have one.

I also cant open anything on my desktop. It will highlight the selection but will not open it. When I try opening a finder window I get nothing.


Not sure if anyone here has experienced something like this...
I am typing on my roommates computer so i will check back soon for replies.

Thanks for any possible help.
 
Im guessing restarting the Mac doesnt help?

Try booting from the install disk and repairing permissions. The verify the disk. It sounds like the HD is failing. But you will know more from running disk utility from the install disc.
 
What I've already tried.

mjsmke said:
Im guessing restarting the Mac doesnt help?

Try booting from the install disk and repairing permissions. The verify the disk. It sounds like the HD is failing. But you will know more from running disk utility from the install disc.
Click to expand...

I already tried rebooting everyother way I can besides using the startup install disks. I really don't want to loose everything again.
I just installed the 500GB HD thats in it the beginning of last year.
I wouldn't think that it had anything to do with it. But I am getting worried and very confused to why this is happening.

I just tried Holding the Shift button as it reloaded and I just got the "universal no" sign.

I am thinking that the spaces .plist or something is just corrupted and needs to be swapped out. I just wish there was a way to do it with out wiping my hard drive. its at least half full with alot of files that i need for work and school.

I mean if i have to i will have to find my install disks and use them but i am not looking forward to it... plus i am not exactly sure where the install disks are... just moved.
 
Does your Mac have Firewire? And if so, do you have access to another Mac or even Windows PC with Firewire?
If so. Target Disk Mode could help you access the .plist file and delete it.
Btw, did you or did you not repair permissions?
And if you have Mac OS X 10.6 SNow Leopard, you can reinstall Mac OS X without deleting any of your personal data, it will just restore the system files.

 
When items on the desktop disappear or stop working, I find that I can go to the Apple icon, pick force quit, pick finder and select relaunch. Usually everything starts working again but occasionally I still have to reboot.

wclark03 said:
No I havent been able to do anything. A finder window wont even appear...
Click to expand...

oops... we were typing at the same instant... Try relaunching finder!
 
simsaladimbamba said:
Does your Mac have Firewire? And if so, do you have access to another Mac or even Windows PC with Firewire?
If so. Target Disk Mode could help you access the .plist file and delete it.
Btw, did you or did you not repair permissions?
And if you have Mac OS X 10.6 SNow Leopard, you can reinstall Mac OS X without deleting any of your personal data, it will just restore the system files.

Click to expand...



No I havent been able to do anything. A finder window wont even appear...

I don't have a firewire. I mean my roommate might but hes already left for work. =P

r0k said:
When items on the desktop disappear or stop working, I find that I can go to the Apple icon, pick force quit, pick finder and select relaunch. Usually everything starts working again but occasionally I still have to reboot.



oops... we were typing at the same instant... Try relaunching finder!
Click to expand...


that was the first thing i tried. its been doing the same thing since late last night. thought i would give it time to cool down after picking through different troubleshoots. now i am back at it.

so i did a safe boot...
found that the guest account works fine with no problems.
my account still has the same issue.

Is there a way i can go in through the guest account to find the problem?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
new problem 0.o'

so now its taking forever to boot up.
its been about 4 minutes plus...
I might have to take it in for a diagnostic. 0.o
 
wclark03 said:
so now its taking forever to boot up.
its been about 4 minutes plus...
I might have to take it in for a diagnostic. 0.o
Click to expand...

But wait... The fact that the guest account does not have the issue means you should consider deleting some of your preference files and your account should start working again.

As for the slow boot, that may be a coincidental second problem.
 
r0k said:
But wait... The fact that the guest account does not have the issue means you should consider deleting some of your preference files and your account should start working again.

As for the slow boot, that may be a coincidental second problem.
Click to expand...

yeah im gunna let my comp cool off then i will reboot it.
if i can get it back to the guest account am i able to delete the preferences from that account?
 
Yeah I am definitely going to have to take it in.
The apps arent even working anymore. o.0
The guest account apps are corrupted or something.
Its really odd. its almost like a virus. o.o
 
Don't worry, it's not a virus.

Unfortunately, it's probably a failing hard drive. All of the symptoms you've described line up with that theory so far.

jW
 
wclark03 said:
yeah im gunna let my comp cool off then i will reboot it.
if i can get it back to the guest account am i able to delete the preferences from that account?
Click to expand...

No. You can't do much to one account while logged in to another account. You might be able to "fast account switch" to the account you want to remove prefs after you log in as guest. It depends if you have fast user switching enabled. You can tell because the current user shows on the menu bar next to the time and you can click on the current logged in user to change to another user.
 
running on safe mode

i am running on safe mode right now on my guest account...
=/ i just updated my HD not even last year.
I went from a 100G to a 500G. I don't know what to do. I have twice as many files as I did last time. o.0

Is there a way to fix this from a guest account. I am sure deleting some .plist files. I just don't want to lose everything. I've already lost all my installation discs in my last move. This just really sucks. XP

I am guessing the sound doesn't work in safe mode either because its not working right now. -_-'
 
If I remember correctly the Snow Leopard install DVD is only $30 and should do quite nicely for an archive and install. You should be able to purchase your original disk from Apple but it probably wouldn't be SL, hence my suggestion to purchase the $30 retail DVD.

As for doing things from the guest account in safe mode, sorry I can't help. I haven't tried anything like this before. I was having problems with my Mac and the Apple Store guys suggested I create a junk account and log in and see if I still had the problem. I created an account called "Apple" and logged in and the problem was gone. I seem to remember doing an archive and install after the second account confirmed the problem was software related and not common to every account. It's been a long time so I can't remember every step.
 
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