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System Preferences Crashing on Users & Groups
- Thread starter grant-nz
- Start date
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Another alternative is to create a new user profile and see if it still happens that way. Single user mode 
mount -uw /
rm -rf /var/db/.applesetupdone done
reboot
Then follow the steps and create a test account and see if you still have issues. If not, then you can always pull your data from one account to another. Just remove the ailing account but tell it not to delete the home folder (the "Don't change the home folder" option)
Afterward, set the permissions so you can have access to everything inside with terminal
chmod -R 777 /Users/<nameofbaduseraccount>
When you start typing the name of the account right after users, press tab, and it will complete for you.
Documents to documents, pictures to pictures. Then you go into the library and pull out your address book, calenders, google, firefox, and safari profiles, etc.
If you are running lion or above, you can access the library in the ailing account (since it is hidden) by using go to.
Press cmd + shift + g and type in the path to the library
Exampe: /Users/LordXeb (deleted)/Library/
Addressbook is within Application support, along with I believe chrome's browser profile and I think firefox as well. If not, then everything else will just be in the library and you can copy it to yours by opening it up in a new window:
cmd + shift + g and type ~/Library
Then just drag and drop what you need over and replace whatever is there if it already exists.
mount -uw /
rm -rf /var/db/.applesetupdone done
reboot
Then follow the steps and create a test account and see if you still have issues. If not, then you can always pull your data from one account to another. Just remove the ailing account but tell it not to delete the home folder (the "Don't change the home folder" option)
Afterward, set the permissions so you can have access to everything inside with terminal
chmod -R 777 /Users/<nameofbaduseraccount>
When you start typing the name of the account right after users, press tab, and it will complete for you.
Documents to documents, pictures to pictures. Then you go into the library and pull out your address book, calenders, google, firefox, and safari profiles, etc.
If you are running lion or above, you can access the library in the ailing account (since it is hidden) by using go to.
Press cmd + shift + g and type in the path to the library
Exampe: /Users/LordXeb (deleted)/Library/
Addressbook is within Application support, along with I believe chrome's browser profile and I think firefox as well. If not, then everything else will just be in the library and you can copy it to yours by opening it up in a new window:
cmd + shift + g and type ~/Library
Then just drag and drop what you need over and replace whatever is there if it already exists.
Last edited:
It does look like a corrupt system file. That could be caused by a hardware issue such as a failing HDD (bad block) or bad memory module. So, before trying to create a new user, first try running Apple Hardware Test. (hold down the "D" key when booting... If that doesn't work, hold down "option" + "D" keys to use the hardware test from the Apple site)
If AHT shows everything OK, the easiest solution is to recreate your system from a Time Machine Backup (use a date prior to the problems happening). Next you could try one of the suggestions for creating a new User.
If AHT shows everything OK, the easiest solution is to recreate your system from a Time Machine Backup (use a date prior to the problems happening). Next you could try one of the suggestions for creating a new User.