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System Preferences Keeps Closing!

B

Beunique82

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 13, 2007
10
0
I have had a Macbook for about 2 months, and the 1st 2 months all the applications (including system preferences) has worked without a problem. Just about a week ago, iwent to open system preferences. That worked fine. But, when i went to click on "Desktop & Screen Saver" the application froze for a minute, then automatically quit! A screen poped up saying "The application system preferences quit unexpectedly", and gave the the option of closing it, reporting it, or reopening it. I tried to reopen it, but that didn't do anything (the same thing happened). So, i tried to restart my laptop, and when it had finished restarting, i went to do the same thing as before (open desktop and screen saver) and it "quit unexpectedly" again, and the same screen poped up. I still cant get it to open, and it has already been a week. Please help...:(
 
Try doing a spotlight search for a file called com.apple.systempreferences.plist, and drag it to the desktop. Then logout and log back in. Try opening up System Preferences again and report back what happens.
 
I tried doing what gauchogolfer said, and the same thing happend (system preferences opened, but desktop and screen saver didn't). I dont know what the problem is...:confused:
 
Beunique82 said:
I tried doing what gauchogolfer said, and the same thing happend (system preferences opened, but desktop and screen saver didn't). I dont know what the problem is...:confused:
Click to expand...

Ooops, I didn't see that you'd had problems with desktop/screensaver. I'll find the appropriate .plist file for you to locate. BRB.

Edit: try dragging com.apple.desktop.plist to the desktop.

If that doesn't work then I'm out of .plist file ideas. Maybe try repairing permissions?

Edit #2: try making a new user account and see if the behavior is reproduced. My guess is that you have a corrupted image file in either your desktop or screensaver database, and that is what causes the crash.
 
gauchogolfer said:
Ooops, I didn't see that you'd had problems with desktop/screensaver. I'll find the appropriate .plist file for you to locate. BRB.

Edit: try dragging com.apple.desktop.plist to the desktop.

If that doesn't work then I'm out of .plist file ideas. Maybe try repairing permissions?

Edit #2: try making a new user account and see if the behavior is reproduced. My guess is that you have a corrupted image file in either your desktop or screensaver database, and that is what causes the crash.
Click to expand...

I tried doing both Edit and Edit #2. Edit didn't do anything, and when i attempted edit #2, system preferences/desktop & screen saver opened perfectly fine (but on a different account). When i went back to my account, desktop and screen saver still didn't work! I dont know what to do, and this is getting really agrivating. Do you think it would be possible to create a new account, and move all my data into that account. I know it would be possible, but would it change anything?

By the way, thanks for all your help so far.:)
 
My girlfriend had the same problem on her macbook. She had some weird background set that the system preferences didn't like, which explains why your second account works. I was able to fix it by being really fast and changing the background before it crashed. There may also be a preference list (plist) file you can delete but I don't know it offhand
 
Eclipse278 said:
My girlfriend had the same problem on her macbook. She had some weird background set that the system preferences didn't like, which explains why your second account works. I was able to fix it by being really fast and changing the background before it crashed. There may also be a preference list (plist) file you can delete but I don't know it offhand
Click to expand...

I'm not sure but can't you do that thing where you set the background outside of the SYS Prefs, like in M$ Window$ where you right click on a picture and select "set as background"
or
Go into iPhoto and change the background by selecting a picture then selecting the SHARE menu from the top and then selecting DESKTOP

If you're having a problem like Eclipse then this might work.
 
ebouwman said:
I'm not sure but can't you do that thing where you set the background outside of the SYS Prefs, like in M$ Window$ where you right click on a picture and select "set as background"
or
Go into iPhoto and change the background by selecting a picture then selecting the SHARE menu from the top and then selecting DESKTOP

If you're having a problem like Eclipse then this might work.
Click to expand...

That might work-the only problem is that i dont have a "share" menu on my iphoto. Is there any other way to set a background picture from iphoto (so i wouldnt have to use system preferences)?
 
Beunique82 said:
That might work-the only problem is that i dont have a "share" menu on my iphoto. Is there any other way to set a background picture from iphoto (so i wouldnt have to use system preferences)?
Click to expand...

you don't have a "share" menu ?!?!?
do you have any pics in iPhoto?
why would iPhoto not have a "share" menu?
are you using an account on your computer other than the Admin account?
 
Beunique82 said:
That might work-the only problem is that i dont have a "share" menu on my iphoto. Is there any other way to set a background picture from iphoto (so i wouldnt have to use system preferences)?
Click to expand...

Since it sounds like you have a corrupted image file which causes your desktop to crash, I'd recommend moving all of the files out of the folder [Macintosh HD/Library/Desktop Pictures] onto the Desktop (do this from your current main user account). Then try opening up system preferences again.

If it still crashes, then it's most likely a corrupted screensaver. If not, then I'd start putting back in the desktop images one by one into their original location. That way you'll be able to identify the faulty image file.
 
gauchogolfer said:
Since it sounds like you have a corrupted image file which causes your desktop to crash, I'd recommend moving all of the files out of the folder [Macintosh HD/Library/Desktop Pictures] onto the Desktop (do this from your current main user account). Then try opening up system preferences again.

If it still crashes, then it's most likely a corrupted screensaver. If not, then I'd start putting back in the desktop images one by one into their original location. That way you'll be able to identify the faulty image file.
Click to expand...

Sounds like that will take forever :p
 
I am having the same problem. I have had the same desktop image for about six months without issue, so I don't think that that is the problem. However, I recently changed my screensaver to display iTunes album art. Do I have some corrupted album art?

Any ideas on how to fix this?
 
I have just started having the same problem too. My background worked fine for about a month and I have always used iTunes Album Art screensaver. I've tried changing the background and moving the desktop images files but I think it is the screensaver causing the problem.

The screensaver does run properly however.
 
I found out how to fix the problem.

Go into Username > Library > Preferences > ByHost, and delete the "com.apple.screensaver.iTunesArtwork.plist" file.
 
andriella said:
I found out how to fix the problem.

Go into Username > Library > Preferences > ByHost, and delete the "com.apple.screensaver.iTunesArtwork.plist" file.
Click to expand...

I can confirm this also. The same problem happened to me when I first got my mac. I think I got the problem when I tried to display too few Album Artwork images with the iTunes screensaver. It crashed and wouldn't let me change a thing until I had deleted the plist file.
 
Thank you SO much. As a mac user of just over 3 months, having my first actual problem made me very sad. Glad it was so easy to fix with the right know-how.
 
Tried Everything

My daughter has a G3iBook and has this same issue. We have tried all of the above and none of it has worked. The window just closes after you click on Desktop & Screen Savers. Any other suggestions?
 
i just deleted all desktop and itunes playlist .com files and it work. thanks!
 
thank youuuu

thanks guys mine was doing same thing i had saved a pic from the official SATC website put it on as my background and from then i was screwed desktop kept quitting..so i did what someone suggested i went into iphoto clicked on share and put one of my pics on as a background and it worked i went into desktop and hey presto it didnt quit or crash was brilliant so thank u guys...so it just shows pictures from official websites can be corrupt aswell so im v happy im saved from visiting the apple store or erasing and restoring etc
:D:)
 
Same Thing

OMG!!! The same thing is happening to me for like 2 months straight! ugh... Thanks!
 
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