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Weird OS X Problem Desktop icons disappeared
- Thread starter Ollie Cromwell
- Start date
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You might have quit the finder
This has happened to me a few times recently. I searched for the simplest answer but kept finding complicated fixes. Then I found someone who wanted to know HOW to make the desktop icons disappear, to clear the desktop and remove all the distracting icons. For that, all you have to do is press control Q while in the finder window. Then I realized it's possible that I thought I was quitting something else (like Mail) and missed, inadvertently "quitting" the finder. If that's a possiblity, just click the finder icon on the dock and see if your icons reappear. I'm still not sure if that's what I've done to occasionally "lose" my desktop icons, but I wouldn't be surprised.
This has happened to me a few times recently. I searched for the simplest answer but kept finding complicated fixes. Then I found someone who wanted to know HOW to make the desktop icons disappear, to clear the desktop and remove all the distracting icons. For that, all you have to do is press control Q while in the finder window. Then I realized it's possible that I thought I was quitting something else (like Mail) and missed, inadvertently "quitting" the finder. If that's a possiblity, just click the finder icon on the dock and see if your icons reappear. I'm still not sure if that's what I've done to occasionally "lose" my desktop icons, but I wouldn't be surprised.
I'm having the same problem, using Snow Leopard. Unfortunately, I can't even access Terminal from Spotlight (I write Terminal in Spotlight search box, but it doesn't show me anything).
I'm only able to use the applications I linked on the dock, while the other ones on Finder are inaccessible.
How can I login using test account? I searched here and there on the Net but I didn't find any info about that.
Thanks in advance.
I'm only able to use the applications I linked on the dock, while the other ones on Finder are inaccessible.
How can I login using test account? I searched here and there on the Net but I didn't find any info about that.
Thanks in advance.
I tried everything when this happened with my macbook pro. The solution above was the only thing that worked. I do use an external monitor so that probably screws it up, but it's really annoying nonetheless.
If you can't get do anything then your best bet is to do what's been recommended in single user mode
1.Restart holding down command+s
2.At the prompt, type the two following commands.
Code:
rm /Users/[I]username[/I]/Library/Preferences/com.apple.FolderActions.plist
rm /Users/[I]username[/I]/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plistdesktop reclaimed
My desktop (PB17 tiger) disappeared completely, but the dock and my desktop picture were still visible. Murphy's Law - I had just finished many hours of work and had not backed up yet.
Rebuilding permissions, repairing from Apple CD, rebuilding with Drive Genius, removing finder prefs and reinstalling system update all failed to correct the issue. NAV found no virus or trojan.
Booting from my external, I was able to see that over a ten hour period, 16,736 files had been downloaded to my desktop folder. All files had the suffix of either "xul.part" or "html.part"
Theorizing this may have choked the finder, a new folder was created inside the desktop folder, all ".part" files were then moved to the empty folder. This took several minutes to complete. Once the tally of files was trimmed, the desktop once again appeared.
Firefox, Netscape (yes, I know - I just LIKE it okay?) and iTunes were running at the time of the invasive downloads. I cannot guarantee one of our cats did not walk over the keyboard and trigger some unknown command so the reason being remains unknown.
I am uncertain if there is a size limit on desktop content (mine had 33Gb), there certainly appears to be an item (file or folder) quantity limit.
Thank goodness for firewire boot drives! Get one if you haven't already (at least as large as your internal drive so you can also do full backups (my iTunes library represents years of work with sorting, tags, artwork and lyrics for app 90% of 29,000 tunes)
My desktop (PB17 tiger) disappeared completely, but the dock and my desktop picture were still visible. Murphy's Law - I had just finished many hours of work and had not backed up yet.
Rebuilding permissions, repairing from Apple CD, rebuilding with Drive Genius, removing finder prefs and reinstalling system update all failed to correct the issue. NAV found no virus or trojan.
Booting from my external, I was able to see that over a ten hour period, 16,736 files had been downloaded to my desktop folder. All files had the suffix of either "xul.part" or "html.part"
Theorizing this may have choked the finder, a new folder was created inside the desktop folder, all ".part" files were then moved to the empty folder. This took several minutes to complete. Once the tally of files was trimmed, the desktop once again appeared.
Firefox, Netscape (yes, I know - I just LIKE it okay?) and iTunes were running at the time of the invasive downloads. I cannot guarantee one of our cats did not walk over the keyboard and trigger some unknown command so the reason being remains unknown.
I am uncertain if there is a size limit on desktop content (mine had 33Gb), there certainly appears to be an item (file or folder) quantity limit.
Thank goodness for firewire boot drives! Get one if you haven't already (at least as large as your internal drive so you can also do full backups (my iTunes library represents years of work with sorting, tags, artwork and lyrics for app 90% of 29,000 tunes)
Maybe this was the cause...
When I got this problem, it was because I installed 'Path Finder' and turned on 'Show Path Finder Desktop' and then used the option 'Hide Finder Desktop'. This caused my Finder desktop icons to disappear and the Path Finder ones came up, which was all good until I disabled everything except 'Hide Finder Desktop'. I thought everything was normal and so I deleted Path Finder without seeing the icons had gone.
Install Path Finder again and disable the option. If this doesn't fix it, delete your Finder preferences file in ~/Library/Preferences
When I got this problem, it was because I installed 'Path Finder' and turned on 'Show Path Finder Desktop' and then used the option 'Hide Finder Desktop'. This caused my Finder desktop icons to disappear and the Path Finder ones came up, which was all good until I disabled everything except 'Hide Finder Desktop'. I thought everything was normal and so I deleted Path Finder without seeing the icons had gone.
Install Path Finder again and disable the option. If this doesn't fix it, delete your Finder preferences file in ~/Library/Preferences
Hi guys, i dont know if this has been said but I have recently had the same problem... Turns out it was an issue with a program i got from a MacUpdate bundle a while back called Hyperspaces... I logged out and logged back in and everything was there, but then as soon as Hyperspaces autoloaded, they all disappeared again... All I did was quit the application and they suddenly all appeared again.
I re-opened Hyperspaces and checked in the preferences... In the General tab, there is a "Show Desktop Icons" tickbox...
Seems a bit daft but it took me ages to work out thats what the problem was!!!
I re-opened Hyperspaces and checked in the preferences... In the General tab, there is a "Show Desktop Icons" tickbox...
Seems a bit daft but it took me ages to work out thats what the problem was!!!
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I tried absolutely every fix in this thread and nothing had worked. Tried restarting finder, restarting computer, deleting preference files, EVERYTHING. Im running mountain lion on a MBP retina with an external display.
I lost my desktop icons, all desktop function and couldnt use any of the view options.. however the desktop icons were still viewable through Finder itself.
Now this leads me to the reason why i have just joined the macrumors forum. At my last attempt to fix this horrible problem i downloaded "TinkerTool". In the finder section of the app there was a box ticked to hide the desktop (god knows why it was ticked). This fixed my problem.
I lost my desktop icons, all desktop function and couldnt use any of the view options.. however the desktop icons were still viewable through Finder itself.
Now this leads me to the reason why i have just joined the macrumors forum. At my last attempt to fix this horrible problem i downloaded "TinkerTool". In the finder section of the app there was a box ticked to hide the desktop (god knows why it was ticked). This fixed my problem.
Something that worked for me...when other solutions failed
This has been bugging me for some time, but a question that one of the posters asked got me to thinking: have you installed any Finder replacement software (or words to that effect.)
As it happened I had installed Path Finder (which, BTW, I highly recommend) and had selected a Preferences option in that program called "Hide Finder's desktop"...d'oh. Unchecked that option and everything re-appeared.
This has been bugging me for some time, but a question that one of the posters asked got me to thinking: have you installed any Finder replacement software (or words to that effect.)
As it happened I had installed Path Finder (which, BTW, I highly recommend) and had selected a Preferences option in that program called "Hide Finder's desktop"...d'oh. Unchecked that option and everything re-appeared.
This solved same issue for me (desktop icons disappear, no right click menu on esktop), El Capitan 2016. Maybe coincidence, but also appeared after installing PathFinder.
SUCCESS!! Just to add this was occurring for me on El Capitan shortly after using MultiMonitor Wallpaper, I can't say if the two instances were connected or just coincidence but it's worth noting.
Thanks, nhawk. killall Finder was the command I was looking for.
My icons disappeared too. The dock was there and the top menu but no other desktop icons. The background image is there. (MacBook (not Pro) 10.10.5, no external monitor.)
What's really weird is when I move from the right desktop to the left desktop the icons are there, but disappear within a second. If I go back to the other desktop the icons appear for a second and then are gone.
I didn't want to reboot (yet) and didn't want to rearrange the icons (which weren't visible) as when they are visible they are where I want them, but killall Finder restored them.
This was the only time I saw that happen.