Safari has completely stopped working. Writing this using iCab
Message says "Safari quit unexpectedly" then when reopened message says "localized string not found" ? Don't have a clue what to do! Realized i could possibly store everything on my ipod, and restore the mac to factory settings, but now that's not even being recognised!? Please can someone tell me it's solveable? Tom
Safari quits unexpectedly
Last Modified on: May 09, 2005
Article: 107657
Learn how you can troubleshoot Safari if it unexpectedly quits. General troubleshooting presented here may also help with some other issues, as noted below.
Symptom
Safari quits unexpectedly while you are browsing. You may see an alert message, or Safari may simply go off screen without any notification.
Note: Whether or not this document will help you depends on the symptoms you are seeing. If Safari actually quits, this document is for you. If you see some web pages with features that do not behave as expected (particularly interactive features), this document might help. However, if the symptom is that Safari remains open but cannot load a page or pages, try these two documents first:
107641: "Safari: 'Times RO' Font May Cause Some Pages Not to Load"
106798: "Mac OS: Troubleshooting 'A connection failure has occurred', 'The specified server could not be found' or Similar Messages"
Additionally, if you have ever used third-party Safari add-ons, such as PithHelmet, you should review this article before performing any additional troubleshooting.
Products Affected
Safari 1.0 or later
Solution
The solution for this issue is divided into three sections, starting with the easiest and least invasive actions.
Restart the computer, if required
First, you should reopen Safari. If Safari can open (launch), skip to the next section.
If Safari cannot successfully open, you should restart the computer.
Note: Restarting the computer only resolves this issue in certain cases, but you should try it first because it is quick and non-invasive. Sometimes another system process required by Safari, such as "configd", may quit. Restarting the computer forces restart of these other processes.
Check the QuickTime preference
An unusable QuickTime preference can cause Safari to quit when you click on a media link. To check for that issue, follow these steps:
If Safari is open, quit it (Command-Q).
Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
From the Go menu, choose Go to Folder.
Type: ~/Library/Preferences/
Click Go.
Locate this file: com.apple.quicktime.plugin.preferences.plist
Drag the file to the desktop.
Reopen Safari.
If behavior is back to normal, move the "com.apple.quicktime.plugin.preferences.plist" to the Trash. It will be recreated as needed by Mac OS X.
General troubleshooting
The last two sections focused on known issues. This section shows you how to find the cause of the issue when you don't know what is causing Safari to quit. As before, the easiest steps are presented first.
Reset Safari
If Safari will not open, continue to the next section. If Safari will open, follow these steps:
From the Safari menu, choose Reset.
Click the Reset button in the resulting dialog.
Bad cache information or cookies could lead Safari to quit, so clearing them in this manner may help. Though a cookie itself should not cause Safari to quit, it can take you back to a state or area of a website where content causes the issue.
Check for software updates
Be sure that your software is up to date. Software that is out of date, particularly Java, may lead to incompatibilities with website content.
For help with this, see How to Update Your Software.
Note: Mac OS X 10.3.4 updates Safari from version 1.2 to 1.2.2. If you have inadvertently replaced 1.2.2 with an earlier version, Safari will unexpectedly quit. Reinstall the latest Safari version to resolve the issue.
Note where Safari quits
If your software is up to date and Safari always quits on the same website, then the cause is most likely a piece of incompatible content on that website. Completing the other steps in this document could help, but in many cases there is no immediate solution. When that is the case, you should use feedback links on the affected website to describe the issue to its owners. You can also notify Apple of the issue. To do that, from the Safari menu, choose Report Bugs to Apple.
Watch for active and media content
You should also pay attention to see if Safari quits when certain types of active or media content are present.
Active content is a category that includes many different technologies. Generally, it invokes another process in your web browser. It may cause pop-up ads to open; it may be a game that appears in a browser window; or it may interface with a Web-based application, such as online banking.
Media content relies on plug-in software to display sound, pictures, animations, and movies. Plug-in software adds capabilities to your Web browser that it did not originally have. Safari does not, for example, have the innate ability to display Flash movies. But with the Flash plug-in installed in the correct folder, the Flash movie is automatically displayed as part of a Web page.
Updating third-party plug-in software, such as Macromedia Flash Player, may resolve an issue caused by incompatible content. You can see which plug-ins you have by looking in the folder /Library/Internet Plug-Ins. Check the plug-in manufacturer's website to be sure you have the latest version installed for the type of content you are viewing.
To isolate an issue to active content, you may temporarily disable it. Follow these steps:
From the Safari menu, choose Preferences.
Click the Security icon.
Deselect the four checkboxes to the right of Web Content.
Close the Preferences window.
Go back to the page where the issue occurs.
Note that many web page features will not be available when these web content options are turned off. But if the issue does not occur when they are off, the issue is probably linked to one of them. You can turn them back on one at a time, testing after each. Though this may not lead to an immediate solution, this can help you submit feedback to the site owner or to Apple.
Troubleshoot your home directory
If you have not already restarted the computer, do so now. Check to be sure that the issue still occurs after restarting the computer.
Next, log in as a new user. If there is only one account on your computer, or if you don't know how to do this, you would follow these steps:
Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
From the View menu, choose Accounts.
Follow the prompts to create a new user account.
Quit System Preferences.
From the Apple menu, choose Log Out.
Log back in as the new user.
Check to see if the issue affects the new user. If it does, then skip to finishing up.
If the issue does not occur when logged in as the new user, you have isolated the cause to something in your own home directory. To isolate it to a particular item, log back in as yourself and complete the next section.
Isolating items in a home directory
The files and folders you need to troubleshoot are listed below Step 8. Move only one file or folder at a time. For each folder listed, follow these steps:
Quit Safari.
Drag the file or folder to the desktop.
Reopen Safari to see if it works.
If Safari does not work, skip to Step 6.
If Safari works, you have located the file or folder containing the affected file. Leave this item on the desktop (do not move it to the Trash), and continue finishing up.
Be sure that Safari is quit. Force quit it if needed, by choosing Apple menu > Force Quit and using the resulting dialog.
Drag the item from the desktop back to its original location.
Continue to the next item on the list, repeating these steps until you find the affected item. If you reach the end of the list without isolating to one file or folder, be sure that you have replaced all items to their original locations, then continue to finishing up.
List of files and folders to test
Note: The tilde (~) character represents your home folder. The slash character (/) separates the names of enclosed folders.
~/Library/Preferences
~/Library/Safari
~/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist
~/Library/Application Support/WebFoundation/HTTPCookies.plist
Finishing up
If you identified a file or folder that was causing the issue in the last section, consider calling Apple Technical Support to inform us which one it is.
If you have an issue that still has not been resolved, you may try these two options:
Drag Safari to the Trash, download the installer from
http://www.apple.com/safari, and reinstall.
Try using a different browser for the affected website. Remember that submitting site feedback, as described above, can help lead to a solution.
You may locate other web browsers using these sites:
Macintosh Product Guide
http://www.guide.apple.com
VersionTracker
http://www.versiontracker.com/
Tip: Click the tab for your version of Mac OS then search on "web browser".
Additional Information
You should seek additional support information from documents included with third-party software, from Web-based help at the software manufacturer's website, or by contacting the third-party's support personnel when applicable.
Mention of third-party websites and products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of information or products found at third-party websites. Apple provides this only as a convenience to our users. Apple has not tested the information found on these sites and makes no representations regarding its accuracy or reliability. There are dangers inherent in the use of any information or products found on the Internet, and Apple assumes no responsibility in this regard. Please understand that a third-party site is independent from Apple and that Apple has no control over the content on that website.
Document 17159: "Locating Vendor Information" can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number.
