screwed up system preferences

[clueless55]

I am still trying to figure out how to use my MacBook Pro and I keep making things worse. I thought I was getting rid of duplicate files and accidentally dragged a "preferences panes" folder to the trash. When I tried to drag it back out it would not go back where it came from (sorry, i lack the terminology to id properly, there were 3 folders that all seemed the same). I could drag it to the desk top or dock. Now when i click the preferences icon it only contains the "personal" heading with the "dock" icon under it.

I tried going into time machine to restore the state of things prior to this blunder, but it didn't change anything with the preferences.

I use OSX 10.6.4, 2.26 GHz intel core 2 duo if that matters

please help!

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Hi,

There are 2 preference pane folders:

1) YourUserAccount ~> Library ~> Preference Panes

2) MacintoshHD ~> Library ~> Preference Panes.​

On my iMac, all my preference panes are stored in the latter location.

Normally if you want to uninstall a preference pane you launch System Preferences and in the "Other" section at the bottom of the window, you Ctrl-Click (Right-Click) on the pref pane you wish to uninstall and select "Remove ...... Pref Pane".

I gather you still have the Pref Panes in your System Preferences window, but that they don't work?

You mention 3 folders ... what folders are they?

If you try to return the folders to their original location, do you see any error messages? What are they?

You wrote:

Now when i click the preferences icon it only contains the "personal" heading with the "dock" icon under it.

Where are you clicking the preference icon?

 

[clueless55]

thanks for your reply.This is what mine looks like:
1) YourUserAccount ~> Library ~> Preference Panes--> empty
2) MacintoshHD ~> Library ~> Preference Panes --> "dock icon" only
Below Preference panes folder is another folder titled "preferences" that has a long list of contents.

I wasn't trying to uninstall anything. Just an unfortunate lapse in sanity in trying to "clean up" what i thot were duplicate files

"I gather you still have the Pref Panes in your System Preferences window, but that they don't work?"
When i click the syst. pref icon the only pane that shows up is the dock icon

there were never any error messages, just limits in where i could drag it from the trash. It showed up as an icon looking like a page with "pref" & gear when i dragged it to desktop or dock. It would not drop back into the syst pref icon

My syst preference icon is on my dock

I honestly cant remember where i was when I found the 3 folders. Nothing with the name preferences is still in my trash, so it's got to be misplaced elsewhere, right?...maybe?...

 

[clueless55]

I found the following suggestion on a different forum for someone whose pref. panes could not be found:

Quit System Preferences and delete these files:

Delete these files or folders then relaunch System Preferences.
Users/yourname/Library/Preferences /com.apple.systempreferences.plist
Users/yourname/Library/Preferences/By Host/com.apple.systempreferences.xxx.plist
and com.apple.PrefPane.Network.xxx.plist (the X's will be numbers)
Also, Users/yourname/Library/Caches
~~~~
There are almost 80 folders and item in Library/Caches many of which look like stuff I DON'T want to delete. unless they meant the com.apple.preferencepanes.cache inside the Caches folder?
Also, I looked for "com.apple.PrefPane.Network.xxx.plist" but can't find it in my list.

Anybody out there have any experience with this? If this isn't the solution could it make things worse? Do I back up with Time Machine before I try it, then restore to previous?

Thanks

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

My advice is not to go messing about in there .... just leave it alone for now until we sort this out.



Click for large view - Uploaded with Skitch

Above is a shot of my System Preferences ... showing all my Pref Panes (they are shown within the red triangle).

Can you upload a shot of your Sys Prefs window so I can see what we're dealing with. Do you have a flickr, imageshack or skitch account?

For now, don't go searching about in those important folders we will deal with the System Preferences.app for now.

Just so we're on the right track, the System Preferences icon in the Dock looks like this:



Click for large view - Uploaded with Skitch

 

[clueless55]

yes, i'm in the right icon. I tried to attach a scree shot of what's there.

i don't have any of the accounts you mentioned. i'll try to add imageshack or skitch

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Have a look here:

Recovering accidental deletion of system preferences; other utilities

101: Time Machine

Those missing preference aliases (they are aliases to files kept in your Macs System folder) can be located here:

MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library ~> Preferences Panes​

Here is what you should see at the above path:



Click for large view - Uploaded with Skitch

 

[clueless55]

thanks for your help. I know i went back far enough in time machine, yet it didn't change anything. So here's my stupid question before I try it again-- how can i save documents that were created since the blunder if I restore to an earlier time?

MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library ~> Preferences Panes looks like this:
https://skitch.com/abracadabra/ryy93/screen-shot-2010-11-12-at-1.13.08-am

 

[clueless55]

Additional info:
one of the suggestions listed under "recovering accidental deletion...", had to do with non-functional system pref. and said to delete this file:
com.apple.systempreferences.plist that's located in the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder, then relaunch.

I tried to attach the contents using skitch but most of the items in Preferences folder were greyed out and i wasn't allow to select. Here's the beginning of a long list of "computereze". my apologies if this is not helpful.

bplist00fl"


!"#$%&'(-0@ABCPS$X[\_rUz{|@@É@ãåçêë_&NSNavBrowserPreferedColumnContentWidth_NSNavLastRootDirectory_!NSNavPanelExpandedSizeForOpenMode_DefaultExposeTab_%com.apple.dtandsspref.lastselectedtab_NSTableView Columns _'NSSplitView Subview Frames DSKSplitView_4NSTableView Columns NSNavOutlineColumnSearchSettings_limitMail_bindkey_9NSWindow Frame Main Window Frame SystemPreferencesApp 8.0_AppleOtherHighlightColor_1NSTableView Columns NSNavOutlineColumnSettings.v1_(com.apple.PreferenceSync.ExcludeSyncKeys_NSTableView Sort Ordering _(com.apple.TimeMachine.OpenPanelDirectory_:NSTableView Sort Ordering NSNavOutlineColumnSearchSettings_NSWindow Frame Identity Picker_com.apple.preferences.sharing_AvailableLanguages_;NSTableView Hidden Columns NSNavOutlineColumnSearchSettings[ShowAllMode_WorkspacesNavLastRootDirectory_NSWindow Frame DestinationSheet_7NSTableView Sort Ordering NSNavOutlineColumnSettings.v1_2NSOutlineView Items DSKSourceOfPicturesOutlineView_limitIChat_bindkey_2com.apple.preferences.accounts.outline.usersparent_8NSTableView Hidden Columns NSNavOutlineColumnSettings.v1_limitMailOrIChat_bindkey^DHChooseScript_NSTableView Hidden Columns _!com.apple.preferences.energysaver_SecurityPrefTab_-com.apple.preference.keyboard.lastselectedtab#@g@

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library ~> Preferences Panes looks like this:
https://skitch.com/abracadabra/ryy93/screen-shot-2010-11-12-at-1.13.08-am

Your image only shows the path:

MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library .... ??​

Additional info:
one of the suggestions listed under "recovering accidental deletion...", had to do with non-functional system pref. and said to delete this file:
com.apple.systempreferences.plist that's located in the /username/Library/Preferences/ folder, then relaunch.

That info may not be relevant for you as it is for System Prefs that don't launch ... your's are actually missing in action ... anyways, I'm still waiting to see the contents of:

MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library ~> Preference Panes​

Once I know what's in the folder and what's not there, we can continue ...

 

[clueless55]

your comment:
"I'm still waiting to see the contents of:

MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library ~> Preference Panes"

The snapshot showed what is there. There is no "Preference Panes" folder following that path.
​

https://skitch.com/abracadabra/rygbj/screen-shot-2010-11-13-at-12.12.03-am

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Hi clueless55 ... I understand now and after all you already told me you deleted that folder, didn't you

This explains why the System Pref Panes have disappeared from the Sys Prefs window.

I'm just going to look at your attachment to see if I can work our whats missing ... do you think you can capture all the files at that path (MacHD ~> System ~> Library

 

[clueless55]

Yeah i deleted it. i obviously didn't realize i was in the system folder until too late. As i mentioned it wouldn't let me drag it back. Also, any idea why time machine didn't restore the panes? Perhaps did i do something wrong (just found the right date and clicked restore.

it took 2 screen shots, but hopefully this is what you need.

http://skitch.com/abracadabra/ryeqt/screen-shot-2010-11-14-at-12.38.10-am
http://skitch.com/abracadabra/ryeqa/screen-shot-2010-11-14-at-12.39.07-am

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Ok, I just re-read this thread to make sure I haven't missed anything.

I checked your MacintoshHD ~> System ~> Library folder up against my own and you are only missing the one folder (Pref Panes) ... that is good ...

Now, does your mac behave normally now that it is without that folder, or are there any other symptoms that you haven't mentioned which don't seem related to the System Preference Panes?

Can you go back in time using Time Machine and the link I posted earlier, showing you how to restore files? I would be happy if you could go back until you see the missing folder complete with it's contents and you have dragged back into it's proper location ... if you can do that, don't do anything else until we talk again ... just restore the Pref Panes folder to MacHD ~> Sys ~> Library then get back to me ...

 

[clueless55]

1st attempt at retrieving pref panes from T.M. : right clicked to restore pref panes to system->Library where it should be (this was before i reread the
‘MacFixIt” link to restore missing pref panes) It proceeded to copy 4.19GB! of something, but no folder appeared afterward. (so now i supposed you’ll have to figure out what else i screwed up)

2nd attempt. Right clicked to restore pref panes to Applications folder per instruction on MaxFixIt site. Had trouble with copy/drag using my track pad (computer wouldn't let me copy directly to library.) So now I have 2 Pref Panes folders! One in the System folder and one inside "Library". I'm scared to death to delete ANYTHING now.
http://skitch.com/abracadabra/ry1nt/screen-shot-2010-11-15-at-11.34.40-pm

When i open the System Preferences gear box icon on the dock it looks like this:
http://skitch.com/abracadabra/ry1ni/screen-shot-2010-11-15-at-11.38.18-pm

I think it's fixed, just not sure what to do about the extra folder.

thanks again for your help.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Congratulations clued-up55 (I changed your name to a more positive one )

It's looking pretty good from this side ... when you launch System Prefs, do all the Sys Pref Panes work as they should?

If so, then I think things have been reversed and you can put your feet up and have a quiet celebratory drink ...

As to the duplicate file, depending on whether or not your User Account has Admin privvies (and I would strongly advise against that) or is just a Standard Acct type, then all you need to do is drag the duplicate Pref Panes folder to your Trash.

If in an Admin Acct you will need to provide the Admin Password, but if it's a Standard Acct you will need to enter the Admin User Name AND Password.

Then you should be right to go ... reboot, start using your Mac, see if it's back to normal and if so then Empty the Trash.

Let me know how it goes ... it's sorta exciting now