Sugith Varughese

Q: Finder sidebar icons won't appear in user account

My account has lost sidebar icons as per attached screenshot.

Screen Shot 2014-03-22 at 5.21.37 PM.png

 

However, they appear correctly for other user accounts.

 

I have checked Finder/Preferences and the icons are checked and appear correctly there as per attached screenshot.Screen Shot 2014-03-22 at 5.22.06 PM.png

 

I've trashed ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist and ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist and relogged in but correct icons don't appear.

 

Is there a way to manually change the generic icons to the correct ones?

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Mar 22, 2014 2:28 PM

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Q: Finder sidebar icons won't appear in user account

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  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 22, 2014 2:47 PM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 22, 2014 2:47 PM in response to Sugith Varughese

    Hi,

     

    I would Open the Disk Utility (Applications/Utilities) and use the First Aid tab and Repair Permissions.

    This is less important than it used to be but it can help with issues like this.

     

    I would follow that with  PRAM/NVRAM reset

    Restart the computer holding down the CMD+ALT+P+R keys altogether until you have heard three start up Bongs. (then let the computer start up normally).

     

    This can clear some caches that might effect this.

     

    In your Users folder do these folders appear with the "engraving" type images on them that relate to the Side bar pics ?  (Yes my Library is enabled to be shown)

    Screen Shot 2014-03-22 at 21.47.05.png

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:47 pm      Saturday; March 22, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sugith Varughese,

    Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese Mar 22, 2014 3:09 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Mar 22, 2014 3:09 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    User folders are also generic and not "engraved" as per Mavericks.  As in screenshot below.

     

    Screen Shot 2014-03-22 at 6.02.34 PM.png

     

     

    I restarted into Recovery and repaired permissions and did a PRAM reset, but as the above screenshot shows, no change occurred.

     

    Note that when Dropbox, Copy, Skydrive and Box Sync are added, only Dropbox changes to the unique icon.  See screenshot below.

     

    Screen Shot 2014-03-22 at 6.07.43 PM.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 23, 2014 12:54 PM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 23, 2014 12:54 PM in response to Sugith Varughese

    Hi,

     

    I know the Recovery > Utilities is one place to find Disk Utility but I did specifically say the one that is in the Utilities folder on the current boot portion of your Mac as this will have the most up to date permissions for any items that have been updated.

     

    Go to Applications/Utilities and try the version there please.

     

    It would seem that it is the original Folders themselves that seem to have lost their ability to display the icons of the folder type and this then effects the Finder's Side bar.

     

    What happens if your use the CMD+ALT+esc keys and then Force Quit the Finder itself ?

     

    In the Finder use the View Menu > Show Path Bar

    Now use the Go Menu whilst holding down the ALT key and select the Library that now appears in the Menu.

    Now right click on the Library in the path bar and select the Get Info  option.

    At the bottom of the Info Panel do you Own the folder ?

    (your name (shortname version) should appear in the list with Read an Write Permission. With your name highlighted use the Cogwheel item below the list. The Instruction to Make it your folder/File should be greyed out (As in Already done))

    Screen Shot 2014-03-23 at 19.51.31.png

     

    There is  probably a way in Terminal to do this but I don't use Terminal that much.

     

    As you say there is probably a .plist that contains this but it does not seem to be the Finder's .plist

     

    It may also be a a Cache file  but that also seems to be difficult to find.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    7:54 pm      Sunday; March 23, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sugith Varughese,

    Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese Mar 23, 2014 1:25 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Mar 23, 2014 1:25 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Apologies, I didn't realize you meant it had to be the Disk Utility in the Applications folder.  I've since run that version of DU but no change.

     

    Force Quit/Relaunch Finder had no effect.

     

    I used instructions to obtain the Get Info panel for the Library folder.  It appears to be owned by me correctly:

     

    Screen Shot 2014-03-23 at 4.20.19 PM.png

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 23, 2014 2:01 PM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 23, 2014 2:01 PM in response to Sugith Varughese

    Hi,

     

    Delete the Spotlight entry and Add the Staff Group.

    Once that is done use the Cogwheel item the "Apply to Contents"

     

    In this Pic I have changed the highlighted item and then used the cogwheel  to show the "Apply to Contents"

    Screen Shot 2014-03-23 at 20.59.43.png

    Effectively this has already been done so it is greyed out.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:01 pm      Sunday; March 23, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 23, 2014 2:08 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 23, 2014 2:08 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    See also this set of Instructions by Linc Davis

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:08 pm      Sunday; March 23, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sugith Varughese,

    Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese Mar 23, 2014 6:33 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Mar 23, 2014 6:33 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Thanks.  Done as you suggested:

     

    Screen Shot 2014-03-23 at 9.30.27 PM.png

     

    But folders remain generic.

     

    Unclear exactly what this will affect, but will attempt to follow instructions once backup verified:

     

    See also this set of Instructions by Linc Davis

    Thanks for your help so far.

  • by Sugith Varughese,

    Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese Mar 24, 2014 11:04 AM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Mar 24, 2014 11:04 AM in response to Sugith Varughese

    I've now discovered a duplicate account that may be causing the problem.  (During a restore, I accidentally used a different name for home folder and have tried to correct it.)

     

    I'll post a question in another forum on how to correct the duplicate account issue.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 24, 2014 1:10 PM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 24, 2014 1:10 PM in response to Sugith Varughese

    Hi,

     

    Yes having two Mac User accounts with the Same  Name (originally) and messing with trying to change the name of one will cause the issues you state.

     

    You end up with Permissions to look/access the folders but they look generic as you are not the MAc User account for them

    Screen Shot 2014-03-24 at 20.03.05.png

    The "ralphjohns" account was the Original Admin account on this computer and the in use "ralph" one was Migrated from a G4/1Ghz Dual processor Mac where the account there was called "ralphjohns" but I had to change the name on this computer to migrate it.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:10 pm      Monday; March 24, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sugith Varughese,

    Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese Mar 24, 2014 1:33 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Mar 24, 2014 1:33 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Yes, I have a similar situation to yours.

     

    Screen Shot 2014-03-24 at 4.30.21 PM.png

     

    However, your Firstname account appears to be the "correct" one with the proper home folder icon.  In my case, neither Firstname or firstnamelastname have the right home folder icon. 

     

    Is there a way to correct my duplicate account situation and recover the proper permissions and home folder icons?

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 24, 2014 1:44 PM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 24, 2014 1:44 PM in response to Sugith Varughese

    Hi,

     

    It is something that I know can happen.

    However as I know that I have never created it and so have never learnt how to get out of it.

     

    It would be better to start a new thread (you can link to this one if you want).

     

    Also have you used a Hack to get the coloured icons back to the Side Bar ?

    I notice the Devices are coloured and so are "All My Files", "AirDrop" and "Applications" near the top of the Favourites part of the lists.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:44 pm      Monday; March 24, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sugith Varughese,

    Sugith Varughese Sugith Varughese Mar 24, 2014 1:46 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 2 (195 points)
    Mar 24, 2014 1:46 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Yes I used a hack in an attempt to recover the default icons for Mavericks, but that didn't happen.  It did turn some icons coloured, though.

     

    I have asked a new question about the duplicate accounts, though I'm not sure how to link it to this one.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 24, 2014 1:58 PM in response to Sugith Varughese
    Level 9 (73,254 points)
    Applications
    Mar 24, 2014 1:58 PM in response to Sugith Varughese

    Hi,

     

    At the URL bar at the top copy the URL for this Thread and paste it in the other thread.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:58 pm      Monday; March 24, 2014

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad