Desktop Files and Icons (including HD Icon) is Gone

Question

Desktop Files and Icons (including HD Icon) is Gone

After installing Leopard in my Mac G5, none of the files on my desktop file icons (including the Hard Drive icon) appear anymore. I am afraid I have lost all of my Hard Drive storage!

This installation has been goofy and has taken 3.5 hours, and it appears as if corrupted. What do I do now (and Tech Support is gone until Monday AM)?

Macbook, Powerbook G4 (17), G5 Power Mac (dual 2.7 GHz), Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Oct 27, 2007 6:29 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Oct 27, 2007 6:42 PM in response to Scott Barrows1

I still cannot get the desktop to display anything (including Hard Drive icon), and the spinning beach ball is in eternal mode- should I force quit by depressing power button, or just let it spin all night?

I have used Macs since 1991 and this is the first upgrade that has not gone well.

Reply

Answer 2

Tismeinaz

Level 3

676 points

Oct 27, 2007 6:44 PM in response to Scott Barrows1

Check your dock - the folders may have gone into your docs folder that now appears there - if some were downloads - they may now show in the download folder. If not - do a search in spotlight.

If you want your drives to show on the desktop - open finder and open the preferences - click on the boxes for the items you want to have visible.

Reply

Answer 3

Tismeinaz

Level 3

676 points

Oct 27, 2007 6:47 PM in response to Scott Barrows1

I have a feeling that even though your g4 can technically handle Leopard - in truth it may not be able to. I have an iMac g5 and my fans are running on high and some things seem to go slower. I may be taking this machine back to Tiger.

Reply

Answer 4

Oct 27, 2007 6:50 PM in response to Tismeinaz

I cannot open (or go to) Finder- the spinning beach ball only allows me to use a few apps (Safari is one). I got a message that "Finder could not be opened". Thanks for the suggestions, but the HD icon was not in the Doc, nor were my other files.

How many hours should the beach ball spin? This is really starting to scare me, as all of my important files may be lost (and I cannot access the Hard Drive).

Reply

Answer 5

Oct 27, 2007 6:52 PM in response to Tismeinaz

This installation is on my G5 (dual processor) with 2 GB of RAM, so it should be able to handle it.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Reply

Answer 6

Tismeinaz

Level 3

676 points

Oct 27, 2007 6:56 PM in response to Scott Barrows1

The g5 should be able to handle it. You may need to redo the install. I've been all over the boards today so don't remember where I read some stuff but there are a few people who have had to redo it. You might try scanning the topics and see what helped others in similar if not the same exact circumstances.

Reply

Answer 7

Oct 27, 2007 7:02 PM in response to Tismeinaz

I am not sure how to try again, since the Finder seems corrupted (it will not open, nor will any desktop icons open- the lack of "seeing" a Hard Drive is most disturbing).

I will keep trying to shut down and restart, as a few people have told me it may "make" the computer recognize the Hard Drive.

Thanks again for the suggestions. A launch of a new operating system before a weekend does not seem to be very wise, especially with all of the bugs Leopard seems to have.

Reply