My Macbook's applications won't open

Restart the computer with the disk in the drive and the C key held down.

(29097)

I'm having a similar problem. Some programs will open like firefox, but any mac programs (safari, iLive '06, etc) just bounce one time and then nothing happens. I have run diskwarrior from the CD and ran all of their diagnostics but nothing has worked. I have also thrown out tons of .plists. Any thoughts?

We have to be careful we don't get two topics going here since the original poster also mentioned trying to install Leopard.

Did you do anything prior to these problems starting, like install the newest security update?

Oh, I thought the first post was mentioning installing Leopard as an attempted solution to the problem.

At any rate, these problems did start when I tried to install the latest security and safari update on 3/25, but the install failed. Then when I tried to open safari to attempt to download the updates manually and safari just bounced once and then nothing. Also my mac seems to have trouble with any .dmg file (sometimes they open, sometimes I just get and error, but installing from them never works).

Thanks

I'm having the same problem-- I tried to install the latest security update and Safari update, and they failed. Since then, Safari and iTunes won't work. Other Apple applications will, though... iPhoto and iCal, for instance, work fine, as do Firefox, Thunderbird, Word...

Hate to say it but nothing ended up fixing this. I had to back up all my important files to an external HD and then I completely reinstalled the OS. After that I downloaded and installed all the recent updates and things seem to work just fine now.

the EXACT same thing happened to me, I tried to download updates the other day and it failed and i thought nothing of it. Then a number of my applications stopped working (they bounce, but dont open) I have tried to repair my permissions/reinstall programs, but that didnt do anything.
I am also having problems with my web browsers opening web utilities (like my school's logon, or uploading photos/documents on facebook).

Can anyone help me? I am in the middle of exams and a lot of my lecture notes wont open because pages isnt working!

You really should have a working backup if your data is important, but you should be able to get a working OS while saving all your data by doing an Archive & Install...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120

The same thing has happend to me just after i updated my software to the latest version. When i open iTunes, Yahoo Messenger it bounces then the error message says "Failed to open application" PLEASE HELP I AM DOING ASSIGNMENTS AND I CANT OPEN MS WORD!!!!!!!

Try these 2 and if they don't work, the one above...

Using Disk Utility in Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later to verify or repair disks...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302672

About Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions feature...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751

Hi, I have the same problem, Adobe's and Microsoft's applications bounce, use processor activity but won't open and stand still again. Disk utility says there was a problem with the disk size and couldn't fix it. I don't have my system disks here, there are 800 miles away... why Apple recommends so destroyful up-dates? Is there a new up-date with relief in sight? Or is there a possibility to go back to the anterior security level and throw away the new one ?

Thanks for your help...

Nope, it wasn't the update at all, there was a problem on your HD prior, just waiting for a chance to show up.

Yur best bet without your Install disks, is DiskWarrior...

http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/

But you need to find a Retail disk where you are.