Strange iCal display with Leopard - Dock icon, appointments, edit box

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Level 1

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Strange iCal display with Leopard - Dock icon, appointments, edit box

After upgrading to Leopard, I have noticed the following in iCal:

The dock icon appears incomplete, and in black and white, with some elements invisible, like the date number.

When iCal is open, all appointments are blank until I de-select the "Work" calendar (all my appointments are in "Work") and then re-select it again. Then I see it all.

Double-clicking on an appointment brings up an unreadable box with a black background. After clicking "Edit" the contents of the fields don't show up until I click on that field.

I have tried to find a way to simply reinstall iCal for Leopard, but can't find that limited option on the install disk, or on the Apple web site anywhere. Where can I turn for a resolution to this problem?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.2)

Posted on Jun 3, 2008 5:50 PM

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Answer 1

Ferd II

Level 10

104,209 points

Jun 3, 2008 7:12 PM in response to Doug Roth

Doug,

Welcome to Apple Discussions.

I would recommend that you refresh your iCal plist file. Quit iCal and find the com.apple.ical.plist file in your Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences folder, and drag it to your Desktop. Then log out/in or restart and see if that fixes your problem.

Next, quit iCal again, find the "Calendar Cache" file in your Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Calendars folder and drag it to your Desktop, and see if that fixes your problem.

Also, check for duplicate fonts.

If none of that is successful, install 10.5.3 using the Mac OS X 10.5.3 Combo Update.

Let us know if that makes a difference.

;~)

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Answer 2

Doug Roth Author

Level 1

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Jun 4, 2008 8:20 PM in response to Ferd II

Thanks for taking an interest in my problem. I have tried all your suggestions in the stated order, but alas, to no avail. After Combo Update and restart, all malfunctions I described were exactly the same. Is there no way to reinstall just the iCal application from a download?

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Answer 3

Ferd II

Level 10

104,209 points

Jun 4, 2008 8:56 PM in response to Doug Roth

Doug,

Is there no way to reinstall just the iCal application from a download?

Before you attempt that procedure, will iCal display correctly in another user account?

If it works in another user account, then reinstalling iCal will not help. In that case there is something corrupt in your user account.

If iCal exhibits the same symptoms in another user account, I would recommend an Archive and Install of Leopard followed once again by the Combo Update. Make sure that you have backups of your data, and software.

If you want to try the iCal reinstallation, before/instead of an Archive and Install, here are the steps:
1. Insert your Leopard Installation disk into the computer.
2. The disk will appear on your desktop.
3. Double click on the "Optional Installs" folder.
4. Double click on the "Optional Installs.mpkg."
5. Click on (Continue) in Introduction.
6. Click on (Continue) in Software License Agreement.
7. Click on (Agree) to agree to the terms of the software license agreement.
8. Click on the disclosure arrow ▶ next to Applications.
9. Select (✓) iCal.
10. Click (Continue).
11. After iCal has been reinstalled, download and reinstall the 10.5.3 Combo Update

Good Luck.

;~)

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Answer 4

Yappy

Level 1

4 points

Jun 8, 2008 7:20 AM in response to Ferd II

Thanks Doug,

I did two steps together and it works.

Step1.
Quit iCal and find the com.apple.ical.plist file in your Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Preferences folder, and drag it to your Desktop.

Step 2
"Calendar Cache" file in your Macintosh HD/Users/yourusername/Library/Calendars folder and drag it to your Desktop, and restart iCal

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Answer 5

Doug Roth Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 8, 2008 3:04 PM in response to Yappy

Unfortunately, doing the two steps together, moving the .plist file and the Calendars folder to the desktop, had a negative result. I got the message that iCal events were being updated and then the "unexpected quit" notice. Moving the Calendars folder back into Library > Preferences restored my data, but the behavior of all the quirky features remains the same.

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Answer 6

Doug Roth Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 8, 2008 3:08 PM in response to Yappy

I did try iCal in another user account and experienced the same result. Haven't done a complete archive and reinstall yet, but will when I get the time. Will keep everyone posted.

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Answer 7

Jul 3, 2008 12:40 AM in response to Doug Roth

I have the very same problem... Removing both files as suggested didn't solve the problem.
Also: upgrading from 10.5.3 to 10.5.4 didn't help neither.
Anyone ?

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Answer 8

Jul 8, 2008 1:28 PM in response to audiopostpro

bump

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