Applications folder is empty--how to restore?

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If you show path bar in the view menu File menu -> Find File's results will allow you to see where the applications have moved to that you are able to search for when you select them by clicking once on them. Once you know where they have moved, make sure they are in Hard drive -> Applications.
Don't confuse that for a Users -> yourname -> Applications folder that some applications may decide to install.

Message was edited by: a brody

enter the following in terminal

ls -laO /Applications

This should list the contents of the Applications folder. does it list all the apps? does it say "hidden" on anywhere in the list?

Try editing your .hidden file to omit those applications. A program such as Textwrangler can do that.

run the following terminal command

sudo chflags nohidden /Applications/*

You'll have to enter your admin password (which you won't see). that's normal.

A couple of things:

1. The only thing Terminal shows as hidden is the custom icon for the /Applications folder itself, which is perfectly normal and shouldn't be changed. There is no reason to run the sudo command.

2. OS X has not used nor automatically created a .hidden file in...umm...forever. Not since Panther, although the Finder in both Tiger and Leopard will actually read a .hidden file if one exists. But unless one has been just running update since Panther, or you have created a .hidden file yourself, there won't be one.

I suspect the poster is simply opening the wrong Applications folder, that there is an Applications folder in the home folder, and that is one being opened. To check:

1. Type the name of a program in Spotlight in the menu bar
2. The "Top Hit" will be the program
3. Press and hold the Command key and click on program in the Spotlight list

A Finder window will open with that program high-lighted. You should see all the other programs as well, and you should be in the proper Applications folder. Change the View of the folder to Column view. In the Sidebar your startup drive should be select, in the next column the Applications folder will be selected, and in the next column all the applications will be listed, with the one you entered in Spotlight selected.
Francine


Francine
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