Snow Leopard - Slow with aliases?

Details on HD size, amount used and free, and whether you run any maintenance scripts would be useful.

Launch the Terminal app in /Applications/Utilities/, copy & paste this command into the window that pops up, hit the return key, enter your password at the Password: prompt (carefully, since it won't show up on the screen), and hit the return key:

*sudo periodic daily weekly monthly*

This command runs the three maintenance scripts that usually run, as appropriate, during the early morning hours if the machine is running. Details at http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/help/leopard/system/scripts.html and http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html#2

Then, boot with the install disk, select the internal HD, and repair the disk.

Finally, see:

Mac Maintenance Quick Assist,
Mac OS X speed FAQ,
Myths of required versus not required maintenance for Mac OS X,
Essential Mac Maintenance: Get set up,
Essential Mac Maintenance: Rev up your routines,
Speeding up, and
Maintaining OS X for information.

I've never seen the delay, so don't know what else to advise. All Desktop aliases to files and folders instantly open the appropriate file/folder when double-clicked. I suggest you ignore it, especially since it only appears to occur the first time you do the operation.

I only keep one alias on my Desktop (I have a few inside various other folders) and have never seen a "Resolving alias" message, and the aliases open instantly, including those to folders on other internal drives. Perhaps you ought to trash the aliases you have and replace them with fresh ones. The easy way is to use the alias to open the folder, then trash the alias and hold down the Option and Command keys, click and hold on the proxy icon in the top of the open window (it will darken) and then drag (while continuing to hold the keys down) to the Desktop.
Francine


Francine
Schwieder

The dialog says "Resolving alias to sandbox." What's up with that? Using SuperDuper!'s sandbox function? If so, that might explain things.

That's the name of the folder, the message is "Resolving alias foo..." I did a Google search and couldn't find any other person having the problem (went thru 6 pages of results). Indeed, the top hit was this thread.

You could try a Safe Boot, or alternatively use a test account, and see if the problem still shows up. If it disappears in a Safe Boot you have something installed that is causing problem. If the something doesn't apply in the test account, or the problem is some other oddity in your regular account, then the problem is not system wide. If you see the message in the test account and in Safe Boot, then it is system wide, but I have no idea what could cause it.
Francine


Francine
Schwieder

Ah! Thanks. I missed that. As I noted previously, not an issue here, so I also have no idea what's causing it. Your steps should narrow things down.

Since it works properly in the new test account, open up its Preferences folder, make a list of those, and one or more of those are corrupt or conflicting in the original account. Log back into the original account, move all of those out of its Preferences folder into a temp one on the Desktop, log out and back in, and check the behavior. If it works properly, then move a couple back into the Preferences folder, log out and back in, and see if the odd behavior returns. Alternatively, reset the preferences for the ones you moved and delete the ones in the temp folder. Either way you'll either identify the culprits or resolve the issue.

Hi,

Just a message to let you know that you are not the only one experiencing the annoying delay when opening aliases in OSX 10.6.1 (on iMac intel).

I don't want to spend much time in trying and experimenting with prefs etc. because I think it is the work of the Apple developers I hope that 10.6.2 will bring the solution...

Wim