system preferences won't open

Question

system preferences won't open

I have a macbook 10.5.8 and the "system preferences" under the apple will not open. I click on "system preferences" and nothing happens.

macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jun 14, 2010 6:53 PM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jun 14, 2010 7:02 PM in response to Michael Marymee

Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, when done trash this file, then reboot & try it...

/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

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Answer 2

Jun 14, 2010 7:33 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks. The computer would not re boot while I was holding down the shift key. I did run the Repair Permissions but could not find a file to trash. Restarted and the system preferences still won't open.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jun 14, 2010 7:42 PM in response to Michael Marymee

could not find a file

Click on your home folder, (house icon), from there open Library, then open Preferences>, look for it there.

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Answer 4

Jun 14, 2010 7:52 PM in response to BDAqua

Nope not there. Thanks for your time and patience but I still can't find the system preferences.

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Answer 5

Jun 16, 2010 11:03 AM in response to Michael Marymee

any other suggestions for finding the system preferences

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Answer 6

ZiggyD

Level 1

0 points

Jun 18, 2010 3:12 AM in response to Michael Marymee

MacBook OS 10.5.8

I also can't open or find System Preferences, have repaired permissions, also could not find in:
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

Did update on 17.06.2010
Please someone out there could you shed some light on this strange phenomenon.

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Answer 7

Jun 23, 2010 6:24 PM in response to Michael Marymee

Got the same problem here on my wife's mini with 10.6. I have done the suggestions, and yes I do have the plist to delete. Rebooted and still. When you try and open Sys Prefs it just bounces.

Otherwise she's not having any problems with her Mac at all.

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Answer 8

Jul 15, 2010 11:18 AM in response to Michael Marymee

Any more ideas about what is causing System Prefs not to open, just bounce. I logged on as a different user and it opened. Well that pointed out to something in the primary users account. I logged on again as the user that it worked, and now it just bounces also.

Any ideas appreciated, I deleted the suggested pref file, The last update I ran the combo updater. Everything else appears working fine, just can't open the prefs.

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Answer 9

rodi

Level 1

0 points

Jul 28, 2010 1:57 PM in response to John Denning

Hi - I have also tried the suggestions, safe booted and deleted said file and still cannot open System Preferences from one of the accounts on this machine (I can from another account).

Apple - care to weigh in on this one?

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Answer 10

Aug 5, 2010 9:55 AM in response to BDAqua

Hello This is my first time on this forum as I did not realise I needed to purchase the Care programme.

My problem is IPHOTO and SYSTEM PREFERENCES icons were on the dock but would not open and after phoning Apple they are now just question marks and after a second telephone call I have been directed here by the lovely voiced technician.
Do I really delete
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist

as in the response to BDAqua?

I cannot understand what I have done for these to icons to disappear.

Do you think I have wiped them completely and have to pay £35 for the technician to help me repair them?

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