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Safari Does Not Open Homepage & Doesn't Save Bookmarks

Using a 2018 iMac with macOS Catalina 10.15.7 and when launching Safari, it opens a web site I was looking at a couple days ago instead of loading my homepage. Also, if I add any bookmarks and then close the Safari app, those bookmarks are gone when I re-open Safari. I have run both, virus and malware checks and they have come up clean. I believe this problem has to do with permissions that likely need to be reset as this problem relates to something similar that happened earlier.


A couple days ago, I had difficulty in connecting to my iMac from my MacBook Pro. I opened System Preferences > File Sharing to fix the problem. In the process, I adjusted some of the permissions of file sharing. My MacBook connected and I thought the problem was fixed. That evening, another unrelated app would not work properly. I tried to do a simple restart of my iMac.


When my iMac restarted, it opened everything that was open when I was working on the file sharing problem... a Numbers file was open, System Preferences opened and went directly to the File Sharing window and Safari, with a website re: file sharing. Every time I restarted my iMac, it would open all those things again, despite closing everything down and ensuring none of the windows would open upon restart. It was like the iMac would restart to where I was at that point in time a couple days ago.


After a bit of research, I discovered the permissions got jacked up somehow and I reset them. I solved everything but the current Safari problem.


Extensions in Safari look ok (only my anti virus app), Profiles in System Preferences looks ok (only something about iMovie in there). I don't see any suspicious apps, I've run virus/malware scans which have come up clean. I've tried starting in safe mode and re-installing the OS. Nothing has worked. Any ideas? Thx!!


Posted on Apr 1, 2021 9:14 PM

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14 replies

Apr 1, 2021 9:35 PM in response to RLOJr

I suspect your issues are directly related to what has been installed on the computer. Please do the following and we will look over your system for obvious issues.


Please navigate to www.Etrecheck.com and download the free version of EtreCheck. Once you have you downloaded the app and installed it, please run the report and save it. This report will help us get a good idea what has been installed on your system and help us be able to diagnose what may be wrong.


When you have your report, you can attach it when you reply to this message and we can then review it and help you determine what is needed to get your system running well again. 


For instructions on how to download your EtreCheck report and attach it to your reply to this message please click https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000211


Apr 2, 2021 5:22 PM in response to RLOJr

The best antivirus, cleaning app, and overall maintenance app for Mac OS is Mac OS itself. All you need to do with Mac OS to keep it secure and running well is to keep it up-to-date and do periodic (about 1x per week) restarts. Other than that, leave it alone. Adding third party antivirus, cleaning, security and other types of maintenance apps to Mac OS adds no additional level of security. The only thing these apps do is have the opposite affect users want. They make Mac OS slow, unstable, generate odd behavior (much like you are experiencing) and make Mac OS appear buggy. 

 

Please locate the developers uninstall instructions for Antivirus One and follow to the letter. Then restart in Safe Mode per the directions in Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac and then restart normally and test. 


Apr 3, 2021 1:28 PM in response to RLOJr

Have you tried resetting the Homepage in Safari's General preference pane?


If that doesn't take try launching Safari with the Option key held down and then reset the homepage again.


If that still fails, close Safari, move the com.apple.Safari.plist file from this folder



to the Desktop, launch Safari again and reset the homepage. See if that will stick.


Apr 4, 2021 11:03 AM in response to Old Toad

Toad,


Again, thanks for the assist. I checked the Show Library Folder box. It was the same folders I referenced above. I went ahead and tried the same solution with no luck. Below is where I found the .plist file.



I'm just thinking out loud here but would appreciate any opinions. I have backups. I was wondering if I were to restore the Safari.app file with a previous version. Would that trigger the OS to think it needs to be updated and in effect, reinstall Safari? I have already tried reinstalling the OS from Recovery Mode the other day with no effect.


Thanks!

Apr 3, 2021 11:30 AM in response to rkaufmann87

I appreciate the help but sorry to say this solution did not work out.


I followed the uninstall directions from the Trend Micro website for the Antivirus One app. There were 2 additional folders attributed to Trend Micro within the /Library/Container folders than what the directions called for. I deleted those as well and cleared the trash. Started up in safe mode and then restarted normally. Tested and same issues persist.


In the Safari>Preferences>Extensions tab, there are no extensions showing. Any other ideas?


I'm want to upgrade to Big Sur and was cleaning out old files and apps when this problem arose. I did speculate that if I upgraded, it might fix the problem. But I really don't know and think it might be better to resolve this before upgrading.


Thanks. I do appreciate the help.

Apr 3, 2021 4:14 PM in response to Old Toad

Toad,


Thanks for the ideas. The first 2 did not work. In fact, I tried your first idea early on. As for the .plist files, I do not see a specific com.apple.Safari.plist file anywhere on my iMac.


I have the Containers folder in /Library, but that does not even contain a folder called Safari, let alone Data, Library and Preferences. Here is what I do have:


In Containers, I have com.apple.Safari.BrowserDataImportingService, CacheDeleteExtension, DiagnosicExtension & SafariQuickLookPreview.


In Preferences, com.apple.Safari.SafeBrowsing.plist, SandboxBroker.plist & SafariBookmarksSyncAgent.plist.


There is a Safari folder in /Library. I did see a LastSession.plist file that looked to have been created on the day and time when I was looking at that particular website. I tried closing Safari, moving that file to the desktop, restarting Safari, resetting the homepage, but atlas, still have the same issue.


Again, I appreciate everyone's help on this!

Apr 22, 2021 1:19 PM in response to Old Toad

In case anyone is wondering, I finally solved the issue(s). There were 2 of them, though I was thinking they were one in the same.


I eventually upgraded to Big Sur and that seemed to fix the homepage issues. However, I wasn't able to save or edit any bookmark & reading lists. I eventually went into Library/Safari/ folders and removed the bookmarks.plist file. Re-opened Safari and was now able to save and edit bookmark information without it being lost upon closing Safari.


Hope this info helps someone. Thanks to everyone who responded and tried to help me on this!

Safari Does Not Open Homepage & Doesn't Save Bookmarks

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