Safari can’t open any window

Question

Level 1

27 points

Safari can’t open any window

Hi there, This is a problem I’ve seen brought up here by others, but so far no working solution has been provided.

Since my last Safari window was closed, no new window can be opened, in none of the several possible ways, and Safari is unusable. The menu bar is active, but most of the menus - most notably the “New window” option - do not work.

It is a MBP 16” 2021 M1 Max, running Ventura 13.2.1, Safari is of course Version 16.3 (18614.4.6.1.6)

I’ve tried a startup in safe mode, tried deleting extensions, removing all cookies and history… Safari is just out of order. Read through all suggestions given to others - none of them works.

One suggestion was to reinstall macOS as a whole - I’d rather avoid that… perhaps just wait for the next update and see if that solves the issue.

Any other suggestions?

Many thanks in advance...

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.2

Posted on Mar 16, 2023 11:32 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Luis Sequeira1

Level 9

64,868 points

Mar 18, 2023 6:45 AM in response to Ashgard

Good idea to try the Safari Technology Preview!

I just remembered something: did you test Safari in a different user account on this mac?

It would help us determine whether it may be an issue with Safari proper, or something with your account.

Reply

Answer 2

Ashgard Author

Level 1

27 points

Mar 17, 2023 11:27 AM in response to Ashgard

I have seen this question by vadný: https://discussions.apple.com/profile/vadn%C3%BD

with a single response, a quite trivial one by https://discussions.apple.com/profile/racheals14

but no actual solution...

And similar issues are under Safari (https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/safari:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250461385?&previousThread=254541640021

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250667808?&previousThread=254541640021

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253202015?&previousThread=254541640021

I’m begging you all, please, anything beyond the trivial sysadmin-type advices??

Safari under Ventura can not be like this… and this seems to be a real issue...

Reply

Answer 3

Ashgard Author

Level 1

27 points

Mar 17, 2023 2:04 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thank you Luis!

Yes, I had tried force-quitting several times. No effect.

Once I had already tried safe mode, no effect, I tried it again now, very carefully and attentively - no effect.

Still a software conflict may be involved… although I always try to avoid installing anything, most of my apps are quite proven...

Have run Etrecheck, here is the full report. I trust you can find something incriminating in there and we can get rid of the problem. Sure it is a problem local to my Mac… 😊 so it is me who has to eradicate it. If only I could… so your help is really highly appreciated!

Etrecheck Report

Reply

Answer 4

Ashgard Author

Level 1

27 points

Mar 18, 2023 6:28 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thank you Luis for carrying on with me.

All items in the Window-menu are greyed out and keep being greyed out, no change, whatever I do. Like this:

I went to ~/Library/Preferences/ and moved out all the Safari plist files ... then launched Safari... no effect.

So I moved the files back.

I have a strange feeling something got damaged in the app package... if only an app that's part of the OS could be independently reinstalled...

Now I had another idea. It's not a solution to the issue, which will keep itching me under my skin... but some kind of way out, at least.

Of course I've tried Firefox, DuckDuckGo, even Edge, would never touch Chrome, though... but none of these appear comfortable enough for me.

So finally I just installed Safari Technology Preview... :)

It opened up, has taken over my fairly big tab groups, and works like a charm! Perfectly! :)

Still, if you have any further ideas, I will keep trying to revive Safari... I just wouldn't like to give up...

Reply

Answer 5

Mar 17, 2023 11:58 AM in response to Ashgard

There may be a software conflict of some kind.

When an application becomes unresponsive, you may need to force-quit it. Press Command-Option-Escape, select Safari on the list, and click Force Quit. This resolves it temporarily, of course, but does not address the cause.

Try to see if the issue can be reproduced while running in Safe Mode.

If it does not happen in Safe Mode (and I fully expect that it won't occur), then a software conflict is involved.

Please run Etrecheck and post its full report here. Use the "additional text" button and paste the report into the text box.

Reply

Answer 6

dialabrain

Level 10

122,723 points

Mar 17, 2023 12:04 PM in response to Ashgard

Ashgard wrote:

Safari under Ventura can not be like this… and this seems to be a real issue...

FWIW, Safari is not "like this" in any of my Ventura installs. As Luis suggested, it may be a software conflict but the problem is local to your Mac.

Reply

Answer 7

Ashgard Author

Level 1

27 points

Mar 17, 2023 3:04 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

One more thing: I just recorded a small video that shows the behavior…:

https://youtu.be/pJU55JtlMPI

I have also removed a few suspicious apps (and their junk) from the system. Unfortunately no effect. So far.

Reply

Answer 8

Mar 18, 2023 3:38 AM in response to Ashgard

Thank your for posting the video.

Did you check if after trying to open windows, anything appears in the Window menu (as if the windows may have been created, but are not visible)?

I can't see anything in the report that might explain this.

Here is something you can try:

1) Quit Safari

2) In Finder, press Command-Shift-G and paste

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.safari.plist

3) Drag the above and similar files (those starting with com.apple.Safari....) out of the folder, and park them somewhere else temporarily (you could create a new folder on the Desktop, for example).

4) Launch Safari, and try again. New plist files are created automatically.

If it works, then one of those files was corrupted, and caused Safari to misbehave.

You can adjust all the settings to your liking and drag that temporary folder to the trash.

If the problem persists, you may drag the plist files back to their original location if you want.

Reply

Answer 9

Ashgard Author

Level 1

27 points

Mar 18, 2023 7:33 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Great, I just tested it under the Guest account. There it works! :)

The Mac restarted in a "Safari-only mode" with a nice window explaining the limited use as a guest, with Safari being the only app (I had never known this) - and I could open up several windows with several tabs in them...

So the app package is obviously intact, removing the plist's did not help - what else could I remove/reset to solve this?

Very interesting ideas are coming up... what would be your suggestion?

Reply

Answer 10

Ashgard Author

Level 1

27 points

Mar 31, 2023 8:07 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

The Ventura 13.3 update has solved the issue, Safari works again as normal.

(I'm working in Safari Tech Review, and will stay with it...)

Thanks for all the help! :)

Reply

Safari can’t open any window

Similar questions