User profile for user: Julzlast
Julzlast Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

system preferences quit unexpectedly,

when select the apple top left and select system preference, also if i select about this mac and select software update. the system comes up with system preference quit unexpectedly. as said i have tried reloading OS by going through command R and command option R etc I couldn't add another user as preferences don't work. i cannot do a factory reset as i cannot get into System preferences. the only thing i have done is quit out of BETA OS testing.


iMac Pro (2017)

Posted on Mar 26, 2024 11:54 AM

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11 replies
User profile for user: Julzlast
Julzlast Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Apr 11, 2024 5:37 AM in response to BDAqua

This is how Apple fixed it.

You can erase your Mac aid then reinstall OS X using the built-in recovery

disk. Before you erase and reinstall, back up your essential files. If vou're

installing on a portable computer, make sure your power adapter is

connected and plugged in.

Important: To reinstall OS X, you need to be connected to the Internet.

1. Choose Apple menu > Restart. Once your Mac restarts (and the gray

screen appears), hold down the Command (8) and R keys.

2. If you're not connected to the Internet, choose a network from the Wi-

Fi menu (in the top-right corner of the screen).

3. Select Disk Utility, and then click Continue.

4. Select your startup disk from the list on the left, and then click the

Erase tab.

5. From the Format pop-up menu, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

or APFS depending on the OS version, enter a name for your disk, and

then click Erase.

6. After the disk is erased, choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utilitv.

7. Select Reinstall OS X, click Continue, and then follow the instructions.

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User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
239,009 points

Mar 26, 2024 2:49 PM in response to Julzlast

Have you???


Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at startup), does the problem occur in Safe Mode? Could take 10 minutes or more.


Safe mode attempts to repair Disks & clears lots of caches & loads safe Drivers, & prevents loading of 3rd party extensions, so if Safe Mode works try again in regular boot.


Or trashed...


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


~ tilde indicates  your user library folder

Apple hid the Users' Library folders...


Method 1:

  1. From the Finder, select the Go menu at top of the screen, and choose Go to Folder.
  2. In the window that opens, enter ~/Library, and click Go.

Or…

 Use the Command-Shift-. toggle in Finder to show or to hide hidden files and folders


Or...


See if you can create a new administrator account by restarting the Setup Assistant:

  1. Boot into Single User Mode: Start/restart your Mac. As soon as you hear the startup tone, press and hold ⌘ + S until you see a black screen with white lettering. (If you end up back on the login screen after a flash of the black screen with white lettering, enter your password and it will return to the black screen.)
  2. Check and repair the drive by typing /sbin/fsck -fy then ↩ enter - as directed by the on-screen text.
  3. Mount the drive as read-write by typing /sbin/mount -uw / then ↩ enter.
  4. Remove the Apple Setup Done file by typing rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone then ↩ enter.
  5. Reboot by typing reboot then ↩ enter.
  6. Complete the setup process, creating a new admin account.


Be very careful to notice the spaces in those Terminal Commands.


Once you've done that the computer reboots and it's like the first time you used the machine, except all your data will still be there. Your old accounts are all safe. From there you just change all other account passwords in the account preferences!!

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User profile for user: BDAqua
BDAqua
User level: Level 10
239,009 points

Mar 27, 2024 8:39 AM in response to Julzlast

When you typed  /sbin/mount -uw / , was there a space between uw ad the slash?


  1. Type: diskutil list
  2. Press Return.
  3. Note the identifier for the disk you want to unmount. For example, ‘disks1’
  4. Type: sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disks1 [replace ‘disks1’ with the identifier you noted in Step 4.]
  5. Press Return and type in your admin password if you’re asked for it.


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User profile for user: Julzlast
Julzlast Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Mar 27, 2024 5:21 AM in response to Julzlast

Hi, Thank you for your help but I still can't get on top of this problem, My Mac is 13 inch early 1995 with MacOs Monterey. I have had it from new and never had a problem i couldn't sort but this one has me.


I followed instructions as you have set out, i went into ~/library and found lots of folders and scripts in there, didn't know where to go from there.


Then i tried to create a new user I got into the black screen with white righting (like the old dos system in 3:11, XP and windows 95 showing my age now) in there I entered /sbin/fsck -fy return the screen come up with Warning: option-f is not implemented, ignoring.


I typed /sbin/mount -uw enter the screen come up with error:dev/rdisk1 is mounted.repairs in a mounted container is not supported yet.


I tried typing the rest of your recommendations but went nowhere.


Thanks again, please let me know if i am going wrong. or any other information would be a help.

Julian

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User profile for user: Julzlast
Julzlast Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Mar 27, 2024 8:19 AM in response to BDAqua

whoops 2015, 


I deleted the file in library com.apple.systempreferences.plist with the same outcome system preferences quit unexpectedly.


I went back into black screen white righting (which i assume you mean as single user?) and typed   /sbin/fsck -y enter with the outcome error : container /dev/rdisk1 is mounted.repairs in a mounted container is not supported yet

-sh-3.2#

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system preferences quit unexpectedly,

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