Applications disappear from App folder!

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Level 1

1 points

Applications disappear from App folder!

The most bizarre problem I've ever experienced. I went to open some apps on my dock and a grey question mark appeared. I opened my application folder and they were gone! Firefox, Skype, 4 different versions of the music app Ableton Live, MS Office, and quite a few more! Logic Pro didn't disappear but it will not open.

The apps I reinstalled seem to work OK so far but this is completely bizarre.

Fortunately saved docs and files remain if not saved in the application folder!

Booted from the install disk and repaired disk (showed no problems) and repaired permissions as well as performing all AppleJack operations. The applications have simply dissappeared!!

I found this old discussion in which there was no resolution
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11009382

It really seems like a virus of some sort!

Mac OS X (10.6.3)

Posted on Sep 10, 2010 11:40 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

daytripper95

Level 1

4 points

Sep 14, 2010 8:35 AM in response to roweski

Oh roweski, you are NOT alone... me and many others on other forums have had the same thing happen, many people are astonished by the fact that it's SO random and even Apple has no idea why it happens or has any fix to it! So frustrating.

So to add my story to the ever-growing forums on this topic (I will be publishing the same text to a few other places, in the hopes Apple will post a response!)...

In our case we have 5 computers and printer on a wired network. One employee was trying to print out of InDesign CS3, and print failed. Looked in the print tray and found it had printed a "Network Configuration" sheet because it had lost the link to the network. So we of course tried to see why printer wasn't working, which is when an employee notice the question marks on some dock apps. Upon inspection of the application folder, she found ALL Adobe CS3 apps were gone, as well as Firefox and Excel. Of course we were freaked out and upon further inspection we found (as others seem to have also found) that all files accessed that day (about 14 files, Excel, Illustrator & InDesign files) were also GONE. The only other odd thing was that there were a couple folders called "Recovered Files", one on desktop and one in Trash, but upon restart, theses disappeared and what was left in Trash were about 27 files from the previous week.

We were able to restore most items via Time Machine, but as everyone has mentioned, we NEED to know WHY this happened and how to prevent it happening again. And for the record, we have NOT recently run any Apple updates. PLEASE if anyone has figured it out, let us all know. And if not, please mention what you were doing at the time or shortly before you noticed the problem. Many people have said it "sounds like a virus" but if you search this, you'll find that there are no known viruses of this sort targeting Macs.

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Answer 2

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Sep 10, 2010 1:09 PM in response to roweski

No virus. Apparently some one trashed your apps. Who else has access to your (what ever) Mac?

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Answer 3

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 10, 2010 1:54 PM in response to sig

It hasn't been out of my sight. Not a soul has touched or has access to my Mac. I was using the computer last night before going to bed in a hotel and woke up to this horror...

Another thread I posted on with some similar experiences
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=11035842#post11035842

If not a virus, what could explain this? I've been using Macs since the Powerbook 100. Never have I seen anything like this!

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Answer 4

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Sep 10, 2010 3:22 PM in response to roweski

Might be a symptom of not enough free space on the drive. Highlight the drive icon, then CMD-I GetInfo and see how much you have available.

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Answer 5

dwb

Level 7

32,914 points

Sep 10, 2010 3:24 PM in response to roweski

No insult intended but as we used to say at work: 'the problem probably exists between the keyboard and chair'. If, as you say, the computer is used only by you and no one could have touched it, one explanation is the unintended consequences of a delete file operation when more things were selected then you thought.

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Answer 6

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 10, 2010 4:38 PM in response to dwb

No insult taken but exactly how would multiple apps suddenly disappear simultaneously without either selecting them and dragging them to the trash or right clicking to bring them to the trash? I'm talking about multiple apps disappearing at the same time (and you can't select multiple apps unless they are adjacent to each other).

I am not a Mac novice and my profession necessitates a certain knowledge of dealing with the Mac operating system (since OS 7).

This is something I've never encountered in nearly 20 years of Mac use.

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Answer 7

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 10, 2010 4:46 PM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ wrote:
Might be a symptom of not enough free space on the drive. Highlight the drive icon, then CMD-I GetInfo and see how much you have available.

Plenty of experience maxing out drives... performance may suffer but apps do not simply disappear. I'm telling you, this is strange behavior and I am sober!

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Answer 8

Király

Level 6

10,017 points

Sep 10, 2010 4:49 PM in response to roweski

Do you use an admin account for everyday use? If so, you shouldn't. This might have been prevented otherwise.

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Answer 9

dwb

Level 7

32,914 points

Sep 10, 2010 5:02 PM in response to roweski

I'm talking about multiple apps disappearing at the same time (and you can't select multiple apps unless they are adjacent to each other).

I assume you are thinking that since the applications weren't next to each other alphabetically it can't be explained. But the window might have been sorted by date or size, for example. And actually you can select noncontiguous files by command clicking items. And, unfortunately, the mass deletion of files is something I've seen more than one user accidentally perform.

In the end, this may wind up being one of those things you never satisfactorily resolve (unless you have a cat - cats are involved in many unexplained disappearances). As Kappy noted, there is value to using a standard account rather than an admin account.

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Answer 10

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 10, 2010 5:08 PM in response to Király

Király wrote:
Do you use an admin account for everyday use? If so, you shouldn't. This might have been prevented otherwise.

No. Standard user for everday use...

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Answer 11

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 10, 2010 5:14 PM in response to dwb

dwb wrote:
I assume you are thinking that since the applications weren't next to each other alphabetically it can't be explained. But the window might have been sorted by date or size, for example. And actually you can select noncontiguous files by command clicking items. And, unfortunately, the mass deletion of files is something I've seen more than one user accidentally perform.

This is true but this would involve me command clicking multiple apps, trashing them, and emptying the trash. I make mistakes occassionally but this is hard to fathom!

In the end, this may wind up being one of those things you never satisfactorily resolve (unless you have a cat - cats are involved in many unexplained disappearances). As Kappy noted, there is value to using a standard account rather than an admin account.

Have always used a standard account... and I'm allergic to cats.

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Answer 12

Sep 10, 2010 6:25 PM in response to roweski

Well if what you are saying is true then that only leaves your disk drive is on its last legs if it is capable of losing that many files without your help. I suggest you using Disk Utility to Verify your disk drive.

___________________

Allan

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Answer 13

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 11, 2010 2:19 AM in response to Allan Eckert

Allan Eckert wrote:
Well if what you are saying is true then that only leaves your disk drive is on its last legs if it is capable of losing that many files without your help. I suggest you using Disk Utility to Verify your disk drive.

I realize it's sounds completely improbable. I would think the same had I not experienced this!

In my original post I said I performed disk repair operations (which showed no errors). I also used Disk Warrior and AppleJack with no problems revealed. Also - no usual symptoms of dying hard drive which I am very familiar with.

I feel like I announced that I've seen a UFO...

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Answer 14

Sep 11, 2010 6:26 AM in response to roweski

Hi roweki;

I only skim read the thread prior to answering so I failed to notice that fact. Still it has been my experience after supporting servers since 1981 that when disks start losing data for no apparent reason they are usually on the way out. If nothing else make sure everything is backed at least twice until the reason is found.

It isn't a UFO, I have seen disk do this if that makes you feel any better. The downside is they always had to be replaced shortly afterwards.

___________________

Allan

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Answer 15

roweski Author

Level 1

1 points

Sep 11, 2010 6:40 AM in response to Allan Eckert

Allan Eckert wrote:
it has been my experience after supporting servers since 1981 that when disks start losing data for no apparent reason they are usually on the way out.

It isn't a UFO, I have seen disk do this if that makes you feel any better. The downside is they always had to be replaced shortly afterwards.

Doesn't it seem strange that ONLY programs from the app folder disappeared? All preferences and related supporting files were intact upon reinstalling - no authorizing required! Also the typical hard drive failure symptoms are absent (harddrive noise, hanging applications, slow response, etc.). The programs that remained were all running completely fine. It's also strange that in the other thread a 15 year Mac consultant had the same experience with no answers as well.

Reinstalled apps are now running fine as well with my saved files opening without problems. I will simply chalk this up to "sleep computing" and take the blame... there is no other explanation. I just hope it doesn't happen again!

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