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User profile for user: CLS9
CLS9 Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

iMac HD icon became “client node” then disappeared

I noticed a few days ago that the iMac HD icon renamed itself “client node” on my desktop then the icon disappeared completely after restarting. I was able to put an iMac HD alias on my desktop so I can access my HD files, but now Time Machine is not backing anything up. It goes through the backup process every hour as set, but there is nothing being backed up on Time Machine since the iMac HD disappeared from my desktop.


What is this “client node” thing (what happened???) and where is my HD icon?


So far I’ve run Cocktail, repaired permissions, relaunched the Finder, restarted my iMac, shut my iMac down overnight and booted it up in the morning. Still missing the HD icon (and HD files).


When I click on the HD icon in the sidebar, the HD alias shows a grayed-out HD icon in the list of HDs (my iDisk, iMac HD alias, Network, & Time Machine). I can access the HD files through the HD alias, but where did the actual HD icon go, and how do I get it back?

Posted on May 17, 2011 2:35 PM

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User profile for user: jsd2
jsd2
User level: Level 5
6,245 points

Posted on May 17, 2011 7:28 PM

I think what may have happened is that your HD somehow acquired a "hidden" flag, making it invisible to Finder. I have seen a "client node" icon appear on the Desktop transiently when I have deliberately made a disk volume invisible using a Terminal command. The "client node" icon disappeared if I then relaunched the Finder. I'm not sure what it represents - it may just be a transient Finder "ghost" of an object which has just become "hidden".


To restore visibility to your startup disk, I would try the following:


Launch the Terminal - it is /Applications/Utilities. Next copy-paste the following line into the Terminal window, followed by typing <Return> :


sudo chflags nohidden /


Enter your admin password at the prompt (it will not echo on the screen) and again type <Return>.


Do you now see the HD icon?

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User profile for user: jsd2
jsd2
User level: Level 5
6,245 points

May 17, 2011 7:28 PM in response to CLS9

I think what may have happened is that your HD somehow acquired a "hidden" flag, making it invisible to Finder. I have seen a "client node" icon appear on the Desktop transiently when I have deliberately made a disk volume invisible using a Terminal command. The "client node" icon disappeared if I then relaunched the Finder. I'm not sure what it represents - it may just be a transient Finder "ghost" of an object which has just become "hidden".


To restore visibility to your startup disk, I would try the following:


Launch the Terminal - it is /Applications/Utilities. Next copy-paste the following line into the Terminal window, followed by typing <Return> :


sudo chflags nohidden /


Enter your admin password at the prompt (it will not echo on the screen) and again type <Return>.


Do you now see the HD icon?

Reply

iMac HD icon became “client node” then disappeared

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