Can't find com.apple.desktop.plist

If you dont have a .plist file then you can make one and put it in the folder

There is a library hidden inside the Mac HD root one level under "users" Folder

look at the bottom status bar of the below image it shows the file path (you can make this visible in finder preferences))

This is probably where your .plist is.. however, i was missing both the finder and the desktop plist files, and only flashing my mac Pram and reinitiating it, and complete deletion of the existing plists if any, brought things back to under 180 seconds desktop load time. I own a Mac Mini, 2 Macbook air, one iMac 27. They all take at least 120 seconds to load to desktop. Its the finder that is taking too long in my opinion. as that loads before desktop does

The other library is in Users - see the file path on bottom of the below image

if you want to find them easily. just make an alias of the folder and drag it to desktop

in the case of 'users/username/library' folder, you wont be able to see it inside the user folder, so do this; click down on the 'library' folder icon in the bottom pathbar of the browser (in my case, after the house icon that says 'sakyant'), and drag the folder to sidebar or desktop

like this

and drop it

if you have no .plist files, then make one with text editor

blank one and rename it to finder.plist (the text editor will change it to .rtf or .txt, but we will rename it again once it is saved to desktop, and remove the .rtf or .txt extension, leaving only .plist extension at the end

then we rename it on desktop, before we drag it into the library folder

we nname it whatever we need to (com.apple.finder.plist or whatever.. you need to name the file the same as the file you wish to replace or create in the library.. works with all of the plists

choose 'use .plist' when finder asks if you really wish to change the extension

then drag the file into the preferences folder. And restart -

But if there is already a file, you will get a warning.. act upon your own knowledge in this case

~/Library/Preferences/

Yes, you have different Library folders.

Yes, there will be a new version.

Instead of deleting it, you can move it somewhere else, so you can move it back when needed.

TSG wrote:

library/preferences

~/Library/Preferences

The tilde always indicates your UserHome Folder. Go from there.

Finder>GO > ~/Library/Preferences

While you have the Finder's "GO" menu open, press "Option," and Voila! a Library item will appear in the list – That's the one that has the .plist in its Preferences file. Throwing it away solves the disappearing "Desktop icon" and "Desktop-background" glitch . . . ONLY for a while!

For the bad news, it isn't permanent fix. There will be a time down the way, after you restart your computer, that all your icons will be in a happily alphabetized group all the way to the right, and your desktop will return to the Andromeda Galaxy.

It happened to me a half hour ago . . . that's why I'm here. I think that writing a script that throws the plist file away every time I shut down will help, but if I crash or have a power failure, I'm back to cussing and re-arranging my desktop icons.

where do i find this Library that everyone are talking about ?

what "alt" are you talking about ? i dont have an alt option

i went to library-prefrances and still cant find the destop file, any idea?

oh ok i see what u mean alt key, its the option key....but i followd the same process and still cant find the "com.apple.desktop.plist" file? any idea?