3 of my preference panes don't work.

Question

3 of my preference panes don't work.

I just install Lion 10.7 from scratch using a bootable DVD I made from the Install Mac OS X Install ESD Dmg found within the app. After restoring my accounts and data from a time machine backup, everything seems to work fine except for 3 preference panes within the System Preferences, (Desktop & Screen Saver, Energy Saver, and Spotlight.) I've tried reinstalling Lion over the current installation, I've tried reinstalling the latest combo update, I've trying repairing disk permissions, I've tried installing System Preferences app as well as each individual .prefpane, none of which worked. When trying to run the preference pane I get:

"Preferences Error. Could not load Desktop & Screen Saver preference pane." Replace Desktop & Screensaver part with Energy Saver and Spotlight respectively for each pane.

When I run the preference pane, here is the output from the console:

3/19/12 6:13:04.765 PM System Preferences: [NSPrefPaneBundle instantiatePrefPaneObject] (/System/Library/PreferencePanes/DesktopScreenEffectsPref.prefPane): principalClass is nil.

All three give the same error, again replacing DesktopScreenEffectsPref.prefpane with the corresponding pane.

I've read through tons of forums about similar errors and none of their fixes are working and I'm just not ready to reformat and install from scratch again. Any help?

Thanks in advance.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Mar 19, 2012 4:15 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 19, 2012 4:19 PM in response to captainloozer

Hi ...

Any luck at all, it's just corrupted preferences...

Go to ~/Library/Preferences

Move the com.apple.systempreferences.plist file to the Trash.

Restart your Mac.

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Answer 2

Mar 19, 2012 4:28 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

I assume you mean /users/(my username)/library/preferences/ only because that's the only place I can find that file, inside of the root /library/preferences there isn't one there.

Anyhow, I removed that file, restarted, opened the system preferences app, after which it made a new one, tried to open the preference pane again and got the same error.

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Answer 3

W Don

Level 1

0 points

Jul 27, 2012 1:37 PM in response to captainloozer

CaptainLoozer....I'm having exactly the same problem and have tried these and other suggestions in older threads without any luck. I'm running 10.5.8 and moved user from one macbook to the one with the problem

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Answer 4

W Don

Level 1

0 points

Jul 27, 2012 2:10 PM in response to W Don

.....and now just noticed I can no longer get any browser to access the internet....

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Answer 5

Apr 10, 2014 4:32 PM in response to captainloozer

old post, but I have the same exact problem. Screensaver, energy, and spotlight won't open after a migration from my newer iMac. I have tried trashing the com.apple.systempreferences.plist file, no luck. I should add that I have to hold the option key, and start from the go menu in the finder to see/find that file. I was also wondering if system prefs app version 11 is the correct version for Lion?

running 10.7.5 on a late 2006 MacBook Pro

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Answer 6

Apr 13, 2014 9:58 AM in response to Carolyn Samit

Carolyn Samit wrote:

Hi ...

Any luck at all, it's just corrupted preferences...

Go to ~/Library/Preferences

Move the com.apple.systempreferences.plist file to the Trash.

Restart your Mac.

I've tried that as well, but it didn't work. I've noticed there are two files, one has a .lockfile extension. Should that be deleted as well, or is that just what keeps it locked under admin privs? Also, should I be repairing permissions after trashing before I restart?

I also just tried replacing the desktop & screensaver, energy, and spotlight pref panes with replacementsfrom an old time machine back up, and that didn't work either. I read of someone who said they did that, and it worked...just not for me. I will live with it like this before I start with a clean install as they are the only issues I have, and they are fairly minor in the grand scheme

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