Will Disk Warrior Help These Issues?

Katie \'OConnell wrote:

...I'm not highly technical when it comes to computers ... am I asking for trouble by going down this path?

I don't think so if you read through the ReadMe file (printing it is a good idea for when you're actually using AppleJack) and go slowly. Since you're using Snow Leopard as I am, it shouldn't be a problem, but in reading through the AppleJack user's help forum, there's some question about whether a wireless keyboard would work properly. I ordered mine with a wireless keyboard and track pad but have never used them, preferring the wired keyboard from my old G4 and a Logitech trackball. As you can see from the ReadMe and the screenshot of the AppleJack menu on the website, it does a variety of things. Since the issue here is corrupt preference files, I'd suggesting doing only the "validate preference files" option and then restarting when that's done. You'll find any corrupt Preferences in the Preferences (Corrupt) folder immediately following the Preferences folder in list view of the Users library folder.

Katie \'OConnell wrote:

booting up in "single user mode" scares a bit

Naturally. My understanding is that AppleJack basically does a syntax check on .plists, using plutil. If that's correct, then you can use the script below, which does pretty much the same thing. Copy it and paste in AppleScript Editor, then run it. (Be patient, it's takes a while.) When it's done, you should have on the clipboard a listing of plists in your <~/Library/Preferences> which failed the syntax check or generated an error. You can paste in, say, TextEdit, and then track the problematic ones.

--script begins

set prefPath to path tolibrary folderfromuser domain

set prefPath to (prefPath as text) & "Preferences" as alias

set k to 0

set e to 0

set myPrefs to {}

set myResults to ""

tell application "Finder"

set bigList to every item of (the entire contents of prefPath) --whose name extension is "plist"

repeat with i in bigList

if name extension of i is "plist" then set myPrefs to myPrefs & (i as alias)

end repeat

end tell

repeat with i in myPrefs

set thePref to quoted form of POSIX path of i

try

do shell script "plutil -lint " & thePref

set theCheck to result

if theCheck does not contain "plist: OK" then

set theLine to thePref & return & return & result & return & return

set myResults to myResults & theLine & return

set k to k + 1

end if

on error

set theLine to thePref & return & return & "An error has occurred." & return & return

set myResults to myResults & theLine & return

set e to e + 1

end try

end repeat

"PLIST CHECK" & return & return

set mySummary to result

"Plists checked: " & ((count of myPrefs) - e) & return

set mySummary to mySummary & result

"Plists OK: " & ((count of myPrefs) - (k + e)) & return

set mySummary to mySummary & result

"Plists failed: " & k & return

set mySummary to mySummary & result

"Plists not checked due to errors: " & e & return

set mySummary to mySummary & result & return

set myResults to mySummary & return & myResults

set the clipboard tomyResults

--script ends