Running a fairly new iMac with 10.7.4 and came home to find that the finder flashes, I can't access the trash and the files on the desktop disappeared. Haven't downloaded anything (and my kids also claim not to have). Suggestions?
iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4)
Create a new User (if you can ) go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > "+" (make it an admin acct) and test the apps in this new account, if they work the problem is isolated to your User and not systemwide.
If the issue is limited to your user account or can't create a new user try starting up in Safe Mode (It will take more time to startup because it runs a directory check.)
If your apps functions correctly that way, go to System Preferences >> Accounts >> Login Items and remove them. Boot normally and test.
If the issue is systemwide, then you may be able to repair by booting cmd-r to your r
Recovery Volume and re-installing Lion. This will be an "install in place" and shouldn't effect your data and settings.
Thanks - I'll try that (though I'm not as adept as most others on here).
macjack, - grateful for your help so far. I created a new User and made it an admin acct and found that I wasn't having the same problems with the "flashing finder." I don't quite understand the next steps you set out: "go to System Preferences >> Accounts >> Login Items and remove them. Boot normally and test." What do you mean by "Login Items and remove them"?
My fault they used to be called "Accounts" now "Users & Groups" in System Preferences.
Do that but then try this.... it really sounds like Finder prefs got wonky...
(if you can't do this in normal mode or if you're still in Safe Mode do it in Safe Mode)
Go to your Finder "Go" menu hold the option key and choose Library. Then go to Preferences folder and trash these files:
com.apple.finder.plist
com.apple.sidebarlists.plist
Then, restart, or log out and in again.
(You will have to reset a few finder prefs the way you like them.)
Thanks again, but unfortunately I have a feeling that I may have some sort of virus as I can't even open the Finder Menu from the Dock. If I click the Finder its tool bar appears for a brief second then disappears before I can hit the Go Menu. Suggestions? Or another route to the Finder without clicking on it in the Dock?
No, you don't have a virus. What you have is some fuzzball in your Finder prefs, probably kid related.
In your /Applications/Utilties folder choose Terminal and launch it. At the prompt copy & paste this command...
sudo rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist && killall Finder
Press return.
Let us know.
macjack - thank you - I'll try this tonight and let you know. Grateful for your help and I hope this takes care of things.
macjack - update - I tried what you suggested. I cut and pasted the command above at the prompt but then I was asked for the system's password and I could not type it in. I then tried to copy and paste the password in but when I hit paste nothing showed up at the prompt...Help...
It is normal for nothing to show up at the password prompt in the Terminal. Type the password anyway, and press return.
Thomas, thank you. I followed the instructions above and can report that the Windows message seems to be gone but the Finder bar still flashes when I don't have an app open. I would note that this only happens in my original User Account and not the new User Account I created at macjack's suggestions.
I would also note that if I click the Finder icon, nothing happens - I can't access it.
Other thoughts?
Grateful for everyone's support.
One other issue that remains in addition to the Finder bar flashing when I don't have any apps open is that I still can't access Trash. Again, this only happens in my original User Account and not the new User Account I created at macjack's suggestion. Also, if I click the Finder icon, nothing happens.
I feel I'm making progress but not there yet.
Thoughts?
I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say the "Finder bar" flashes. What is the Finder bar, and how does it flash, exactly? Can you capture a video of this behavior? (Open QuickTime Player, choose File -> New Screen Recording and click the red record button. Then upload the video to YouTube and post a link here. Make sure no sensitive personal information is displayed on the screen during the recording.)
As to not being able to access the trash, again, what does that mean? When you click on the trash icon on the Dock, what happens?
When you click the Finder icon, it's perfectly normal that nothing would happen if you are already in the Finder. What happens if you click it while you are in another application? Does the application name in the menu bar (right next to the Apple logo) change to say Finder?
Thomas - thanks for the help and apologies for not being clear enough in my descriptions and terminology.
When I refer to the "Finder Bar" I'm referring to the grey bar that runs across the top of the desktop as in this image below:
If I have no apps open this "grey bar" flashes on and off (appears then disappears) and doesn't allow me click it, but if I have Safari or Mail open the flashing stops and I can access the menu in Safari or Mail (as the case may be). If I click the Finder icon on the Dock nothing happens, no Finder window opens. If I'm in Safari and click the Finder icon on the Dock the application name "Finder" appears in the menu bar for a second then disappears and reverts back to the Safari menu.
Regarding the Trash, if I click the Trash icon on the Dock nothing happens. Previously if I had clicked the Trash icon, the Trash would open, display the contents of the Trash and allow me to empty it. None of that happens now.
Grateful for your input.
Sounds like all of these issues involve the Finder, and the Finder appears not to be working properly. Since macjack's tip didn't solve it, try running this in the Terminal:
sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.finder
Please be extremely cautious with this command! You should not try to re-type it... copy and paste that text into the Terminal. I've seen people put an extra space in the wrong place when re-typing that and end up wiping out their entire home folder!
Enter your password again, as you did with macjack's command. When the $ prompt reappears, restart the computer. If that doesn't work, you could broaden that command to nuke all the user-level caches:
sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*
Thomas - thank you. I'm not currently at my computer but will do as you suggested when I'm back on it tonight. I'll provide an update at that time.
Thanks again.
finder flashes, can't access trash, desktop files disappeared...
