When I start my mac it seems ok then after about 15 minutes I can't drag anything from my desktop or from my hard drives. I'm freaking out ! Can someone Please help me?
iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), I've had my iMac since Aug.2011
Do a backup, using either Time Machine or a cloning program, to ensure files/data can be recovered. Two backups are better than one.
Try a restart.
Run Disk Utility/Repair Permissions. Run until it reports no errors. If there is a recurring error, see the article on what permission errors can be ignored.
Disk Utility Repair Permissions You Can Safely Ignore
Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.
Isolating an issue by using another user account
If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode. Shut down the computer and then power it back up. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.
General information.
Troubleshooting Permission Issues
Do a backup, using either Time Machine or a cloning program, to ensure files/data can be recovered. Two backups are better than one.
Try a restart.
Run Disk Utility/Repair Permissions. Run until it reports no errors. If there is a recurring error, see the article on what permission errors can be ignored.
Disk Utility Repair Permissions You Can Safely Ignore
Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.
Isolating an issue by using another user account
If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode. Shut down the computer and then power it back up. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.
General information.
Troubleshooting Permission Issues
Is it fixed?
If you have a lot of things on your Desktop, that can slow things down. If that's the case, minimize the number of items on your Desktop.
Thanks very much for replying so quickly. I didn't think I'd hear anything so fast. I tried the Disk Utility several times and it has been getting rid of some of the errors I've been having on my imac but there is still a file that keeps showing up and I try to find it and I can't.I keep running Disk Utility. First I run Verify Disk Permissions and come up with Permissions differ on “Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/iPodUpdater” ; should be lrwxr-xr-x ; they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Then I press Repair Disk Permissions and when its done Repairing Permissions I get
Permissions differ on “Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/iPodUpdater” ; should be lrwxr-xr-x ; they are -rwxr-xr-x .
Repaired “Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/iPodUpdater.framework/iPodUpdater” and it seems like it did the trick cause I go back to my Desktop and I can Drag my pics or anything I wanna drag. So,lets say that it seems to be working by using the Disk Utility alone. So far,so good! I'll leave my mac on for a little while to see if anything changes or if my dragging desides to stop. I hope it doesn't. I want to Thank You,Eric Root for being so kind and quickly sending me all those suggestions to try in order to fix my problem.For that I'm Sincerely Greatful
to you.I really didn't think I'd get a reply so quick.I really thought I was going to have to wait days.So Thanks again! From me and I bet my iMac Thanks you.It's good to know that we still have Mac people out there who still care enough about what problems I may have with my "Digital Diva" and that is something I have believed in since I had my first Mac Plus.To all the remaining Mac loyaltist still out there...Peace,Love and Thanks for all your understanding. 🙂
You're very welcome. I just hope it stays fixed. I'll monitor this thread for awhile in case something else happens. Computer frustration is't one of my favorite pastimes either. 😝
hey eric, thanks for helping me solve my drag problem, you really helpped me lots! I got another problem now that maybe you can help me with? I have Photoshop CS4 and it opens then it shutd down right away. Do you have any ideas on that? If you do , please let me know cause its really driving me nuts...thanks...eddya
1. You need to look in your user Library/Preferences for the .plist. Hold down the option key while using the Finder "Go To Folder" command. Enter ~/Library. Delete the .plist(s) for the application.
If you prefer to make your user library permanently visible, use the Terminal command found below.
http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/04/show-library-directory-in-mac-os-x-lion/
You might want to bookmark the command. I had to use it again after I installed 10.8.2. I have also been informed that if you drag the user library to Finder it will remain visible.
2. Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.
Isolating an issue by using another user account
If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode. Shut down the computer and then power it back up. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.
General information.
Troubleshooting Permission Issues
3. Look at Adobe's site.
my iMac can't drag
