Every time I shut down my computer, I lose all my settings - like things I removed from the dock are all back, the trackpad resets to original settings, etc. How can I get my preferences to stay like they used to? Thx!!

Question

Level 1

7 points

Every time I shut down my computer, I lose all my settings - like things I removed from the dock are all back, the trackpad resets to original settings, etc. How can I get my preferences to stay like they used to? Thx!!

I recently went through a nightmare with my computer where there was an "old" operating system put on my computer and I guess File Vault was turned on. Since then I've upgraded and am now running 10.8.3 but got locked out of my old admin account when I tried to restore my computer from Time Capsule. Attempts to recover anything from my old admin account have been futile 😢

So, I started a new Admin acct and have been trying to reconstruct my life, but every time I shut down and restart my computer, it erases/resets all my prefernces, like all the things in the Dock that I remove all come back and the track pad is always moving in the wrong direction again and has to be reset every time. Is there a way I make my prefernces stick??

BTW if anyone knows how to recover all my lost stuff that would be beyond amazing too 🙂

Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Apr 17, 2013 3:02 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 17, 2013 4:01 PM in response to Sodie333

Try a PRAM reset:

Shut down your Mac.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command (⌘), Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.

Excerpt from http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379

(Not possible to make suggestions about the recovering other files without more specific information.)

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Answer 2

Shotgun00

Level 2

220 points

Apr 17, 2013 4:49 PM in response to Sodie333

You might want to consider erasing the drive and reinstalling the operating system and your programs. I doubt you will get your present account straighten out as is sounds like it is not saving any settings when you shut down and restart.

Just how did an older version of OS X get installed on your Mac?

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Answer 3

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:17 PM in response to Shotgun00

thx for your reply - apparently when I went to the Apple store a long time ago, they restore maybe photos and itunes etc from my external hard drive (passport). I guess at that time they reinstalled an earlier operating system than my macbook came with and that somehow corrupted FileVault. apparently there was no sparse bundle (whatever that is) for my old admin account and they said that ever since the install of the older OS that it was actually NEVER backing up anything in my admin account.

Then, I bought Time Capsule and starting backing up to that instead. I started having problems with it being slow etc and then StartUp Disk full errors and didn't know what to do, so I "Restored" from Time Capsule and that's when I lost everything in my Admin account and was locked out when I tried to log in - it said File Vault error ..."

anyway - that's THAT sad story. I was told to create a new admin account and I've basically been trying to start over - even though I have a partial save of my computer in Crash Plan and I DO see a sparse bundle listed in there, but I just don't know enough about computers to know if it's something I can get back or if I am just totally doomed. 😟

I'm afraid to reinstall anything because if there is even a remote shot that the other files are still floating around in my computer, I feel like that chance will be shot forever. I need to hire McGee from NCIS, I just KNOW he could get those files back for me!!!

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Answer 4

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:20 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

Eustace, thank you so much for writing back. I will try what you suggested!!

thx for your reply - apparently when I went to the Apple store a long time ago, they restore maybe photos and itunes etc from my external hard drive (passport). I guess at that time they reinstalled an earlier operating system than my macbook came with and that somehow corrupted FileVault. apparently there was no sparse bundle (whatever that is) for my old admin account and they said that ever since the install of the older OS that it was actually NEVER backing up anything in my admin account.

Then, I bought Time Capsule and starting backing up to that instead. I started having problems with it being slow etc and then StartUp Disk full errors and didn't know what to do, so I "Restored" from Time Capsule and that's when I lost everything in my Admin account and was locked out when I tried to log in - it said File Vault error ..."

anyway - that's THAT sad story. I was told to create a new admin account and I've basically been trying to start over - even though I have a partial save of my computer in Crash Plan and I DO see a sparse bundle listed in there, but I just don't know enough about computers to know if it's something I can get back or if I am just totally doomed. User uploaded file

I'm afraid to reinstall anything because if there is even a remote shot that the other files are still floating around in my computer, I feel like that chance will be shot forever. I need to hire McGee from NCIS, I just KNOW he could get those files back for me!!!

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Answer 5

Apr 17, 2013 5:25 PM in response to Sodie333

Please post back after you have tried the PRAM reset. It probably will not be sufficient, but you must try it.

In the meantime I have a call in to McGee.

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Answer 6

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:26 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

Awesome - thx 😉

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Answer 7

Shotgun00

Level 2

220 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:29 PM in response to Sodie333

Can you see the other account, the original, in the Users folder? If not then your original files are gone. If you can Right click on that account name and select Get Info. Then click the Lock icon and the bootom of that window to Unlock it, you'll need to type in your password for the account you are presently logged into, and then include your corrent account name and give it Read & Write permissions.

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Answer 8

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:35 PM in response to Shotgun00

Shotgun00,

Here's the prob - yes, I can see the orig admin acct, HOWEVER, the kind folks at Apple deleted the original and then created a new one with the same name. NOW, what I see in under that account is the OLD stuff that was all saved BEFORE that origianl restore where they put back on an older version of the operating system and turned on filevault. In CrashPlan, though, I CAN see at least some of the old stuff, but not all of it is there, or it's possibly corrupted.

I guess I don't understand why it wouldn't all be saved in Time Capsule??

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Answer 9

Shotgun00

Level 2

220 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:41 PM in response to Sodie333

It very well may be on the TC but if the backups where encrypted then you can access them directly. I think that may be your problem.

At this point you have about one option. You know the one I mentioned in my first reply.

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Answer 10

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 5:55 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

Eustace - did the pram reset twice and it didn't save the settings 😟

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Answer 11

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 6:03 PM in response to Shotgun00

Hi Shotgun00 - I can see the file in the Crash Plan restore, but it says "files missing". I already tried the Read/Write access stuff before. Also, since I restored my macbook from the Time Capsule, it no longer shows any days before the day I restored ...

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Answer 12

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 6:07 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

p.s. not totally related, but I also use MacMail and had created a bunch of folders where I dragged a lot of emails. So, when I lost access to that Admin acct I also lost all those folders with all the emails in them - any idea if that stuff is floating around and recoverable anywhere?

really appreciate all your help - just nice to have someone respond!

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Answer 13

Apr 17, 2013 6:15 PM in response to Sodie333

Didn't think it would, but that is the place to start.

Other than TC, do you have any other drive to which you can back up? I am thinking that the easiest procedure would be to start from scratch, i.e. reinstall the OS, then selectively restore from various back ups.

But before that, I suggest you try to repair the disk, and repair permissions.

• Reboot while holding command + r keys down (both keys). Release the keys when you see the Apple logo.

• Run Disk Utilitiy. In DU, select the drive on the left, and

• click on Repair Disk. When that is done,

• click on Repair Permissions. When that is done, quit DU and restart.

p.s. I won't be able to get back to you till Thursday am. Good luck.

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Answer 14

Apr 17, 2013 6:13 PM in response to Sodie333

That should be easy to find. The trick is not to erase anything till everything is backed up once again, to a different drive, not TC.

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Answer 15

Sodie333 Author

Level 1

7 points

Apr 17, 2013 6:18 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

Eusatce - actually I will be flying all day tomorrow so I will chack in again prob Thurs pm or Fri - thx so much for your help - will try the above suggestions in the meantime - thx!!

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