Safari hangs upon launch

Question

Safari hangs upon launch

Safari 5.0.6 on MacOS 10.5.8. Have used it for years with no issues, but yesterday it started hanging immediately upon launch. The window appears, a Web page starts to load, and then it hangs and I have to force-quit. No problems running Google Chrome or Firefox. Created another identity on the same machine, and Safari runs under the new identity, but still hangs on mine, which tells me the problem is probably located in my home somewhere. Deleted all files in home/Library/Internet Plugins and home/Library/Safari; also deleted com.apple.Safari.plist and com.apple.SafariRSS.plist from home/Library/Preferences. Reinstalled the application -- no joy. Reinstalled the system software, then did system update -- no joy. Spent 2.5 hours at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, and the genius there could not solve the problem. Anyone have any ideas what could be causing the problem or how I might solve it?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on May 19, 2013 8:38 PM

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Answer 1

May 19, 2013 9:01 PM in response to Robert Grossman

Try this...

Open a Finder window. From the Finder menu bar click Go > Go to Folder

Type of copy paste the following:

~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/Cache.db

Move the Cache.db file to the Trash.

Try Safari.

If that doesn't help, remove any items that launch when you boot your Mac.

Open System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items

And check HD > Library > StartupItems

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Answer 2

May 20, 2013 8:50 AM in response to Carolyn Samit

Thanks for your advice, Carolyn. I moved ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari/Cache.db to the trash and emptied it. For good measure, I also deleted the contents of the folder WebPage Previews in the same directory. I went into Login Items and removed the one item there (something to do with iTunes). HD/Library/StartupItems contains a folder called Tablet; I left it and its contents alone. I restarted, and Safari still hangs.

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Answer 3

May 20, 2013 10:29 AM in response to Robert Grossman

HD/Library/StartupItems contains a folder called Tablet; I left it and its contents alone.

Move the Tablet folder to the Desktop. Try Safari. If that made a difference, move that folder to the Trash.

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Answer 4

May 20, 2013 11:25 AM in response to Carolyn Samit

That did the trick! Thanks so much! What was Tablet, and how did it get in my StartupItems folder?

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Answer 5

May 20, 2013 11:33 AM in response to Robert Grossman

Do you use a Wacom tablet or tablet related software? If so, when the software is installed, the installer may add that file to the StartupItems folder by default.

You're welcome 🙂

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Answer 6

May 20, 2013 11:45 AM in response to Carolyn Samit

My wife has an iPad for months. This problem only just cropped up last week, and I have no idea how the iPad's software could have made it onto this machine. Oh well, one of those mysteries of life, I suppose.

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Answer 7

May 20, 2013 11:48 AM in response to Robert Grossman

No, not an iPad. When I say tablet I'm referring to something like this > Wacom Products | Wacom

I should have been more concise when referring to a tablet 😉

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Answer 8

May 20, 2013 12:00 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

I have an Axiotron ModBook, which uses a Wacom pen and tablet, but I've had it for years, and I haven't even turned it on in quite a while, and I don't know how its software would have transferred to this computer. My son has some portable gaming devices, but none of them would have communicated with this computer.

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Answer 9

May 20, 2013 12:03 PM in response to Robert Grossman

I guess it shall remain .. "Oh well, one of those mysteries of life, I suppose."

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