Too many pictures in screensaver folder - can't change it - help?

I do not believe you can have too many screensavers in a folder. One of my screensaver folders (custom) has over 500 screensavers.

Hold down the option key>Finder>Library>Preferences. Trash the com.apple.screensaver.plist file, repair permissions, restart your computer. When you reach the desktop, empty the trash. A new plist file will be recreated.

If the above does not work, then you should make several custom folders for your screensavers.

P.S. Will notify a HOST to move your post to the ML forum. You posted in the wrong forum - SL (Snow Leopard).

Where is the folder you have your screensavers file? Asking because the screensaver folder that the system uses is located in Macintosh HD>System>Library>Screen Savers

Which library screen saver folder is empty? See the mapping in my last response to you. As you can see, the screen saver folder is located in 2 places. One is located in the HD directory, the other in your HOME directory.

abe_house wrote:

That library>screensavers folder is currently empty - so maybe it is stuck trying to read and write to the folder. I am referring to the folder you point to to in the sytem preferences screensaver screen to get the images from an iphoto or in this case an aperture project folder. Worked fine before until I went to change the folder. After at least half an hour, the system preferences/screensaver option is still loading images.

Thanks for your assistance.

The HD>Library>screensavers folder is empty.

The pre-installed screensavers that came w/your comp when you purchased should be inside there. If you moved them, return them.

There is not library in my home: Just the standard folder (documents, pictures, etc.)

Yes there is. You skipped the most important step. Please re-read the mapping: "Option key>Finder>Go>Library>Screen Savers"

The custom/download from website screensavers go there.

Back up all data.

Triple-click the line below to select it:

~/Library/Preferences/ByHost

Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

Services ▹ Open

from the contextual menu.* A folder should open. Inside that folder is a file with a long name beginning in "com.apple.screensaver.slideshow". Delete that file. If there's more than one, delete them all. Try again to open the preference pane.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Go to Folder...

from the menu bar, paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

You noted to backup - you see some risk here?

There's risk in doing anything if you don't have at least one current backup.

Should I delete all of these files that include the word screensaver?

Yes.

abe_house wrote:

Ok. Maybe we are not being clear.

a) the home (user library) optionkey>finder>go>library>screen savers is empty.

Apparently you do not have any custom savesavers.

b) the HD>library>screensaver folder is empty (same as above?)

Not the same. HD is system (what the system uses to run your comp or system files you have transferred from another computer).

Home (user Library) are files that you personally use.

As for the screensaver folder being empty, that's ok.

c) the HD>system>library>screensaver folder has lots of saver files in it (althought they all look to correspond with savers that are not slideshows, e.g., Flurry)

I've never moved any of these files and can't think how I would have ever done this accidentally. Maybe this is too technical.

You seem to be ok as far as your screensaver mappings.

Can you give me a file to search for - maybe I can locate e.g., the Ken Burns photo slideshow screen saver.

Ken Burns slideshow is part of iPhoto. However, to actually find it takes a lot of legwork.

Machintosh HD>System>Library>PrivateFrameworks>Slideshows.framework>Versions>A>Resources>C ontent

>Styles>KenBurnes.mrbStyle. Click on the folder>Contents>Resources>Preview.mov is the Ken Burns photo slideshow!

Although I am not new to Macs, I am new to Mountain Lion. I depend on a book called, OS X Mountain Lion: The Missing Manual - David Pogue. This book is very easy reading, non technical & non geeky. I strongly recommend this book as it takes you step-by-step through Mountain Lion.

abe_house wrote:

Oh - not sure what you meant at the end of your post regarding custom download.

Also, I recently downloaded Xquartz - any related issue there?

Screensavers you downloaded from the net/websites. Or made yourself.

1. option key is not a path - this is confusing advice to end users. Please use the standard Mac URL of slashes and folder names to describe paths.

2.this convo seems to be confusing the idea of the number of pics that the "pic" screensaver can use (such as the Ken Burns type) with the number of actual screensaver files (known as ".saver" files in 10.8) the OSX Screen Savers folder can hold. It appears to me the OP's question had nothing to do with the later.

3. my reason for visiting this thread at all was the hope of determining the actual file limit of the number of pics that the Ken Burns screensaver tool can actually process. Its documented on the internet that Apple TV cant handle very many pics, and one might reasonably assume 10.8's implementation of the process has a similiar capacity. If anyone knows please advise ! I love being able to show off pics via the Ken Burns OSX screensaver !