AACK! DISASTER!! WHAT DID I DO!?

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Level 1

30 points

AACK! DISASTER!! WHAT DID I DO!?

More importantly, how do I Un-Do it!

I was working on the Mac, had my Finder open and I must have clicked on the Mac HD icon w/o realizing it and dragged it off the viewer window. I released the mouse, saw the puff of smoke, had to figure out what I'd done. Anyway, the HD icon was gone.

I kinda freaked, but just clicked on the icon on my desktop, made an alias and dragged it into the first column of the view window.

I had to restart my Mac for something else, and when I did it came up as completely new. My desktop files are all still there--I need to go in and see if my programs are, but when I open Mail, it acts as a first-time use. My settings for internet access have all disappeared, bookmarks, desktop pics, dock reverted to original etc. I had to go into one of the other user accounts to be able to get online to post here.

So, anyone know what I did and how I undo it?

Thanks

Jeri

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.2), 1 GB RAM; 5G ipod

Posted on Jun 16, 2006 3:17 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 16, 2006 3:57 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

Sounds like you may have a problem with the disk directory. I would suggest you follow the first two steps in the following FAQ and see if it helps:

http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/repairprocess.html

Let us know what happens after you do the first two steps. don't do the third one yet as at this point that may cause more issues.

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Answer 2

Jeri Hurd Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 16, 2006 5:05 AM in response to Al Van Malsen

OK--It repaired a lot of things, but didn't restore the old desktop configurations, email, etc.

Now what?

Thanks

Jeri

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Answer 3

Jun 16, 2006 6:41 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

Okay, for your stuff disappearing, you either logged yourself out, or renamed your home folder:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107854

When you get back to your own files, putting the drive back in the dock is easy. Go to Finder>Preferences>General and turn on Hard Disks under Show these items on desktop. Then drag it back into the dock and turn it off again in Finder>Preferences. Everything in the dock is just an alias. You can drag everything out of it without actually losing any of the programs/files/drives it contains.

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Answer 4

Jeri Hurd Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 16, 2006 6:48 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

But it's not renamed. It's still there as Jeri Hurd. I didn't log out UNTIL it restarted and it came up blank, and then I just logged in and out the usual way--no renaming, etc.

Jeri

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Answer 5

Jun 16, 2006 8:01 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

Go to system prefs>User accounts. How many accounts do you see there?

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Answer 6

Jun 16, 2006 8:03 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

Also, open a finder window. Do your hard drive and your home folder show up on the left side of the window?

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Answer 7

Jeri Hurd Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 16, 2006 8:10 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

Just the normal three accounts and yes.

Jeri

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Answer 8

Jun 16, 2006 9:17 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

You are logged in as yourself? Have you tried searching with spotlight for a document that you've created? What is the complete file path for it? Does it look odd in any way?

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Answer 9

Jeri Hurd Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 16, 2006 9:21 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

Yep, that's what's so weird. everything's here--just a totally new dock, Mail, lost all my Safari bookmarks (and haven't synced in a couple months, of course), iTunes had to reimport all the music. Assume photos will have to do that, too.

Thanks

Jeri

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Answer 10

Jun 16, 2006 9:24 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

Have you booted up from your restore disk and run disk repair? What error messages did it give? (Haven't looked to see what page Al was linked to, so apologies if that's what he suggested).

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Answer 11

Jeri Hurd Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 16, 2006 9:24 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

In fact, I just opened Word and it had to reload fonts. I assume all the programs will start from scratch?

Jeri

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Answer 12

Jun 16, 2006 9:25 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

Something is pretty wrong. I think it is better to try to get it straightened out first instead of compounding the situation, if possible (If you have a paper to get out in the next hour, of course you need to go on).

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Answer 13

Jun 16, 2006 11:15 AM in response to Jeri Hurd

What you did with the inadvertent drag wasn't serious, but your fix for it was. I'm pretty sure that all of the subsequent problems come from your decision to make an alias of a desktop icon and then drag that into the Finder sidebar; it seems to be reading it as a new account, made worse but hopefully not permanent by your subsequent restart.

I think the proper immediate solution would have been to go to Finder > Preferences and re-check the HD icon, which would simply have re-appeared there. Try that now and see what happens; if you still find yourself stuck off in Lalaland then I'd recommend also seeking help/advice from the OS experts you'll find working out of the Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger forums.

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Answer 14

Jun 16, 2006 5:39 PM in response to Michael Morgan1

Michael, I've had my hard drive in the dock since 10.1 with no ill effects, and David Pogue gives directions in the Missing Manual for OS X, as well, so I really don't think it's that.

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Answer 15

Jeri Hurd Author

Level 1

30 points

Jun 16, 2006 6:32 PM in response to Barbara Brundage

Hi--

OK, looked in the Finder--dumb, dumb, dumb. I should've realized that was an easy fix. Now I'm seriously po'd with myself. Oh, well.

No, clicked on HD, didn't help. Even trashed the icon in the finder window, then clicked it on through preferences again. No luck.

I really bunged this up, didn't I. Why would making an alias of the existing HD open a whole new account--only the "Same" account, if you get what I mean. I was checking programs (probably another mistake, apparently) and iTunes "copied" all the songs again. Now, does that mean just imported the titles? Or do I now have another complete set of 9 gig worth of music?

I appreciate your attempts at helping. Any other ideas, or should I just check the link you suggested? Thanks.

Jeri

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