Screen sharing stopped working -- how to reset prefs/cache?

In reply to your question at

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3439921?answerId=23728178022#23728178022&ac_cid=op123456#23728178

I never got to the bottom of why no new plist files were created. As far as I know you can dump all .plist files and they will be recreated as needed by the various applications. The only downside is that you have to set your preferences which will have returned to their default values.

The first thing to try is to use disk utility to repair the permissions. I have never found this to be effective but it is the first thing to try.

Next, reset the PRAM. Google for the command. And since you are restarting anyway, reboot into safemode, which I believe forces a directory check. Google command. Restart into normal mode and try the screensharing.

Next...

If you read my previous post, I presume you have tried removing the files "com.apple.ScreenSharing.plist" from the following folders

/Users/yourusername/Library/preferences

/System/Library/LaunchAgents

If that does not help try removing the file "com.apple.RFBRegisterMDNS_ScreenSharing.plist" from the folder

/System/Library/LaunchDaemons

To navigate directly to those folders just type "command-shift-g" and paste in the location.

Drag the files to the desktop and logout and log back in and try the screen share. You can always put the files back where you found them if they removing them casuse more trouble but I doubt that will happen. The finder may not allow you to drag the files to the desktop or they may even be hidden in Lion... i don't know as I am in SL. If so, you need to google for the terminal command that allows you to modify the respective folders.

An even better solution is to download TinkerTool which provides a pain free way of revealing hidden files and various other shortcuts

http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerToolOverview.html

It is perfectly safe to let it reset everything with the usual downside of having to reset you preferences.

*****************

Finally, I had another screensharing thread in which I found a strange workaround. In the screensharing dialog don't type in the username and password for the target machine. Instead type in the username and password for the machine you are sitting at. I discovered this by accident and have no idea why it worked. But this was in SL, so I don't know if it will work for you. Since it is easy, try this first.

Good luck.

PS, of course the problem could be in your host or target machines so you have to follow these steps on both.

Hi,

Couple of things.

In System Preferences > Sharing the Screen Share or the Remote Management can be on but not both.

Both use the Apple Remote Desktop client end engine that everyone has with the OS.

In Mavericks when clicking the Remote Management box I see, briefly, a alert pop up an the Remote Management is set and the tick in the Screen Sharing one is removed.

If I go to now set the Screen Sharing the alert comes up and does not go away until I untick the Remote Management

I used to believe that if Remote Management was set then you could not Screen Share.

However testing in both Mavericks and Snow Leopard I find Remote Management will allow you to use the Finder > Go Menu > Go to Sever and VNC:// to access the other computer and this will invoke Screen Sharing as well.

A Finder window open at the Network should show all "Shares" and the "Screen Share" option button at the top and does the same job as the method I use.

Once Screen Sharing is set in the Sharing Pane then the Firewall can be checked.

The top section in the list which refers to the settings for Shares will look like this pic if Remote Management is On

The Remote Management line will disappear if Screen Sharing is selected.

I have three computer turned On most times I am online.

A G4 running Leopard, a MacBook Pro running Snow Leopard and the iMac running Mavericks.

I had an issue that I recently discovered where the G4 was not showing any Finder Shares and was not showing up on the other computers.

In Sharing > File Sharing I had SMB also enabled.

The group set in Network > Avanced Button > Wins tab showed Work Group in Capital letters

The Network pane said I was using "DHCP with Manual address"

I changed the DHCP with manual address to DHCP (only). (I had recently changed routers and had not set up a restricted DHCP set of IPs to allow manual IPs)

The G4 then showed the Network Shares and appeared on the other two computers.

It does seem odd that you can see the Mac Mini as a Share in the Finder (? as to whether this is SMB or AFP) but cannot Screen Share using the Finder.

7:30 pm Sunday; November 10, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Oddly, I've had this issue for a month or so, and just as I'm trying to troubleshoot the issue, suddenly screensharing is working again for me (the first time in awhile). I've not made any specific attemps to fix the problem, and I'm not sure if I've run any software updates that could have helped. Note that I'm viewing a 10.7 machine from a 10.8 machine (no Mavericks involved).

Curious if anyone else has had issues this issue miraculously clear up recently, or if this is an isolated event. I very rarely had screen sharing issues for many years of use, until the recent problems.

for the Points.

8:06 pm Sunday; January 19, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad