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How can I remove a disconnected server?

My new Mac keeps wanting to connect to my old Mac when I turn it off. A window constantly pops up telling me the server may be inaccessible. Both are running Maverick. I can't see the old Mac server in Finder since it's not running. I want to wipe and sell the old Mac, but can't until I can make my new Mac forget the old one.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), Yup, I'm still a newbie.

Posted on Dec 31, 2013 6:59 PM

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1 reply

Dec 31, 2013 9:38 PM in response to Anchorager

Please take each of the following steps that you haven't already tried. Back up all data before making any changes.

Step 1

If you get the warning as soon as you log in, it's probably caused by one of your login items or a system modification that loads at startup or login. Ask if you need help identifying it. A common offender is "AdobeResourceSynchronizer," which is a component of some Adobe products.

Step 2

If there's an icon representing the server in the sidebar of a Finder window, hold down the command key and drag it out.

Step 3


In the Finder, press the key combination command-K or select

Go Go to Server...

from the menu bar. In the upper right corner of the window that opens is a Recent Servers popup menu represented by a clock icon. From that menu, select

Clear Recent Servers…

and confirm. Test.

Step 4

Open the Print & Scan pane in System Preferences and delete any network devices you no longer use.


Step 5


Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it, then copy the text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C:

~/Library/PDF Services

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. A folder may open. If it does, move the contents to the Desktop, or to a new folder on the Desktop. Log out and log back in. Test. If there's no change, put the items you moved back where they were and continue.

Step 6

Open the folder

~/Library/Preferences

as in Step 5 and move the file named "loginwindow.plist" items in that folder to the Trash, if it exists (it may not.)

Log out and back in again, and test.

Step 7

Other possible causes are references in the iPhoto, iTunes, or iMovie library pointing to the server, and bookmarks in the Preview application.

Try rebuilding the iPhoto library.

Step 8


Triple-click the line below to select it:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Directory Utility.app

Rght-click or control-click the highlighted text and select

Services Open

from the contextual menu.* The application Directory Utility will open.

In the Directory Utility window, select the Directory Editor tool in the toolbar. Select Mounts from the Viewing menu in the toolbar, and /Local/Default from the node menu, if not already selected. On the right is a list of names and values. By default, the list is empty. If it's not empty, post a screenshot of the window and stop here.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). Open a TextEdit window and paste into it (command-V). Select the line you just pasted and continue as above.

Step 9


Open the following file as you did in the last step:

/etc/auto_master

It will open in a TextEdit window. The contents should be exactly this:


#
# Automounter master map
#
+auto_master # Use directory service
/net -hosts -nobrowse,hidefromfinder,nosuid
/home auto_home -nobrowse,hidefromfinder
/Network/Servers -fstab
/- -static

If there are any other lines in the window, post them. Otherwise, close the window.

How can I remove a disconnected server?

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