desktop empty, finder not responding, cannot access anything

Question

Level 1

0 points

desktop empty, finder not responding, cannot access anything

Hi,

I hope someone can shed some light on a problem that I've had now for a while. I was running snow leopard OS X. 10.6.8 on a Intel macbook when all my icons on my desktop dissapeared as well as the finder menu and spotlight. When I boot up I get to my desktop but cannot access or see anything but the desktop background.

I am not familiar with Terminal command lines, but I can follow along if someone knows a way to fix this issue.

These are the steps I have tried to solve the problem:

- safe mode boot with no results.

- I have tried single user mode to check the HD using fsck command that I run twice and i get " the volume Untitled appears the be OK. "

I've read that it could be that finder is not lauching on start up disk. In single user command line I tried killall finder command and nothing happend when I rebooted.

I tried using the command line to remove the plist file: rm /users/shortname/Library/preferences/com.apple.plist

I was using an external monitor while the problem occured months ago and I've tried plugging it back in to see if the menu bar was on that screen but it is not.

I did have a recent backup of the computer but not a clone startup disk.

I do not have the original install disk either.

Should I try to make a clone of a startup disk from our other computer running OS X maverick and boot from an external drive connected by firewire?

I am really at a loss of ideas. If anyone has any advice it would greatly appreciated

Thanks,

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Mar 15, 2014 3:21 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Mar 15, 2014 4:00 PM in response to skram64

Try SMC reset:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964

Reply

Answer 2

skram64 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 15, 2014 4:22 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

It helped with the continuous fan problem 🙂 but still nothing on the desktop or menu bar.

any other suggestions?

thanks!

Reply

Answer 3

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Mar 15, 2014 5:13 PM in response to skram64

Create a new admin user and see if it occurs there or not. But first, move this file in Preferences in your user library to the Desktop and log out and back in.

com.apple.finder.plist

Oh, I see you already did that. Or did you? Was it the finder.plist? Try the new user account.

Reply

Answer 4

skram64 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 15, 2014 6:05 PM in response to WZZZ

Hey WZZZ

I originally tried the finder.plist route in single user mode I got a msg : No such file or directory.

reboot. nothing.

I've tried setting a new user admin from single user mode ( as this is the only way into the computer)

reboot. now I get the gray screen and no longer see the desktop. The admin create account window does not appear.

I'm curious if there is a way to restore/ repair the HD from inside single user mode. Again I don't have the install disk which make it difficult to get a external startup disk. But I do have another Mac and could find a firewire cable to open the HD in disk utility.... and Im not sure what I would do next.

Any more ideas? 🙂

Thx

Reply

Answer 5

WZZZ

Level 6

13,220 points

Mar 16, 2014 5:16 AM in response to skram64

Mac OS X: Gray screen appears during startup

You've already tried some of those things, but it wouldn't hurt to repeat them. Not sure why you've been trying to run commands in single user, at least before the gray screen started. No Terminal there?

I wouldn't try booting from 10.9, either from a clone or in Firewire Target Disk Mode, even if the Macbook meets the system requirements for 10.9, until you sort out what's wrong. That's just asking for more problems.

Reply