Hi, GwiDan.
1. It's unclear from what you wrote if you simply described your actions imprecisely, or if you have installed some third-party items that may be causing the problems. For example:
1.1. You wrote:
"Every time I try to open the screensaver preference pane by right clicking on the desktop and choosing the appropriate option, the preference pane fails to open, or opens and crashes."
I presume you are selecting "Change Desktop Background" from the resulting contextual menu? If not, what are you selecting from the contextual menu that results from "right clicking on the desktop"?
If you can select more System Preferences preference panes than the "Change Desktop Background" preference from the contextual menu, this applies you've installed some third-party contextual menu item that could be causing the problem. Contextual menu items can be installed in two places:
(a) Your Home > Library > Contextual Menu Items folder.
(b) Computer > Macintosh HD > Library > Contextual Menu Items folder.
SInce the problem affects all accounts, it would imply a third-party contextual menu item in folder (b).
1.2. You wrote:
"However, if I access this preference pane from the Apple menu, it works fine"
Do you mean accessing "System Preferences" from the Apple Menu? There is no direct access to a
preference pane from the Apple Menu, except Dock preferences via Apple Menu > Dock > Dock Preferences... One can directly launch System Preferences from the Apple Menu by selecting Apple Menu > System Preferences.
Are you using Unsanity's FruitMenu?
2. Assuming your actions were described imprecisely, problems opening the Desktop & Screen Saver preferences are generally resolved as follows:
1. Quit (Command-Q) System Preferences if it is open.
2. Trash the
com.apple.desktop.plist file in your Home > Library > Preferences folder.
3. Trash the following files in your Home > Library > Preferences > ByHost folder:
(a)
com.apple.screensaver.xxx.plist
(b)
com.apple.screensaver.
screensaver_name
.xxx.plist
where
- xxx is an alphanumeric string, and
-
screensaver_name is the name of a screen saver you have used.
Whether preferences files of the type shown in (b) exist depends upon the screen saver and if you have changed its options, if any.
4. Log out, then log in
or restart your Mac.
5. Empty the Trash.
6. Open System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver and make the desired changes.
3. If none of the above help, Immediately after the problem occurs, check the ends of
these Console logs for clues. Look for messages at the ends of the cited logs pertaining to preference panes or System Preferences.
Good luck!
😉 Dr. Smoke
Author:
Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
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