System Preferences wont work/open

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Level 1

0 points

System Preferences wont work/open

Apple Product : MacBook
Version 10.6.8

Heres my problem :

The System Preferences wont open at all. I already tried clicking on " > System Preferences" and that doesn't work. Resetting my computer doesn't seem to work either. I've also tried looking it up in Spotlight, but that didn't work either. The Application disappeared off of my Dock as well. The same thing happend to my Terminal Application. If I try and change something that originally was in the System Preferences (Such as Dock or Display or Parental Controls) it brings up stuff like "prefPane". "_CodeSignature" and "CodeResources" also pop up also. Advice? Suggestions?

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jul 20, 2014 6:52 PM

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Answer 1

griff w

Level 4

3,622 points

Jul 24, 2014 10:16 AM in response to ThePaintball

Hi there ThePaintball,

I would recommend taking a look at the troubleshooting steps found in the article below.

Mac OS X: How to troubleshoot a software issue

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1199

If the issue occurs in various applications, or in Mac OS X

For example, if no applications can be opened.

Tip: If the issue began right after you performed a Mac OS X re-installation (excluding erase-installation), see Applications don't work after reinstalling Mac OS X.

The first and easiest test to try is to see if the issue affects a different user account on your Mac. Each user account has customized preferences and other items stored in its home directory. You'll first need to create an additional user if one does not already exist (follow steps a-h below). Then, log out of the current user and test the issue in the new user account. If this resolves the issue, there may be an issue with a file in the home directory of the original user account.

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.

From the View menu, choose Accounts (or choose Users if using Mac OS X v10.2 or earlier).

Click "+" (or click New User if using Mac OS X v10.2 or earlier).

Give the new user a name and short name.

Mac OS X v10.3 or earlier only: Click the Password tab, and give the user a password

Mac OS X v10.3 or earlier only: Click Security.

Select the checkbox for "Allow user to administer this computer". This makes the user account an administrator.

Click OK, or quit System Preferences.

Start up in Safe Mode (Mac OS X v10.2 or later only). If the issue does not occur, there may be an issue with a startup item, login item, or kext file. Refer to this article for troubleshooting suggestions.

If the issue does not appear to be related to preferences, a login item, or a kext file, and still persists in Safe Mode, there may be an issue with a cache file in your home folder:

From the Finder's Go menu, choose Home.

Open the Library folder.

Drag the Caches folder to the desktop.

Attempt to reproduce the issue.

If issue is resolved, drag the Caches folder to the Trash.

If issue persists, from the Finder's Go menu, choose Go To Folder.

Go to this folder: /Library

Drag the Caches folder to the desktop.

Attempt to reproduce the issue.

If issue is resolved, drag the Caches folder to the Trash.

If issue persists, go to step 4.

If the issue persists, there may be an issue with a third-party font file in your home folder. See this article for information about using Font Book to enable or disable fonts in Mac OS X v10.3 or later.

-Griff W.

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