Changing desktop pictures locks system preferences

Question

Changing desktop pictures locks system preferences

Re MacBook Pro laptop (OS 10.7.5)

Problem: Changing desktop pictures locks System Preferences

If I try to open System Preferences, I get windows for the Change Desktop/Background and the whirling beach ball begins until I go to Activities Monitor to Force Quit System Preferences, which informs me that my "System Preferences is no longer responding."

I have no trouble booting my Mac,
checked my Disk Utility informing me that there are no errors,
checked Permissions without errors,
went to Users>"my name">Preferences>found the plist for com.apple.systempreferences, moved it to my desktop, tried the Apple System Preferences option with same result. Returned plist . Hmm, just noticed that I have com.apple.systempreferences with one directly after Library ( i.e., not in any folder), and the other in the Library>Preferences folder. Could that be the foul up? Perhaps one of these plists is misplaced.

Any suggestions?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Dec 6, 2014 3:06 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Dec 6, 2014 10:16 PM in response to dianefrombrookhaven

First follow the instructions in this support article.

If an iPhoto or Aperture library is the source of your desktop pictures, it may need to be rebuilt, or you may need to update the application to the latest version.

Otherwise, continue as below.

Back up all data.

In the Finder, hold down the option key and select

Go ▹ Library

from the menu bar. From the Library folder, delete the following item, if it exists:

Caches/com.apple.systempreferences

and move the following items to the Desktop, if they exist:

Application Support/Dock/desktoppicture.db

Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist

Launch System Preferences and test. If you still have the issue, put the items you moved to the Desktop back where they came from and post again. Otherwise, delete the items.

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