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How to reset Safari 8.0.2 on OS X Yosemite?

Macbook Pro running OS X Yosemite 10.10.1

Safari Version 8.0.1


I want to restore Safari to default settings and completely wipe the application. I haven't found a way to do this, I've looked on Youtube, Apple Support, and many other websites. None of them include information on how I can reset Safari.


Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Jan 24, 2015 11:51 AM

Reply
4 replies

Jan 24, 2015 4:53 PM in response to JP080

Back up all data before proceeding.

Quit Safari if it’s running. Then select

Force Quit…

from the menu bar. A small window will open with a list of running applications. Safari may appear in that list, even though you quit it. If so, select it and press return. Close the window.

Step 1

If Adobe Flash Player is installed, select

 ▹ System Preferences… ▹ Flash Player Advanced Delete All...

In the sheet that opens, check the box marked

Delete All Site Data and Settings

then click Delete Data. Close the preference pane.

Hold down the option key and select

Go Library

from the Finder menu bar. Delete the following items from the Library folder (some may not exist):

Caches/com.apple.Safari

Caches/com.apple.Safari.SearchHelper

Caches/com.apple.SafariServices

Caches/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess

Caches/com.apple.WebProcess

Caches/Metadata/Safari

Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginHost.plist

Preferences/com.apple.WebKit.PluginProcess.plist

Saved Application State/com.apple.Safari.savedState

Leave the Library folder open. Try Safari again. If the problem is solved, stop here. Close the Library folder. If you still have a problem, continue.

Step 2

Restart the computer in safe mode. Certain caches maintained by the system will be rebuilt.

Safe mode is much slower to start up than normal.

When the login screen appears, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and test. There's no need to log in while in safe mode.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t start in safe mode. In that case, ask for instructions.

Step 3

If Safari still doesn’t work, quit, go back to the Finder, and move the following items from the open Library folder to the Desktop (again, some may not exist):

Cookies/Cookies.binarycookies

Internet Plug-Ins

Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.Safari.*.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.Extensions.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.LSSharedFileList.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Preferences/com.apple.WebFoundation.plist

PubSub/Database

Safari

SyncedPreferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Here, "*" stands for a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes.

Note 1: You are not moving the Safari application. You’re moving a folder named “Safari.”

Note 2: This step will remove your Safari extensions, if any, and their settings. If you choose to reinstall them, do so one at a time, testing each time to make sure you haven’t restored the problem.

Try again. Your settings and bookmarks will be lost. The default set of bookmarks will be restored. Delete them all.

If Safari is now working normally (apart from the lost settings), look inside the “Safari” folder on the Desktop for a file named “Bookmarks.plist”. Select

File Import Bookmarks...

from the Safari menu bar. Import from that file. Recreate the rest of your Safari settings. You can then delete the items you moved to the Desktop.

If the issue is still not resolved, quit Safari again and put all the items you moved to the Desktop back where they were, overwriting the newer ones that may have been created in their place. You don’t need to replace the files you deleted in Step 1. Stop here and post again.

If you don’t like the results of the last step, you can undo it completely by quitting Safari and restoring the items you moved or deleted in that step from your backup, overwriting any that were created in their place.

Feb 24, 2015 12:02 PM in response to Linc Davis

Thanks Linc.

I think I'm having a related problem. I have been using LastPass on my MBP for years, in Safari, Firefox and Chrome. Recently it quit working in Safari, and LastPass Tech Support told me to Reset Safari (which I would have done in previous versions before asking for help!)


I followed your instructions, testing at each checkpoint, and it still does not work.

I created a new user on my MBP, and everything works there, so I conclude that there is yet a setting or file that has not been completely removed in my primary user's account, but I have no idea how to find it. Can you help?


Walt

How to reset Safari 8.0.2 on OS X Yosemite?

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