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Cannot open applications after update

I am new here and not very mac savvy so please ago easy on me as I don't really speak the speak. 😊 I accepted an update this morning and now when I boot up, I am not able to open any programs such as Excel or Outlook. I get the error you can't open the application (null) because it may be damaged or incomplete. I can get into about this Mac but when I click on software update it just thinks and thinks .Don't even know where to begin. Can anyone offer a suggestion? Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 14, 2015 4:43 PM

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1 reply

May 15, 2015 8:26 AM in response to debbiefromfrisco

What was the update?


Try a restart.


Do a backup, using either Time Machine or a cloning program, to ensure files/data can be recovered. Two backups are better than one.


Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.


Isolating an issue by using another user account


If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode using your normal account. Disconnect all peripherals except those needed for the test. Shut down the computer and then power it back up after waiting 10 seconds. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. When you reboot normally, the initial reboot may be slower than normal. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart by using the application un-installer. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.


Safe Mode

Cannot open applications after update

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