HT203421: Troubleshooting the Mac App Store

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Q: App Store shows only blank icons

App store shows only these blank icons. Same story if I use the iMac, the iPhone(s) or any of the iPads we have. The below screenshot was taken with the iMac, bat as I mentioned, blank icons with any device of mine (btw, my wife's and son's accounts work fine):

Screen Shot 2015-12-26 at 3.52.01 PM.png

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)

Posted on Dec 26, 2015 7:03 AM

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Q: App Store shows only blank icons

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  • by Lexiepex,

    Lexiepex Lexiepex Dec 26, 2015 7:09 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly
    Level 6 (10,477 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 26, 2015 7:09 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly

    Slow or intermittent internet connection.

    Disconnect the modem and router(s) form the mains.wait 10 seconds,

    reconnect the modem, let it start fully,

    then reconnect the main router, let it start fully,

    then reconnect other expanders/routers.

    Try again.

    It may also be that the issue is on the server of the provider.

  • by Surfing_Friendly,

    Surfing_Friendly Surfing_Friendly Dec 26, 2015 7:16 AM in response to Lexiepex
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Dec 26, 2015 7:16 AM in response to Lexiepex

    You did not read my question: All other App Store accounts of our family work fine.

    My son is streaming TV while I write this.

    We got broadband high spee internet

    Now, I must say, it does not even show the empty icons anymore, just the hourglass within the App Store and a blank screen.  But this is new by as of now. Before it showed at least the empty icons, now nothing at all.

    Otherwise iTunes works with backup etc.

  • by Surfing_Friendly,

    Surfing_Friendly Surfing_Friendly Dec 26, 2015 7:18 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Dec 26, 2015 7:18 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly

    NOW, I am getting just this: blank screen:

    Screen Shot 2015-12-26 at 4.18.12 PM.png

  • by Lexiepex,

    Lexiepex Lexiepex Dec 26, 2015 7:30 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly
    Level 6 (10,477 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 26, 2015 7:30 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly

    I did read the message.

    Maybe the apple servers are overloaded, I don't know you have to eliminate some possible causes.

  • by Surfing_Friendly,

    Surfing_Friendly Surfing_Friendly Dec 26, 2015 7:33 AM in response to Lexiepex
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Dec 26, 2015 7:33 AM in response to Lexiepex

    Thanks for you help. I can't even open different Apple libraries anymore, holding down the shift key while starting the store or the former iTunes icon. Same result... no content

  • by Lexiepex,

    Lexiepex Lexiepex Dec 26, 2015 7:57 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly
    Level 6 (10,477 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 26, 2015 7:57 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly

    What more can I say.

    Unless it is extremely urgent may be waiting a bit is sufficient...

  • by Surfing_Friendly,

    Surfing_Friendly Surfing_Friendly Dec 26, 2015 1:15 PM in response to Lexiepex
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Dec 26, 2015 1:15 PM in response to Lexiepex

    no need for you to say more, unless you did encounter the same issue or you know a solution. Now I wrote to Apple support. Hope they can help.

  • by rasto BA,Helpful

    rasto BA rasto BA Dec 27, 2015 4:38 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 27, 2015 4:38 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly

    I had the same problems few days ago. Nothing helped (restart, log ou/in). What helped me was following: restarted my Mac and logged in as Guest. Opened in the guest mode App Store on my ID. It opened normally. I did software update (anything - like Pages...) - it did it OK. Then I logged out, logged in on my regular account (admin) - and voila - App Store worked again. Hope it will keep working.... I think there is some bug in this 10.11.2 which needs to be fixed.

  • by Lexiepex,Solvedanswer

    Lexiepex Lexiepex Dec 27, 2015 4:40 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly
    Level 6 (10,477 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 27, 2015 4:40 AM in response to Surfing_Friendly

    the remark by rasto is not bad at all.

    this points to the idea that there is a corrupt file in one of the system caches.

    Alternative to rasto you can start in the so called Safe Mode, which clears all system caches:

    restart the mac while holding the Shift key:

    it will start the SafeMode, you can let the shift key go when you see the progress bar appear

    this starting is slower than normal

    Login

    when logged in just restart again normally.