how do i access system preferences?

Hello divadoll50,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

I see you want to access the System Preferences on your Mac. To open them, simply click on the  in the top left corner of your screen, and then select System Preferences.

To open System Preferences, you can click the System Preferences icon in the Dock or choose Apple menu > System Preferences.

When you open System Preferences, you see a grid of icons. Your icons may vary depending on your system and any apps you have installed.

Click an icon to open a preference pane, where you can change your settings. If the settings are dimmed and the lock icon in the bottom of the window is locked, click the icon, then type the administrator password to make your changes.

Click the Show All button to return to the preference icons, or click and hold it to see the icons in a list. Choose one from the list to go straight to that preference pane.

Find settings in System Preferences

OS X Yosemite: Customize your Mac in System Preferences

Take care.