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com.apple.dock.extra quit unexpectedly

After I updated iTunes to 12.3.3.17 today I immediately started to get this weird error message "com.apple.dock.extra quit unexpectedly" along with a long explanation or details that I (of course) could not understand!

Has anyone experienced this?

Any advice how to resolve this?

MacBook, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Mar 23, 2016 7:15 AM

Reply
30 replies

Mar 23, 2016 8:23 AM in response to ammoun

Might be a corrupt .plist.


Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.


Quit the application.


In Finder hold down the option/alt key while selecting the Go menu item. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.dock.extra.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.


Restart the computer, open the application and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.


If the application is the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer ones.


If you want to make your user library permanently visible, run the below command in Applications/Utilities/Terminal.


chflags nohidden ~/Library/

Mar 23, 2016 9:19 AM in response to Eric Root

I did just that and I also reset the NVRAM/PRAM as advised by an Apple support agent. Nothing happened! I am still getting this weird error and it seems it is more often at the startup of the MAC and keeps happening but less and less frequently as time goes buy! It is obviously "Dock" related, so could be something the Dock is doing (loading initially) and then it is done?

Mar 24, 2016 8:57 AM in response to ammoun

Try doing a Dock restart using the following Terminal command:


killall Dock


Log out/in and test. If that doesn’t work, you need to look in your user Library/Applications Support/Dock for the .db. Use the Finder “Go To Folder” command. Enter ~/Library/Applications Support/Dock. Move the .db to your desktop.


Then try a dock reset.


Applications/Utilities/Terminal enter the command


killall Dock


Log out/in test. If it works okay, delete the .db from the desktop.


If the Dock is the same, return the .db to where you got them from, overwriting the newer ones.


If you prefer to make your user library permanently visible, go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Learned from leonie.

Mar 25, 2016 4:46 PM in response to ammoun

OK, I did the following which may explain a little further:

I created a new admin user, logged to it and the error disappeared.

I am sure the Dock and the Finder view menu are somehow corrupted. i removed all the Dock's "plist" and "db" files but the error persisted.

So the error is my current user (I cannot do without it, so much customization and registered applications!

Anyway, I have been trying to paste the error here but the forum does not allow it (something about special characters!). I also tried to attache it in a text file but there is no attachment option here either! I will PM it to you.

Mar 28, 2016 2:22 AM in response to 93164

Last I reached was I created a new admin user and logged in with it. The problem did not show on the new user finder. So I concluded it must have been a corrupt file/folder in my user account.

Personally, I restored an earlier image and am doing fine now.

I suggest u create a new user, log in to it and if all is well copy your old desktop and documents and re-register any programs that needs to.

GOod luck.

com.apple.dock.extra quit unexpectedly

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