Q: Preview.app crashes on startup. Anyway to reinstall/fix it?
For around 8 months now I've been unable to use Preview.app. This is on OS X 10.10.5.
When I open anything at all with Preview (could be a PDF or JPG, or whatever) it crashes immediately. When I try to open Preview directly (not opening something with it) it opens, but if I try to then File > Open anything with it, same thing happens. From time to time it will prompt me with:
The last time you opened Preview, it unexpectedly quit while reopening windows. Do you want to try to reopen its windows again?
If you choose not to reopen windows, you may have to open and position the windows yourself.
I tried some months ago to fix it, but didn't manage to. I don't recall what I attempted, and don't seem to be able to find the message I thought I posted about this back then. So I am having a fresh go at it.
Is it possible to repair or reinstall or reset Preview?
The log info it generated in Console upon testing it just now, are:
12/04/16 9:52:46.328 am Preview[81092]: An uncaught exception was raised
12/04/16 9:52:46.328 am Preview[81092]: *** -[__NSPlaceholderSet initWithObjects:count:]: attempt to insert nil object from objects[0]
12/04/16 9:52:46.329 am Preview[81092]: (
0 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e7f103c __exceptionPreprocess + 172
1 libobjc.A.dylib 0x00007fff8716476e objc_exception_throw + 43
2 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e6a6caf -[__NSPlaceholderSet initWithObjects:count:] + 399
3 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e7231ff +[NSSet setWithObject:] + 47
4 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e788d7 -[AKAttributeController _updateStateOnSenderFromSelf:] + 503
5 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e7793f -[AKAttributeController _updateStateOnSender:] + 135
6 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e742c1 -[AKAttributeController validateAttributeSender:] + 176
7 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e79095 -[AKActionController validateSender:] + 206
8 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e38e47 -[AKTextAttributesViewController validateUserInterfaceItems] + 116
9 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106eb9af8 -[AKToolbarViewController_Mac revalidateItems] + 501
10 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e76677 -[AKAttributeController _syncAttributesFromSelectedAnnotationsToUI] + 82
11 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e74375 -[AKAttributeController setModelControllerToObserveForSelections:] + 143
12 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e47408 -[AKController observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context:] + 887
13 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa581c3 NSKeyValueNotifyObserver + 382
14 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa64e38 NSKeyValueDidChange + 463
15 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa1da4d -[NSObject(NSKeyValueObserverNotification) didChangeValueForKey:] + 118
16 Preview 0x0000000106bc24ea Preview + 107754
17 Preview 0x0000000106bbc3d7 Preview + 82903
18 Preview 0x0000000106bb33f9 Preview + 46073
19 AppKit 0x00007fff8ca08857 -[NSWindowController _windowDidLoad] + 586
20 AppKit 0x00007fff8c9f0b83 -[NSWindowController window] + 110
21 Preview 0x0000000106bb1416 Preview + 37910
22 AppKit 0x00007fff8ca02bd2 -[NSWindowController showWindow:] + 36
23 Preview 0x0000000106bb289a Preview + 43162
24 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa45ef1 -[NSObject(NSThreadPerformAdditions) performSelector:onThread:withObject:waitUntilDone:modes:] + 954
25 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa45ab9 -[NSObject(NSThreadPerformAdditions) performSelectorOnMainThread:withObject:waitUntilDone:] + 131
26 Preview 0x0000000106bb27c3 Preview + 42947
27 Preview 0x0000000106bb15c0 Preview + 38336
28 Preview 0x0000000106ca607d Preview + 1040509
29 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff85129323 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 12
30 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff85124c13 _dispatch_client_callout + 8
31 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff85130cbf _dispatch_main_queue_callback_4CF + 861
32 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e7443f9 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_SERVICING_THE_MAIN_DISPATCH_QUEUE__ + 9
33 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e6ff68f __CFRunLoopRun + 2159
34 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e6febd8 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 296
35 HIToolbox 0x00007fff8344556f RunCurrentEventLoopInMode + 235
36 HIToolbox 0x00007fff834452ea ReceiveNextEventCommon + 431
37 HIToolbox 0x00007fff8344512b _BlockUntilNextEventMatchingListInModeWithFilter + 71
38 AppKit 0x00007fff8c8cd8ab _DPSNextEvent + 978
39 AppKit 0x00007fff8c8cce58 -[NSApplication nextEventMatchingMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 346
40 AppKit 0x00007fff8c8c2af3 -[NSApplication run] + 594
41 AppKit 0x00007fff8c83f244 NSApplicationMain + 1832
42 libdyld.dylib 0x00007fff8f75d5c9 start + 1
43 ??? 0x0000000000000001 0x0 + 1
)
12/04/16 9:52:46.330 am Preview[81092]: *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInvalidArgumentException', reason: '*** -[__NSPlaceholderSet initWithObjects:count:]: attempt to insert nil object from objects[0]'
*** First throw call stack:
(
0 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e7f103c __exceptionPreprocess + 172
1 libobjc.A.dylib 0x00007fff8716476e objc_exception_throw + 43
2 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e6a6caf -[__NSPlaceholderSet initWithObjects:count:] + 399
3 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e7231ff +[NSSet setWithObject:] + 47
4 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e788d7 -[AKAttributeController _updateStateOnSenderFromSelf:] + 503
5 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e7793f -[AKAttributeController _updateStateOnSender:] + 135
6 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e742c1 -[AKAttributeController validateAttributeSender:] + 176
7 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e79095 -[AKActionController validateSender:] + 206
8 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e38e47 -[AKTextAttributesViewController validateUserInterfaceItems] + 116
9 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106eb9af8 -[AKToolbarViewController_Mac revalidateItems] + 501
10 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e76677 -[AKAttributeController _syncAttributesFromSelectedAnnotationsToUI] + 82
11 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e74375 -[AKAttributeController setModelControllerToObserveForSelections:] + 143
12 AnnotationKit 0x0000000106e47408 -[AKController observeValueForKeyPath:ofObject:change:context:] + 887
13 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa581c3 NSKeyValueNotifyObserver + 382
14 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa64e38 NSKeyValueDidChange + 463
15 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa1da4d -[NSObject(NSKeyValueObserverNotification) didChangeValueForKey:] + 118
16 Preview 0x0000000106bc24ea Preview + 107754
17 Preview 0x0000000106bbc3d7 Preview + 82903
18 Preview 0x0000000106bb33f9 Preview + 46073
19 AppKit 0x00007fff8ca08857 -[NSWindowController _windowDidLoad] + 586
20 AppKit 0x00007fff8c9f0b83 -[NSWindowController window] + 110
21 Preview 0x0000000106bb1416 Preview + 37910
22 AppKit 0x00007fff8ca02bd2 -[NSWindowController showWindow:] + 36
23 Preview 0x0000000106bb289a Preview + 43162
24 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa45ef1 -[NSObject(NSThreadPerformAdditions) performSelector:onThread:withObject:waitUntilDone:modes:] + 954
25 Foundation 0x00007fff8aa45ab9 -[NSObject(NSThreadPerformAdditions) performSelectorOnMainThread:withObject:waitUntilDone:] + 131
26 Preview 0x0000000106bb27c3 Preview + 42947
27 Preview 0x0000000106bb15c0 Preview + 38336
28 Preview 0x0000000106ca607d Preview + 1040509
29 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff85129323 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 12
30 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff85124c13 _dispatch_client_callout + 8
31 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fff85130cbf _dispatch_main_queue_callback_4CF + 861
32 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e7443f9 __CFRUNLOOP_IS_SERVICING_THE_MAIN_DISPATCH_QUEUE__ + 9
33 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e6ff68f __CFRunLoopRun + 2159
34 CoreFoundation 0x00007fff8e6febd8 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 296
35 HIToolbox 0x00007fff8344556f RunCurrentEventLoopInMode + 235
36 HIToolbox 0x00007fff834452ea ReceiveNextEventCommon + 431
37 HIToolbox 0x00007fff8344512b _BlockUntilNextEventMatchingListInModeWithFilter + 71
38 AppKit 0x00007fff8c8cd8ab _DPSNextEvent + 978
39 AppKit 0x00007fff8c8cce58 -[NSApplication nextEventMatchingMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 346
40 AppKit 0x00007fff8c8c2af3 -[NSApplication run] + 594
41 AppKit 0x00007fff8c83f244 NSApplicationMain + 1832
42 libdyld.dylib 0x00007fff8f75d5c9 start + 1
43 ??? 0x0000000000000001 0x0 + 1
)
12/04/16 9:52:49.189 am com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.Preview.233764[81092]) Service exited due to signal: Abort trap: 6
12/04/16 9:52:49.582 am ReportCrash[82907]: Saved crash report for Preview[81092] version 8.0 (859.21) to /Users/jonathan/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Preview_2016-04-12-095249_J-MBP. crash
Thank you,
Jonathan
Posted on Apr 11, 2016 2:57 PM
Do a backup.
Quit Preview.
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. Remove the following. You may not find them all. Restart and test.
Containers/com.apple.Preview
Containers/com.apple.quicklook.ui.helper
Preferences/com.apple.Preview.LSSharedFileList.plist
Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSharedFileList.plist
Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState
Credit Linc Davis for this solution.
Posted on Apr 12, 2016 9:56 AM