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How can I restore Safari to normal window view?

My Safari window can't expand. It is a slim rectangle that only shows the very top portion of the webpage. Even in full screen view the screen is mostly black and shows only the same slim window view.

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MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2013), iOS 9.3

Posted on Apr 27, 2016 8:30 PM

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8 replies

Apr 27, 2016 8:45 PM in response to chrissm1

You may have a Safari extension or third party plug-in installed that's causing a conflict. It's easy to troubleshoot.


From the Safari menu bar click Safari > Preferences then select the Extensions tab. If there are any extensions installed, uninstall one at a time then quit and relaunch Safari to test.



If it's not an extensions issue, try troubleshooting third party plug-ins.


Back to Safari > Preferences. This time select the Security tab. Deselect: Allow plug-ins. Quit and relaunch Safari to test.


If that made a difference, instructions for troubleshooting plugins here.

Apr 27, 2016 9:06 PM in response to chrissm1

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Apr 28, 2016 6:32 AM in response to chrissm1

Did you try Linc's suggestion? You can also try using another admin account to test.


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

Apr 28, 2016 8:05 PM in response to chrissm1

Please back up all data before proceeding.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Right-click or control-click the line and select

Services Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)

from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Quit the application if it's running. Move the selected item to the Desktop, leaving the window open. Relaunch the application and test. If there's no change, quit again and put the item you moved back where it was, overwriting the one that may have been created in its place. Otherwise, delete the item you moved. If possible, restore it from a backup that predates the problem.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select

Go Go to Folder...

from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

How can I restore Safari to normal window view?

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