Sierra Finder crash on web link quickview

In the meantime, I accidentally noticed that previewing .webarchive files does NOT result in a Finder crash. They reveal their content effortlessly in Quicklook, Info panels and Column view. So it might have something to do with the actual summoning of the web services, instead of the need for Quicklook to display web-related content. Maybe this helps pinpointing the culprit...

Too bad you just can't change the default application for webloc files in the Info panel, to close in on a better diagnose. The System Preferences can set the default browser to e.g. Chrome, but that still doesn't affect the Open With setting in the Info panel, and still results in a crash of Finder...

Petertje: I received an email notice that you posted a followup note at 1:18 PM CST on 1/4/2019 (quoted in full in the email). But it is nowhere to be found here. Did they censor it? I saw nothing "Inappropriate." Or did you delete it yourself? – edit: Never mind. I see it now. Must have been a time delay.

As a followup to my travails, I did have momentary relief from Finder crashing. It lasted about a day. I had reinstalled Sierra from scratch (via Recovery Partition). That gave me Safari 10 which did NOT result in .webloc files crashing Finder when invoking QuickLook. When Safari 10 mysteriously did not allow me to log into a couple of my WordPress websites (as admin), I caved into the App Store prompt to upgrade to Safari 12.0.2. Lo and behold, no more .webloc files crashing Finder – until I rebooted my Mac Pro! Sadness: the Finder crashing returned. I still am adamant about not moving beyond Sierra 10.12.6. It provides stability in the midst of Adobe Creative Cloud insanity with their latest app updates.

Nothing wrong with my earlier post - I can see it clearly above your recent reply. Must be a glitch...

There's definitely something fishy about some associated user library component being updated or getting corrupted, because the system and applications are running flawlessly in another relatively clean user account on my Mac. Of course, it will turn out to be some freaky combination of an innocently appearing plist, log, or cache file. Wanna bet ?

Unfortunately I don't have enough time the coming weeks to try ruling out all kinds of possible causes in my simple user-centric fashion. I'm on a deadline every week for the next 2 months, so I really need my system to be rock solid. After that, I'll probably upgrade to Mojave anyway. Oh yes, there are always some bug reports and troubled situations with the latest OS version. But I don't worry too much about those. At least these newer systems and applications get all the attention and timely updates – which is much more than this old Sierra dog is getting from Apple...

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SOLUTION

• Currently working for OS X 10.12.6
• Finder doesn't crash when .weblock is clicked.
• Safari is able to launch the url.
• However, Quicklook views .weblocs as plain text files, bypassing the web preview generation.

Overview

Step 1

File: /System/Library/QuickLook/Web.qlgenerator/Contents.info.plist

Remove: <string>com.apple.weblocation</string>

Step 2

File: /System/Library/QuickLook/Text.qlgenerator/Contents.info.plist

Add:

<string>com.apple.internet-location</string>

Location:

<string>QLGenerator</string>
<key>LSItemContentTypes</key>
<array>
	<string>public.data</string>
	<string>com.apple.internet-location</string> <!-- sierra-webloc-crashfix  -->
</array>

Step 3

Copy File: /System/Library/QuickLook/Text.qlgenerator

Move Copy:/Library/QuickLook/Text.qlgenerator

Step 4

Terminal Command:

qlmaange -r 

Basic instructions for editing these types of files:

ex.Step 1

Locate File: /System/Library/QuickLook/Web.qlgenerator/

-Right Click and select “Show Package Contents”

Copy File to desktop: /System/Library/QuickLook/Web.qlgenerator/Contents.info.plist

…Enter PW to allow changes

Duplicate File on desktop & rename: original.Contents.info.plist

-Edit desktop/Contents.info.plist

Remove:

<string>com.apple.weblocation</string>

- Save, move both files to replace original File: /System/Library/QuickLook/Web.qlgenerator/Contents.info.plist

…Enter PW to allow changes

ect.

I also had this error on my system running Sierra 10.12.6 and the only recent change was the update to Safari 12.

Looking at the crash logs (In Console - User reports) certainly calls out the same things reported here as follows:

Time Awake Since Boot: 120 seconds

System Integrity Protection: enabled

Terminating Process: exc handler [0]

Application Specific Information:

XPC API Misuse: Release of last reference on a suspended connection.

Application Specific Signatures:

API Misuse

The important thing to note is what THREAD has crashed as seen below:

Thread 7 Crashed:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.root.default-qos

0 libxpc.dylib 0x00007fffd9152504 _xpc_api_misuse + 75

1 libxpc.dylib 0x00007fffd9141b7f _xpc_connection_last_xref_cancel + 52

2 libxpc.dylib 0x00007fffd9141b22 -[OS_xpc_connection _xref_dispose] + 17

3 com.apple.SafariServices.framework 0x00007fffc94c685f SSGetFullySimplifiedStringForURL + 746

4 com.apple.QuickLookUIFramework 0x00007fffc9203940 -[QLPreviewSchemeHandler_http _calculatePreviewURL:previewData:previewProperties:previewType:] + 331

5 com.apple.QuickLookUIFramework 0x00007fffc917d535 _QLPreviewItemGeneratorCopyPreviewUsingSchemeHandlerForURL + 158

6 com.apple.QuickLookFramework 0x00007fffc9483568 _QLPreviewReplyCreatedWithURL + 861

7 com.apple.QuickLookFramework 0x00007fffc9489e0e _XPreviewReplyCreatedWithURL + 219

8 com.apple.QuickLookFramework 0x00007fffc948a27e QLPreviewReply_server + 80

9 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fffd9014e0c mach_msg_server_once + 476

10 com.apple.QuickLookFramework 0x00007fffc9480d7f _QLPreviewWaitForPreviewTypeIfNecessary + 2631

11 com.apple.QuickLookFramework 0x00007fffc94801bc QLPreviewGetDisplayBundleID + 180

12 com.apple.QuickLookUIFramework 0x00007fffc9214a6f __65-[QLPreviewDocument startLoadingWithForcedDisplayBundleID:hints:]_block_invoke + 99

13 com.apple.QuickLookFramework 0x00007fffc94adfe4 QLTryCatchAndCrash(void () block_pointer) + 20

14 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fffd8ec1524 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 12

15 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fffd8eb88fc _dispatch_client_callout + 8

16 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fffd8ec7196 _dispatch_queue_override_invoke + 743

17 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fffd8eba6b5 _dispatch_root_queue_drain + 476

18 libdispatch.dylib 0x00007fffd8eba48c _dispatch_worker_thread3 + 99

19 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fffd91075a2 _pthread_wqthread + 1299

20 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fffd910707d start_wqthread + 13

What this more or less tells me is that the Quicklook previewer is crashing when attempting to give you a preview of any weblink (in my case any *.webloc file).

What I had to do to fully fix this after trying all the normal things including rebuilding the spotlight index, trying safe mode, trying a new user, running disk check, checking the actual contents of the *.webloc files for corruption or malformed links, was to reinstall Sierra 10.12.6 by shutting down my system and holding COMMAND +R to "internet recovery" the OS on my machine.

Once the OS was reinstalled, full functionality was restored and I can now use spotlight as normal and include all items in the results with no further issues.

I am having the exact same problem too after updating Safari. It also happens if I select a link, and hit Comand + I. I just tried viewing contents of folder in icon view, but Finder crashed exactly the same way.

I noticed that Quick Look stopped functioning with links a while back, but Finder crashes are new.

Same system and Safari here. A work-around, not a fix: Disable preview column in Finder as follows.

Finder, View menu, Show View Options, deselect Show preview columns.

With this, the Finder no longer resets when I click a .webloc item. However, Get Info still crashes the finder.

One other note on this bug. I have two machines with the same setup, and one has the problem while the other does not. This just means there are more factors the just the system and Safari versions.

I hope this helps.

SW

Ah! Icon and list view work OK for me with Show preview column enabled. But Quick Look does crash Finder, as does Get Info. So we are seeing the same bug. I did report to apple, as should anyone else who sees it, so they can hunt it down.

Apple taking their sweet time with this; for the time being reverted back to Safari 11.1.2 which at least doesn't crash the finder. On the downside it still doesn't preview .weblocs so I suppose we're just waiting for the next iteration which will (hopefully) remedy this (and will surely introduce other bugs). 😉

I posted this on a similar thread but I want to add my account here because the more Apple sees this, hopefully the sooner they fix it.

I'm also having this problem with Finder too--and it started around the same time as you after upgrading some applications. I've tried re-installing Sierra 10.12.6 and while it fixed the problem for a few days, just last night Finder began crashing again with basically any folder that had a URL file in it. Regardless of whether I was actually clicking on a URL file. And it doesn't seem switching users works either, it's only a temporary fix along with re-installing your OS.

It's happening to any URL file from any browser (I've tried all of them) too. It's refreshing to know it's not just a me problem, I was worried that I would need to get a new computer... I hope that Apple fixes this soon.

Hmmm..

I just downloaded Safari_12.0.1_for_macOS_Sierra_beta_4.dmg.

It's a Developer file and there is also a version for High Sierra too.

I took a chance and and installed it and it seems that the Finder crashing has been resolved.

Now, I could be wrong but clicking on any dot weblock files do not crash the Finder here anymore.

It would be nice if anyone else could confirm this.

You need a Developer Account, which I recall as being free, and just use your normal ID & password.

Note; the installation will overwrite your Safari 12.0. but it seems OK here.

A simple google of Safari 12.0.1 beta, should bring up the location of the files.

Still a little in dis-belief here and hoping it holds.

!!! EDIT !!! NOTE; It does not fix the quicklook problem, Finder still Crashes on dot weblock files.

I installed the Safari 12.0.1 beta and nothing changed. Still getting a Finder crash when doing Get Info on a .webloc file and when invoking Quicklook on same. Very frustrating. Feels like Mac OS X Public Beta 10.0 (which I have on DVD). That was 2000. This is 2018. C'mon, Apple. Fix this embarrassing problem now.

Yes, Get Info still crashes Finder on a webloc here also.

Quick look is also still messed up on weblocs.

I could not even SELECT a .webloc without Finder crashing.

At least I can safely select one now and even double click it and Safari opens it, so that’s better here.

Yes, Apple has a long way to go with this.

Is High Sierra having all the same issues ?

anyone?