Icons removed from dock are back again next time I log on

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Icons removed from dock are back again next time I log on

Hello all -

When I remove an icon from the dock or add one to it, it stays that way as long as I am logged on. However, when I log off and subsequently log back on again, the dock is back to its original state - the deleted icons are back and the added icons are gone. This behavior started after many years of working correctly. I have tried all the options in the dock's preferences in System Preferences with no luck.

Could it have been something I did? Is there any way to make it remember my changes again?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts -

- TheOldFart

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 4GB 500GB

Posted on Dec 1, 2018 9:38 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eric Root

Level 10

684,027 points

Dec 4, 2018 12:49 PM in response to TheOldFart

It may be what I posted doesn't work in Snow Leopard. I thought it did, but it appears I am wrong based on your results.

See if the com.apple.dock.plist is corrupt. Go to your user folder/Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.

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

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

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Answer 2

Eric Root

Level 10

684,027 points

Dec 2, 2018 11:22 AM in response to TheOldFart

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/Application Support/Dock for the .db. Use the Finder “Go To Folder” command. Enter ~/Library/Application 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.

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Answer 3

TheOldFart Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 3, 2018 1:23 PM in response to Eric Root

Hi Eric -

Thanks for your reply and suggestions. I tried them and here's what happened:

First I removed one of my icons from the dock. Then I opened Terminal and there was my user prompt. I typed 'killall Dock' and just got another prompt back - no response to the command. I logged out/in and the deleted icon was back.

Then I repeated the same procedure and instead of logging out/in, I first looked back at the dock and the deleted icon was back already!

Then I removed the icon again and went to my Library/Application Support/ - there was no 'Dock' in that folder. I tried that on my other user accounts and there was no 'Dock' in the Application Support/ folder in any of them. (The docks do function properly on those accounts.)

Am I missing something. Or ... ?

- TheOldFart

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Answer 4

TheOldFart Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 4, 2018 5:57 PM in response to Eric Root

Hello again Eric,

It worked! Thanks for solving my last two (or three?) problems for me.

(But we've got to stop meeting like this.)

Thanks again -

- TheOldFart

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

684,027 points

Dec 4, 2018 7:55 PM in response to TheOldFart

You are welcome.

(But we've got to stop meeting like this.)

😁

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Icons removed from dock are back again next time I log on

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