OS X :: Way To Reset Preferences And User Settings?
Feb 12, 2010
Running OS 10.6.2. A couple of days ago I noticed that my iCal was completely blank. Everything gone. Odd, but not a big problem - I just restored it from my iPhone. I just rebooted twenty minutes ago and my user profile has been completely reset - from the desktop settings to individual application settings. I haven't had any data loss as far as I can tell, but every single application setting has been reset - I've lost my bookmarks, startup settings, RSS subscriptions, everything that could possibly be customized within an application.
Starting a couple of days ago, my 2009 iMac won't sleep. I created another user and when that user is logged in sleep is working fine. This leads me to suspect that some of the user settings are clobbered and I need to reset them to get things normal again without having to reload the system. Can someone tell me what files I need to trash to get my user settings wiped out? Alternatively I could always do a fresh reload of the system and then just recover my last Time Machine backup of my applications but NOT recover my settings.
I typically use a very basic Microsoft wireless mouse (this one), but recently I plugged in a wired Apple mouse (this one, I believe).
I then decided to go back to my Microsoft mouse and now all the buttons are messed up. Left and Right work fine but now the Wheel button opens my Dashboard and the left Side button sends me into All Windows mode.
I used to have both of them programmed to 1) open links I clicked on in new tabs and 2) select and open links in new tabs in Firefox with Snap Links Plus.
I'm assuming the Apple mouse switched some things around but I can't for the life of me figure out how to get back to my original settings. I check the preferences in Firefox, Snap Links Plus and on my system but I can't find anywhere to reprogram my mouse.
I don't remember how I originally did it but I think it just sort of programmed that way automatically.
I am on my MacBook pro from 2010, reinstalling Snow Leopard and Lion afterwards. I install the updates and some programs (Plex, uTorrent, Chrome) only to realize that when I restart, some preferences completely ignored.. All programs added to the Dock are gone again, the assigned log-in items don't start up, iCloud was logged out again, mail settings were reset.I reinstalled the whole thing, except for Lion, and it all worked fine. So anyway, I thought it was the laptop. Some sort of hardware problem or something, right? So I just got this new Mac mini, with Lion, and it does the same exact thing.It doesn't remember some changes I made. I tried to repair permissions, but it doesn't do anything.
Using Mail 7.3. In response to the piling up emails on all devices I went into advanced setting under Mail preferences and set it to removed emails from the server. I immediately realized this wouldn't work bc now I can't get my email for that email account on my iPad. It goes to my desktop and then no other devices.
When I go back to reset that so it doesn't delete from the server I get this message: Invalid Directory
The account path /Users/emma/Library/Mail/V2/POP-Info@movementsofthesoul.org@mail.movementsofthesoul.org is already being used by the account “cmos”
It won't let me Save the change. Apparently it doesn't like that I have two email addresses (accounts) with that domain.
Okay, so here is how my question comes about... I have already searched and could not find links to other threads..
I bought a G4 desktop from a guy on craigslist about a week ago and I want to upgrade from 10.3.9 to the newer 10.5. He has an administrative account on the computer and whenever I try and load the 10.5, it asks for his password. I called the guy wondering what his password was and he told me. I tried entering that in and it will not work. Now the guy will not answer his phone or his e-mail address. I know he was the original owner because of the information on the computer and the name on the business card he exchanged for mine.
I would really like to upgrade my OS but I need to know how to go about reseting the computer to erase 100% of everything on the computer. Can someone please help me, I am new to Mac and I don't really know what to do!!!
Today the IT department at my university set up my Early 2008 MBP to work with the library WiFi. While doing this they completely messed up my airport settings so now I cannot connect to my home network. Is there anyway I can reset the network settings to default like they way they were before? I am running Snow Leopard.
My Sharp TV only support 1080i, so I use a DVI-DVI cable to connect a monitor, then use Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter connect Sharp TV.
Then boot Mac mini, I got Open Screen on Monitor, and I set HDMI adapter to 1080i, then I power off and unplug DVI cable and boot again.
Well, I got what I want on Sharp TV, it is 1080i, but I found a 720p, I selected it, now the TV becomes to black screen with "Invalid video signal"!
I reconnect monitor, so Sharp TV is ok, but if I unconnect monitor, the sharp TV will be black screen.
I thought it might be some display settings are saved, because it was good when I first use TV after set to 1080i, but I selected 720p that is PAL TV, not for mine NTSC TV, after that selected, THe sharp TV can't be used alone, how can I reset display settings? what can I do for this case?
I have the latest imac and I was wondering how to reset to factory settings, was it suppose to come with a DVD? If I need the DVD where would I go to get one ? The closest apple store is over three hours away.
Basically I bought an iMac last October, 21", 4GB standard manufactured settings ram etc. After a few weeks every time I quit an application and go back on it, it returns to its old settings. Whenever I remove a bookmark from the toolbar on Safari and restart it, it returns to the old settings, when ever I restart the computer the dock and background changes towards its original settings. This is starting to get really annoying, and I don't know what to do and I have installed all available updates.
I've been having this problem for a little over a month now, I've spent countless hours researching, and every possible solution that I've come across hasn't worked for me. I've reset my PRAM, I've repaired my disk and permissions multiple times, even by using the Disk Utility on my Recovery Partition.
Basically, about two months ago I (regretfully) changed my account shortname by going to System Preferences>Users & Groups, right clicking on my account and changing the shortname in the advanced options. Everything was fine, but now when I restart my iMac, my desktop wallpaper changes back to what it was on the day I changed my shortname, any apps that I add to my dock are removed after i restart, Safari opens up the guide that I was using to show me how to change the shortname, the "Users & groups" window even appears as soon as I log in to my account. Basically, my iMac seems to be booting back to the day I changed the shortname, now any changes I make aren't saved.
Everything keeps restting back to the way it was on the day that I changed my shortname. Since then, I've changed the shortname BACK to what it was the first time, hoping that would fix the issue.
Also, I'm not sure if this is normal, but if I go to "~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.desktop.plist", and check the permissions, "everyone" is on there twice:
It also does this for every other .plist file in my preferences folder.
Info: iMac (20-inch Early 2008), Mac OS X (10.7.4)
How to reset my macbook pro 2011. I don't have a disk or anything like that. My computer will not go back the start screen with the apple and just shows it loading.
Does this mean I have a virus since all preferences were reset or was that from the beloved update? I ran the check to see if I had that recent famous virus in the news and it was negative.
how I can recover pictures from my flip phone (no i-phone, no smartphone) that were transferred to my macbook then 10% of them converted to just a black box.
The Lion OS I am using is not holding its preferences. For example, every time I open Preview I get the same photo and it won't hold my Mail settings either. I have unticked the box on the log in window and updated as well as settings preferences again and again.
For no obvious reason, my intel Imac with 10.5.5 seems to have forgotten all my personal preferences, favorites, dock items, address book items and calendar entries - oh and email has forgotten me too! All the folders seem to be in place, nothing's moved as far as I can tell. What's going on? Is this a common hic-up?
Im setting out to my hometown for 5 days and all of my stuff are on my iMac. I dont know, how to copy all settings ,etc from iMac straight to the Macbook Pro. As far as I think, the only way is first to reset the Macbook Pro. Take a Time Machine backup from the iMac. And then restore the copy to the Macbook Pro. Is that the only way left for me? And how do we factory reset the macbook pro, so everything gets deleted and becomes new and ready for a new Tim Machine restore.
Alright, so I got this weird problem. Every time I unplug my mouse from my Macbook and start using my track pad, the track pad settings get all messed up. The scrolling and double click speed go to the slowest possible setting. What gives?
Alright, so I got this weird problem. Every time I unplug my mouse from my Macbook and start using my track pad, the track pad settings get all messed up. The scrolling and double click speed go to the slowest possible setting. What gives?
