# Leopard (10.5) Finder not responding



## kon21 (Oct 26, 2007)

I just did a Archive and Install option on Leopard, machine does boot, but right as the finder should pop, i get the beach ball of death. cmd-opt-esc shows the finder is not responding. Forcing quiting it get a bit further, my startup items launch, but soon after that finder stops responding again.

Any thoughts on what I can do next?
I'm booting of the DVD right now to repair permission, perhaps that helps.
System won't let me even enter user account to crate a new clean profile.


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## Veljo (Oct 26, 2007)

A few times I've had the Finder hang on me for a minute or so when copying lots of files across from my external hard disk, then after a long wait it finally woke up. Have you tried leaving your Mac for a good 5-10 minutes? That might be just what you need...if not, I guess it's time to start up in Target Disk mode, back up your stuff, format and do a clean install.


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## eric2006 (Oct 26, 2007)

Veljo said:


> A few times I've had the Finder hang on me for a minute or so when copying lots of files across from my external hard disk, then after a long wait it finally woke up. Have you tried leaving your Mac for a good 5-10 minutes? That might be just what you need...if not, I guess it's time to start up in Target Disk mode, back up your stuff, format and do a clean install.



It's possible that com.apple.finder.plist has become corrupted in the install - deleting it may fix your problem. You can delete it with TDM or single user mode. Have you tried a safe boot?


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## aled (Oct 26, 2007)

If you can get system preferences open from the dock, make a new user. Log in as that. If it works then it's a preferences problem on your main user. 

You can use another computer to log into your files and move loads of com.apple.xxxxx pref files to another folder.

Then restart.

You could zap a few of the Cache files too in the various Library folders.


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## kon21 (Oct 26, 2007)

Repair Disk option off the DVD gave my drive a clean bill of health.
Doing Permissions Repair now.

I believe I've tried Safe Boot (with the shift key) but the finder continued to lock up.

I'll check com.apple.finder.plist

I let the machine do it's thing for 30+min, finder never released.
I'll send updates as I keep trying.

Honestly, I think to do a clean install is probably the best option, that you dump half the software you probably don't use anyways.


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## aled (Oct 26, 2007)

... clean install is best. Especially with a well used Tiger machine.

I've got a new user working, so I know the Finder isn't broken.

Loads of apps are working with my settings, ones I can get to without using Finder anyway. I'm going to use Target Disk mode to fix it in the morning.


My MacBook Pro update has gone smoothly tho. MySQL, PHP, Adobe CS3 all works. VMWare Beta 1.1 is poor at the moment. This morning when I updated it in preparation for Leopard it was running extremely fast on Tiger, I thought, wow - if it keeps working like that on Leopard, cool. But no.


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## Giaguara (Oct 26, 2007)

Funny, I had that when I upgraded to 10.2 ..  ended up after fighting a few hours just wiping it, so another install on top of it. That fixed it as it was something in the core system that was way too odd.


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## Carrjar (Oct 27, 2007)

I need help, so an update would be nice.  I've tried to Archive and Install, did not work.  Looks like my last resort in a clean install.  I'm backing up right now.  Anyway around clean install?


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## fryke (Oct 27, 2007)

A clean install after having backed up what you need is a really nice thing.


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## Carrjar (Oct 27, 2007)

fryke said:


> A clean install after having backed up what you need is a really nice thing.



I backed up After leopard install. I had previosly backed up on tiger back on Oct 15th


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## aled (Oct 27, 2007)

Update is, Upgrade works on a clean Tiger machine. e.g. 5 week old Mac Book Pro.

Doesn't work on a 2 year old Tiger machine. I tried hard messing with moving prefs and Application Services etc from the upgraded user. But nothing worked. Must be an invisible file or something. I even emptied the desktop folder, documents folder, everything.

Oh well, nice clean install!

I'm keeping the 160GB Drive with Tiger on it all set up with it's own backup. And the new 500GB Drive in the G5 for Leopard clean install with it's own 500GB Time Machine drive.

And slowly I'll move the G5 over to Leopard by installing one app at a time while I'm doing other stuff.

Most of my work is done on the MacBook Pro on a nice big monitor anyway. But anything I need to do on the G5 can be done by firing up the Tiger Hard Drive. I want the G5 to store stuff like video edits and other work I don't need on the move. Hence the 500GB drive.

I'd been planning my move to Leopard for some time. I just tried the lazy way of upgrading in the hope that the G5 wouldn't need Clean Installing.

I decided not to sell the G5, even tho it was over 2 years old. So I've upgraded the RAM to 5.5GB and put in a RADEON X800 XT 256MB Card to keep it ticking over for a year or so more. It's been a fantastic machine. Still is.

Hope you get your machine working.

I hope everyone backs up properly before upgrading. You only ever do it wrong once. If you don't have a backup and something goes wrong, your blood runs cold. I learnt my lesson many years ago.


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## Joana (Oct 29, 2007)

I found this thread and I think it might help you:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5650727&#5650727


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## kon21 (Oct 29, 2007)

I ended up doing a clean install and the system has been solid ever since.


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## sososomac (Oct 30, 2007)

I installed on my C2D Mini & no problem.    
I installed on my G5 iMac -- and Finder hangs on all login accounts.   Relaunch doesn't work.

I used the default (easy) install on both machines.

(btw: yes, I did buy a family pack).


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## eric2006 (Oct 30, 2007)

sososomac said:


> I installed on my C2D Mini & no problem.
> I installed on my G5 iMac -- and Finder hangs on all login accounts.   Relaunch doesn't work.
> 
> I used the default (easy) install on both machines.
> ...



Leopard seems to have issues with the upgrade & install ("easy"). Backup everything you need, and do a clean install, or an archive and install.


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## john.l.ryan (Nov 2, 2007)

The problem (Likely) is 

/Library/Application Support/DivXNetworks

rename it and reboot.  Worked for me.


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## Fragger (Nov 4, 2007)

I found out which files the Finder had loaded before its trip to the beach  turns out it was loading DivX codecs from /Library/QuickTime and also some other stuff from /Application\ Support/DivXNetworks/ 

I moved these files out of these locations using terminal (probably will have to sudo) and also moved Flip4Mac codecs for good measure. It is unclear to me why the finder was even loading this stuff, but it occurred to me that maybe quickview or coverflow would be interested in loading the different codecs...

perhaps this will help someone else out there...

Graham


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## Carrjar (Nov 5, 2007)

I have done a clean install.  Now, a much bigger issue.  Restoring from Apple's .Mac Backup.  Restore is failing.  What good is a "sucessful" backup up when you can't restore?!  5 Years of Photos...likely gone.


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## cheekygeek (Nov 12, 2007)

Just wanted to confirm that Fragger's solution worked for me, but I did not touch the Flip4Mac stuff. From the terminal navigate to /Library/Application\ Support/

Then move the DivXNetworks directory somewhere. To move it to your Home directory with sudo, for example:
sudo mv DivXNetworks ~/DivXNetworks
(You will be prompted for the SuperUser password)

Then move to the /Library/QuickTime directory and move the DivXNetwork component the same way. Log out and Log back in again. Finder now does not stop responding. Yay!


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## Satcomer (Nov 13, 2007)

Get rid of that DiVX codec and install Perian. Also condider getting the new MPEG 2 QuickTime codec from Apple.  This way you will be able to play most any non-DRM file there is, except that stupid DRM laden Windows Media 10+.


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