# System Preferences won't open



## saltinet (Nov 26, 2008)

I can click to open system preferences, but nothing happens.  I've noticed a couple of other issues, like that every time I open my macbook, I have to reselect my wireless network, which I didn't use to have to do.


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## g/re/p (Nov 26, 2008)

Open a finder window and go to applications and try to open it from there.  
If it is not there then do a spotlight search for system preferences.

If that does not work, try repairing disk permissions. 

There is also the possibility that the systempreferences.plist 
file has become corrupt.

Open a finder window and go to ~/Library/Preferences/and drag the
com.apple.systempreferences.plist. to your desktop and then restart 
your computer - this will replace the file and may fix the problem.


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## Hughvane (Nov 26, 2008)

See if any of these will help your situation http://www.google.co.nz/search?rls=ig&hl=en&q=system+preferences+won't+open&btnG=Google+Search&meta=


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## KurtRMueller (Dec 23, 2008)

g/re/p said:


> Open a finder window and go to applications and try to open it from there.
> If it is not there then do a spotlight search for system preferences.
> 
> If that does not work, try repairing disk permissions.
> ...




I have this very some problem.  Unfortunately, When I go to ~/Library/Preferences/, there is no com.apple.systempreferences.plist.  Is this bad?  Lol.

Kurt


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## VirtualTracy (Dec 24, 2008)

KurtRMueller said:


> When I go to ~/Library/Preferences/, there is no com.apple.systempreferences.plist.



Can you think of anything that may have contributed to this, KurtRMueller?

Just to be sure, try using Spotlight to locate the plist just incase you missed it accidentally.

Have you another user account where you can test whether this is a specific User issue of a possible System Wide one?  

If you have another account, you can try copying the missing .plist file over to your account?

Navigate to:

_Your User Account ~> Library ~> Cache​_
Locate these two files:

_com.apple.preferencepanes.cache
com.apple.preferencepanes.searchindexcache_​
Relocate them to your Desktop, log out then back in again (or restart if you like) and check whether there is any change to your issue.  

The two cache files on your desktop should have been recreated again and hopefully your System Preferences will be back to normal.  Then it will be fine to deleted them from your Desktop ....


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## KurtRMueller (Dec 24, 2008)

So I went to username -> library -> caches and those two files weren't there... Should I just reinstall OS X?

Kurt


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## VirtualTracy (Dec 24, 2008)

What version of OS X are you running there KRM?  Did you try the other User Account bit?

Any clues as to what may have led to this?

As far as reinstallation of Mac OS X, an Archive & Install would be the way to go ....

Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5: About installation options


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