can't change screen saver preferences through the UI

[enough]

I am running 10.3.9 and for one user I cannot set the screensaver preferences through the UI. If I select a new screensaver and hit the test button it tests the screensaver out, but when I close the system preferences the change does not take effect.

The user is an admin if that helps.

Is there any way to change the setting through a file rather than the UI? If so - where do I find that file?

thanks

 

[mw84]

Try changing their account from admin to a regular user, then switch it and change them back to admin.

 

[fryke]

Sounds like a permission issue. Try repairing them using Disk Utility. Do _relogin_ after the permissions are fixed.

 

[enough]

Sounds like a permission issue. Try repairing them using Disk Utility. Do _relogin_ after the permissions are fixed.

Try changing their account from admin to a regular user, then switch it and change them back to admin.

I tried both of these, and no luck... The weird thing is that from the UI I can specify a hot corner, but I cannot change the screensaver off of FLURRY or set the Screen Saver start time!

This is very frustrating...

 

[BimBam]

For your information, I used to be permanently logged as root, and then, many preferences never got saved.

 

[enough]

i think i found the problem. My ByHost directory was owned by 'root' not by the user... I chown'd the directory back to the user and it allowed me to change the screensaver just fine.

I had run a repair on the permissions but this was missed.