UniversalAccessApp

[Gaffer74]

Hello everyone

I have recently updated to 10.4.8 and also iTunes 7.0.1 (as have many others).

I have noticed, however, that the UniversalAccessApp is always running after login from looking at Activity Monitor.

Now, I know this basically is the Universal Access Preferences, but I have these turned off.
Booting up with my login items disabled also results in the UniversalAccessApp also running in the background (so it isn't my login items).

btw, here are my login items:
LittleSnitchDaemon *
iTunesHelper *
PalmDesktopBackground *
TransportMonitor *
iScrobbler
iController
Quicksilver *

The starred items are 'hidden'

So, my question is, what could be launching the UniversalAccessApp prog seeing as I'm not running it myself and my login items aren't either.

Is this a glitch with either iTunes 7.0.1 or os 10.4.8 updates?

Thanx for any help (i'd rather not have an unused app using up cpu/ram if I can help it )

Gaffer

 

[symphonix]

In System Preferences -> Universal Access, make sure you have unchecked "Enable access for assistive devices", as well as turning off all the UA features. Also, speech sythesis uses the Univeral Access framework, so turn off all text-to-speech.

Mind you, the UA framework is pretty lightweight and won't slow your system down, so you needn't worry much.

 

[eric2006]

I think it's always running in the background - I can't get it to stop either. Perhaps this is because you can turn on and off universal access feature with keystrokes, and the application must be on standby?

 

[Gaffer74]

In System Preferences -> Universal Access, make sure you have unchecked "Enable access for assistive devices", as well as turning off all the UA features. Also, speech sythesis uses the Univeral Access framework, so turn off all text-to-speech.

Yes, that was all done...basically everything was switched off but UniversalAccess.app was still running from login.

I eventually have found the answer and fixed it though:

(I got the answer from X@vier over at macosxhints forum. Here's his post

What I have found out from doing some testing is that it looks like the update to 10.4.8 installes a com.apple.universalaccess.plist file in your user Preference Folder setting the Close View Driver Mouse Zoom Switch and the Close View Scroll Wheel Toggle to true as default.

I tried changing this values by going to System Prefereneces -> Universal Access but it didn't work.

The fix:

1) go to ~/Library/Preferences
2) look for the com.apple.universalaccess.plist
3) open this file in Property List Editor
4) click on the arrow beside Root, you will be able to see the keys
6) now where you see YES click on it and change it to NO for both keys
7) save the file and restart your computer.

if you don't have Property List Editor installed in your system you can find it in your OS X CD under Xcode Tools, you will have to install it first.

So in summary...this is a problem with the os 10.4.8 update.
(For some reason the defaults are set to launch this app).
I have altered the plist file as he suggested and the problem is now fixed.

Thanx for the help

Gaffer

 

[simbalala]

So in summary...this is a problem with the os 10.4.8 update.

(For some reason the defaults are set to launch this app).
I have altered the plist file as he suggested and the problem is now fixed.

Fixed?

You have just disabled the scroll wheel zoom feature which was introduced in 10.4.8. You can achieve exactly the same thing by turning off “Zoom using scroll wheel while holding ...” in your Keyboard and Mouse preference panel.

BTW: PrefEdit ( http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21307 ) makes it very easy to change things like this. I just used it to verify the statement I made above.

 

[Gaffer74]

Fixed?

You have just disabled the scroll wheel zoom feature which was introduced in 10.4.8. You can achieve exactly the same thing by turning off “Zoom using scroll wheel while holding ...” in your Keyboard and Mouse preference panel.

BTW: PrefEdit ( http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/21307 ) makes it very easy to change things like this. I just used it to verify the statement I made above.

Yes, I used PrefEdit

Either way, wether done via prefpane or prefEdit.....I've stopped it auto-launching so I think I've "fixed" it.

Cheers

 

[simbalala]

Yes, I used PrefEdit

Either way, wether done via prefpane or prefEdit.....I've stopped it auto-launching so I think I've "fixed" it.

“Auto launching” is kind of incorrect. Fire up Activity Monitor and watch as you click the box in Keyboard Preferences to turn the feature on or off. It's a service which you can turn on or off at will, it's not really related to start-up.

 

[Gaffer74]

oh right..i see (i stand corrected )

I still think Apple shouldn't have set it to "on" by default though........is nicer to have it set to off so only those that need it can find it and turn it on (they know what they need).

....whereas i didn't know what it was initially and freaked 'cos I thought I'd broken something
(and looking in the Universal Access pref pane didn't help)