Where oh where can the recent items be found?
- Thread starter H2OSX
- Start date
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Mikuro
Crotchety UI Nitpicker
They're stored in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist
Under Panther and below, you should be able to see what's what by opening it in any text editor, since it's an xml file. In Tiger, you might need a special program. See http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52614 for more info on that.
Under Panther and below, you should be able to see what's what by opening it in any text editor, since it's an xml file. In Tiger, you might need a special program. See http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52614 for more info on that.
Marshall McLuhan
Registered
Mikuro:
Further to this answer you gave I had a look in my Preferences folder and could not find such a file on my "FrankenMac".
I'd like to explore a little further and ask if there is a connection between not having one of these plist documents
If there is a connection here can you suggest a way to "reclaim" the document from somewhere, create a new one somehow, or perhaps suggest a reason why System Preference control centre does not create one when I finished making these settings? The machine remembers them though a log-out and log-in but forgets them when I shut down.
I am experiencing a number of anomalies with my souped up G3 Beige tower so I won't go into those, but I think these might all be linked together with some sort of missing information at the System level.
One of the anomalies which is preventing me from simply "restoring" from a recent backup is that my FW external drive no longer mounts onto the desktop (using 10.3.9) but will mount when I'm booted into OS 9.2.2.
I may be forced to copy the Restrospect backup through OS 9 onto my internal volumes in order to retrieve a previously stable 10.3.9 but I'm secretly (although with this forum's readership looking on it is hardly a secret any more) hoping that there is a "short cut" or a clever "*nix geeky" thing I could try.
Any suggestions?
Further to this answer you gave I had a look in my Preferences folder and could not find such a file on my "FrankenMac".
I'd like to explore a little further and ask if there is a connection between not having one of these plist documents
and the sort of behavior I've been experiencing with the machine "forgetting" what my Appearance settings are.
If there is a connection here can you suggest a way to "reclaim" the document from somewhere, create a new one somehow, or perhaps suggest a reason why System Preference control centre does not create one when I finished making these settings? The machine remembers them though a log-out and log-in but forgets them when I shut down.
I am experiencing a number of anomalies with my souped up G3 Beige tower so I won't go into those, but I think these might all be linked together with some sort of missing information at the System level.
One of the anomalies which is preventing me from simply "restoring" from a recent backup is that my FW external drive no longer mounts onto the desktop (using 10.3.9) but will mount when I'm booted into OS 9.2.2.
I may be forced to copy the Restrospect backup through OS 9 onto my internal volumes in order to retrieve a previously stable 10.3.9 but I'm secretly (although with this forum's readership looking on it is hardly a secret any more) hoping that there is a "short cut" or a clever "*nix geeky" thing I could try.
Any suggestions?
Mikuro
Crotchety UI Nitpicker
Hmm. Best I can figure is that the system can't write files to your home Library's preferences folder due to corrupt permissions. Have you tried repairing permissions? (Boot up from the install CD and choose Disk Utility from one of the menus to get the option to repair permissions on your boot volume.) That's the #1 generic troubleshooting tip for OS X. When something weird's going on, repair permissions.
I'm not sure if that could cause a FW drive to not mount, though.
You might also want to try creating a new user as a test, to see if these problems are system-wide or specific to your primary account.
I'm not sure if that could cause a FW drive to not mount, though.
You might also want to try creating a new user as a test, to see if these problems are system-wide or specific to your primary account.
Marshall McLuhan
Registered
Mikuro said:
That is an excellent suggestion. Thanks. I used that for solving another problem about a year ago. I think you're on to something.
I have fixed permissions as part of my ongoing diagnosis, but I'll try and do it from the OS X CD next time. I usually fix permissions before cloning my system to my backup external.
Marshall McLuhan
Registered
I was in deep doo-doo when I could not mount by FW external drive. Then I remembered it also has a USB 2 connection. As my USB mouse was still working and the FW not working I connected through USB. As they say in the EU "voila!". Backup available for correcting my problem.
A short selection of replacement Prefs and Extensions from a recent and reliable system and I was back in business. My external drive now mounts as FW (and still USB). I was able to check the backed up system and found no "~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist". Then another brainstorm. I administer a machine running Panther and the Web site hosted on that machine. A simple net connection later I was seeing the proper plist file on that version.
I'm feeling so much relief from being able to access my backup that I haven't actually tested the plist problem yet. Either way I think the broken extension handling FW connectivity seems to have been reclaimed and is working just fine.
You may not have pinpointed a solution - but you helped the process by suggesting things. And, just so you know, I didn't find a plist for recent items in either of the other two login users for my machine (it's a family workstation). Root log in could not find anything like that either.
I don't know if there is anyone else experiencing this "forgetful" preference in the Appearance menus. Perhaps it is just me.
Beige G3 twr. Encore ZIF 1 GHz cpu upgrade. Sonnect FW/USB PCI card.
Radeon 7000 PCI video. 40GB Maxtor internal. Compucable 120 GB external FW/USB. Panther 10.3.9 courtesy XPostFacto genius.
A short selection of replacement Prefs and Extensions from a recent and reliable system and I was back in business. My external drive now mounts as FW (and still USB). I was able to check the backed up system and found no "~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.recentitems.plist". Then another brainstorm. I administer a machine running Panther and the Web site hosted on that machine. A simple net connection later I was seeing the proper plist file on that version.
I'm feeling so much relief from being able to access my backup that I haven't actually tested the plist problem yet. Either way I think the broken extension handling FW connectivity seems to have been reclaimed and is working just fine.
You may not have pinpointed a solution - but you helped the process by suggesting things. And, just so you know, I didn't find a plist for recent items in either of the other two login users for my machine (it's a family workstation). Root log in could not find anything like that either.
I don't know if there is anyone else experiencing this "forgetful" preference in the Appearance menus. Perhaps it is just me.
Beige G3 twr. Encore ZIF 1 GHz cpu upgrade. Sonnect FW/USB PCI card.
Radeon 7000 PCI video. 40GB Maxtor internal. Compucable 120 GB external FW/USB. Panther 10.3.9 courtesy XPostFacto genius.