system preferences disappeared

tmccarvi · tmccarvi #1 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 08:33 AM

So I accidentally removed my Systems Preferences icon from my Dock, and now I can't find it ANYWHERE. It's not in my Applications folder. I can't find it with Spotlight. When I click on Systems Preferences under the upper left apple icon, nothing happens. WHERE DID IT GO??? Any ideas? Thanks.

rez · rez #2 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 09:30 AM

Hey,

Try going to the PreferencePanes folder in your Library folder. You should have some .prefPane files in there. If you do, what happens when you click on one?

Which version of OS X do you have installed currently? Do you keep backups?

Ryan

cwa107 · cwa107 #3 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 09:33 AM

What happens if you click the Apple menu and go to System Preferences?

tmccarvi · tmccarvi #4 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 09:47 AM

Thanks for your replies. My Preferences Pane folder is empty; there is a file under Preferences entitles com.apple.systempreferences.plist; when I click on it it opens TextEdit and a strange black box appears.

When I click System Preferences under the Apple menu, nothing happens. Thanks again.

dobby · dobby #5 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 09:54 AM

Even not at the application folder ?
There should System Preference.app
Drag it to you taskbar
Or use the Launchpad to run System Preference

chscag · chscag #6 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmccarvi

Thanks for your replies. My Preferences Pane folder is empty; there is a file under Preferences entitles com.apple.systempreferences.plist; when I click on it it opens TextEdit and a strange black box appears.

When I click System Preferences under the Apple menu, nothing happens. Thanks again.

You're going to need to reinstall OS X in order to get back System Preferences which it appears you accidentally deleted. Unless you have a recent backup or any backup, reinstalling is going to be your only solution.

dobby · dobby #7 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chscag

You're going to need to reinstall OS X in order to get back System Preferences which it appears you accidentally deleted. Unless you have a recent backup or any backup, reinstalling is going to be your only solution.

I try to move System Preference to trash .
But it did not allow me to do so
So how can somebody delete it by accident .
BTW I am running Lion .

chscag · chscag #8 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 10:12 PM

I'm not sure how he did it (perhaps the permissions were changed) but there is no other explanation of why it's no longer there. We have had other folks report the same thing happen to them as reported by the OP.

Regardless of how it was removed, the only way to get it back is to reinstall.

cwa107 · cwa107 #9 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chscag

I'm not sure how he did it (perhaps the permissions were changed) but there is no other explanation of why it's no longer there. We have had other folks report the same thing happen to them as reported by the OP.

Regardless of how it was removed, the only way to get it back is to reinstall.

Couldn't you use Pacifist to pull it off the system discs?

chscag · chscag #10 (**permalink**)

04-13-2012, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Couldn't you use Pacifist to pull it off the system discs?

Good point, I had forgotten about that.

@tmccarvi

Pacifist should work and can be downloaded from here. LINK It's $20 to buy a license.

chscag #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 31,955 Mac Specs: 21.5" iMac 2.5 GHz i5, iPad 3rd Gen., 3 iPods	04-13-2012, 10:12 PM I'm not sure how he did it (perhaps the permissions were changed) but there is no other explanation of why it's no longer there. We have had other folks report the same thing happen to them as reported by the OP. Regardless of how it was removed, the only way to get it back is to reinstall. Community Guidelines
	QUOTE Thanks

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tmccarvi #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 13, 2012 Posts: 2	04-13-2012, 08:33 AM So I accidentally removed my Systems Preferences icon from my Dock, and now I can't find it ANYWHERE. It's not in my Applications folder. I can't find it with Spotlight. When I click on Systems Preferences under the upper left apple icon, nothing happens. WHERE DID IT GO??? Any ideas? Thanks.
	QUOTE Thanks

rez #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 13, 2011 Location: Nottingham, U.K Posts: 25 Mac Specs: Late 2009 Macbook 2.26GHZ 4GB RAM 250GB HDD 64GB SSD	04-13-2012, 09:30 AM Hey, Try going to the PreferencePanes folder in your Library folder. You should have some .prefPane files in there. If you do, what happens when you click on one? Which version of OS X do you have installed currently? Do you keep backups? Ryan
	QUOTE Thanks

tmccarvi #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 13, 2012 Posts: 2	04-13-2012, 09:47 AM Thanks for your replies. My Preferences Pane folder is empty; there is a file under Preferences entitles com.apple.systempreferences.plist; when I click on it it opens TextEdit and a strange black box appears. When I click System Preferences under the Apple menu, nothing happens. Thanks again.
	QUOTE Thanks

dobby #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 15, 2009 Location: In front of MY MAC OR LINUX BOX Posts: 211 Mac Specs: Mac Pro Workstation Airport Extreme ATV 2 Ipad	04-13-2012, 09:54 AM Even not at the application folder ? There should System Preference.app Drag it to you taskbar Or use the Launchpad to run System Preference
	QUOTE Thanks

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