So lost... help?!

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Okay so I've been lurking for a while now but I'm having an issue and I have no idea what to do so I'm coming out of hiding. I switched (mostly... still use my PC laptop for games) almost a year ago but while I can trouble shoot almost any minor issue on my windows machine, I'm not quite to that point yet with my mac... namely I'm completely clueless.

I'm currently having a problem with at least two of my apps. The first one I noticed was address book which kinda shocked me because its native to the machine... everytime I try to open it tells me that the application quit unexpectedly and would I like to reopen it. I try that and it does the same thing, over and over.

The second program is Booxter, which I've downloaded and payed for myself. For anyone who is not familiar with it, it's a program designed to archive entertainment media (movies, books, cds) by taking the sku number, either entered by hand or scanned by webcam, and cross referencing it on the internet and logging the information so you can catalogue your collection. This one behaves a little differently but the problem is essentially the same. I can start the app, access the preferences, etc, but when I go to open up one of my library files it fails and gives me the same message.

If it were just the address book acting up I'd haul it into the genius bar and be done with it, but with Booxter acting up as well it causes me a little more concern as I'm pretty sure the Geniuses won't comment on it as it's a third party app and not produced by apple. The program wasn't cheap and I don't want to loose it (I have no idea how to back up programs or even if it's possible). If anyone could help or tell me where to start I would be so grateful! I'm pretty lost.

EDIT: As far as I can tell all other apps are acting fine.
EDIT II: Oh... and if this is in the wrong section I apologize... I thought this might be simple unfamiliarity issue.
 
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If you haven't already done so, repair disk permissions first and see if that clears it up.

Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility/Repair Disk Permissions (Choose appropriate drive in left-hand pane)
 
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Thanks for the advice... I tried what you said, though it didn't work. I ran the repair on the Macintosh HD drive and this is what came up after it was finished:

"Permissions differ on ./usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi, should be -r--r--r-- , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
Permissions corrected on ./usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume"

I don't exactly know what that means. If some one could advise me on what to do next I would be so grateful. I'm at my wits end.
 
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Anybody? Don't mean to be a pest but I really don't know what to do or where else to go for help.
 
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May sound like a silly question but have you installed any fonts recently?

If so try uninstalling them (And possibly empty the font cache aswell) as this could be your problem.

Edit

Just found this if it is any help
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/multipleappsquit.html
 
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Nope... no fonts...

I honestly haven't even been using the machine that much. Since it's summer I've been mostly on my old VAIO which is now designated as a game only computer (didn't want to crud up the Mac with boot camp); my mac is pretty much only used for school and various basic multimedia functions (itunes, iphoto, etc). I read a couple switcher guides and set up two different accounts, one Admin and one for daily use so I didn't accidentally mess something up in a serious way. I have no idea what's going on at all and it's really frustrating not being familiar enough to trouble shoot like I can on my PC. I love my Mac and wouldn't trade it for the world but I guess I'm still having some growing pains. Normally I would ask my mom to take a look (use to be an ibm system admin) but of course she has no mac knowledge. GRRRR! lol

I'll take a look at that site you listed and I'll post if I find something.

Thank you again for attempting to come to my rescue.
 
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As you have two accounts, does the problem exist when you are logged in on both accounts?

If not, and one account is OK, it may just be a preference file issue or something of the sort.
 
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I'll check but I don't know if I can access Booxter from my admin account since I downloaded it from my regular account...

EDIT:
Okay so I just rebooted and logged onto my Admin account.... both programs work as far as I was able to test them.... what does this mean? Preference files might as well be french for me. Do you know how I can fix it?
 
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OK, Log back in as user. Go to Macintosh HD/Users/Select relevent user/Library/Preferences

Then locate and delete any preference files for the Apps you are having issues with (Don't worry about deleting these as a new one is automatically created the next time you launch the App). The Mail one is called Com.Apple.Mail.plist the other will have booxter.plist somewhere in the title but I don't know exactly what it will be called (Sometimes some apps have more than one preference file so check there isn't another one too)

(Make sure it is the Library in your User Folder, as there is also a Library folder directly on the Macintosh HD)
 
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I followed the path you indicated, deleted the address book file and the booxter file and then tried each program in turn and both are still behaving the same way.

I had a breif moment of relief when booxter behaved more like normal but as soon as I tried to create a new list or open an old one it went right back to normal. I checked the list of files alphabetically so I know I got all the files related to the programs but still nothing. Oi...

Thank you so much for your patience.
 
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I thought that would do it.

Try working down the list on the link I posted earlier, I know much of it is for Tiger but it will still be relevant. It sounds like some software is conflicting with something somewhere down the line.

I going to have to go to bed now as it is 1.00am here but I will check back tomorrow.

Good luck!
 
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Yeah worked down that list doing everything I could figure out (even deleted my HP printer software) still nothing.... I have no idea and mail is having issues too.

Guess I'll just go to the genius bar because odds are that whatever's wrong with mail and address book the same thing is wrong with booxter... unless you or anyone else has any different ideas?
 

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