Help needed ASAP before I do a fresh install of OS X

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I have NO idea of what has caused this to happen at all, but :

com.apple.preferencepanes.cache
com.apple.preferencepanes.searchindexcache

Those files are nowhere to be found on my computer anymore. I learned this because after trying to open my System Preferences from the main menu several times, it just wouldn't work. So I did my research as to why this might happen, and found people saying to locate these files, re-locate them to the desktop and then restart the system.

Well, those files don't even exist anymore. I've repaired my permissions, cleaned my cache and every other available thing to clean or repair in Onyx. No love. I did receive a console warning pop up at some point though, and here's what it gave me: (I have moved this text to my next post because this post is too long)


Is anything in there suspicious ? I noticed that there are things listed that I don't even have installed, but am assuming that it's just a standard query fetched from Apple's database?

The only thing I've done recently is to have install the trial version of Candybar 3 and was messing with it a bit. Noticed that it wasn't really working to my expectations though, and had to do a lot of logging off, rebooting etc.. Not sure if that's the culprit, but it is the only thing that has been different from my usual tasks and such.

I do not have Time Machine running, so have no backup and that is out of the question. Is there a way to fetch these files from my Snow Leopard install disk ?

There's only one thing I can add which might be something.. I was opening System Preferences and meaning to quit Candybar 3, but I think I managed to quit preferences instead, which I'd not think anything of... but the timing was a bit odd, and wonder if that had anything to do with this.

Any other suggestions are greatly welcomed.
 
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Doug b
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Here's the log:

7/8/10 11:07:51 AM defaults[716]
There is no (NSRecentDocumentRecords) default for the (com.apple.Automator) domain.
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There is no (DUSavedDiskImageList) default for the (com.apple.DiskUtility) domain.
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7/8/10 11:07:52 AM defaults[722]
There is no (AppleRecentFolders) default for the (com.apple.FinalCutExpress) domain.
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7/8/10 11:07:52 AM defaults[753]
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There is no (AppleRecentFolders) default for the (com.ableton.live) domain.
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7/8/10 11:07:52 AM defaults[756]
There is no (AppleRecentFolders) default for the (com.roxio.Toast) domain.
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There is no (AppleRecentFolders) default for the (com.lemkesoft.graphicconverter) domain.
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7/8/10 11:07:55 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[89] (com.apple.Finder[399]) Exited: Terminated
7/8/10 11:08:03 AM SystemUIServer[398] [Warning] Disconnected from iChatAgent (remote)...
7/8/10 11:08:03 AM SystemUIServer[398] [Warning] ... disconnection from iChatAgent (remote) being handled by main thread
7/8/10 11:08:03 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[89] ([0x0-0x44044].com.apple.iChatAgent[430]) Exited: Killed
7/8/10 11:08:03 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[89] ([0x0-0x4d04d].com.apple.systemevents[714]) Exited: Killed
7/8/10 11:08:03 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[89] (com.apple.AirPortBaseStationAgent[417]) Exited: Killed
7/8/10 11:08:52 AM com.apple.launchd[1] *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
7/8/10 11:09:22 AM com.apple.WindowServer[59] Thu Jul 8 11:09:22 Douglas-Bains-MacBook-Pro.local WindowServer[59] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
7/8/10 11:09:31 AM com.apple.launchctl.Aqua[94] launchctl: Please convert the following to launchd: /etc/mach_init_per_user.d/com.adobe.SwitchBoard.monitor.plist
7/8/10 11:09:31 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[92] (com.apple.ReportCrash) Falling back to default Mach exception handler. Could not find: com.apple.ReportCrash.Self
7/8/10 11:09:33 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[92] (com.apple.Kerberos.renew.plist[117]) Exited with exit code: 1
7/8/10 11:09:34 AM com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[92] (0x100203bd0.mach_init.switchboard.sh) Failed to check-in!
7/8/10 11:09:36 AM com.apple.fontd[108] FODBCheck: foRec->annexNumber != kInvalidAnnexNumber (0)
7/8/10 11:09:46 AM com.apple.fontd[108] FODBCheck: foRec->annexNumber != kInvalidAnnexNumber (0)
7/8/10 11:10:08 AM com.apple.coreservicesd[50] ThrottleProcessIO: throttling disk i/o
 
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Doug b
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Continued log

7/8/10 11:11:15 AM ClamXav[148] installed major 0 minor 96.100000
7/8/10 11:11:15 AM ClamXav[148] bundled major 0 minor 96.100000
7/8/10 11:12:00 AM ClamXav[148] installed major 0 minor 96.100000
7/8/10 11:12:00 AM ClamXav[148] bundled major 0 minor 96.100000
7/8/10 11:12:04 AM ClamXav[158] installed major 0 minor 96.100000
7/8/10 11:12:04 AM ClamXav[158] bundled major 0 minor 96.100000
7/8/10 11:26:26 AM mdworker[200] CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.
7/8/10 11:35:04 AM mdworker[200] CFPropertyListCreateFromXMLData(): Old-style plist parser: missing semicolon in dictionary.

End Log

Doug
 
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Doug b
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Oh, and I forgot to ask the prerequisite question:

ZoMG... Is this a virus ! ! ! ! ?:D
 
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Hmm.... I don't know what you've done, but I wouldn't go a clean install, although I'd probably be digging out that disc and just doing a basic upgrade install, which I'd think would bring you back those missing preference panes.
I'm not going to ask you why you don't have a recent time machine backup or a clone, as I'm sure that you've asked yourself that enough already :D
 

vansmith

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This may have already crossed your mind but have you tried running the most recent combo updater to see if those files get replaced? It's possible that they are part of the update.
 
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That was my initial thought Vansmith, but from what I've heard (and there's a good chance I am mistaken), once preference panes went missing, that it was time to reach for the install discs!
Definitely worth a shot though :)
 

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Will Sys Preferences open from any location - the menu bar, the dock, the applications folder... ? Has the app been moved or an alias made on the Desktop or other location? Am assuming you have tried rebooting since this happened. And have you tried another account if you have one set up already.
 

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One thing you could also try is to open it with the Terminal and have it catch all the errors. Open up the Terminal and type the following:
Code:
/Applications/System\ Preferences.app/Contents/MacOS/System\ Preferences
 
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Doug b
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One thing you could also try is to open it with the Terminal and have it catch all the errors. Open up the Terminal and type the following:
Code:
/Applications/System\ Preferences.app/Contents/MacOS/System\ Preferences

Output gives me what I already knew, which is "no such file or directory"

1. Yes, I've hard booted my Mac

2. Preferences doesn't seem to exist ANYWHERE except for in the main menu. No icons for it anywhere else. It just disappeared.

3.
This may have already crossed your mind but have you tried running the most recent combo updater to see if those files get replaced? It's possible that they are part of the update.

This is going to sound stupid but... since my OS is already up to date, is that going to do anything anyway ? I'd assume that a message would pop up stating that said update is already installed. If not, it's worth a shot I suppose.

Next question is, what exactly does a "basic upgrade install" entail ? I usually like doing a fresh/clean install because I've always found that any system I've run does so faster and with less bugs that way.

Doug

P.S. In regards to Time Machine Backups... I keep all of my sensitive data on an external HD (hd's) and I've never experienced a glitch such as this one so I've always regarded it as an unnecessary disk space waster.
 
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The basic upgrade with the SL disc will just install SL leaving everything that's on your HD as is, but putting SL back with all the parts it should have.
Pop in the disc, open up the installer, and it selects the upgrade option automatically. :)
 

vansmith

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Preferences doesn't seem to exist ANYWHERE except for in the main menu. No icons for it anywhere else. It just disappeared.
Do you mean that there is only an option in the Apple menu or that the only place you can launch it from is from the Apple menu? If you can actually launch it, try executing the following in the Terminal to find it:
Code:
sudo find / -name "System Preferences.app"
If you can't actually launch it from the Apple menu, you may be out of luck if the find doesn't work.

As for the combo update, you're probably right about it not working (I've never tried that). It can't hurt to try at this point though.
 
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Doug b
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The basic upgrade with the SL disc will just install SL leaving everything that's on your HD as is, but putting SL back with all the parts it should have.
Pop in the disc, open up the installer, and it selects the upgrade option automatically. :)

Ok, that sounds pretty kosher. Thanks dude, I'll probably do that.

Do you mean that there is only an option in the Apple menu or that the only place you can launch it from is from the Apple menu? If you can actually launch it, try executing the following in the Terminal to find it:
Code:
sudo find / -name "System Preferences.app"
If you can't actually launch it from the Apple menu, you may be out of luck if the find doesn't work.

As for the combo update, you're probably right about it not working (I've never tried that). It can't hurt to try at this point though.

Gonna go with 6Strings suggestion, as it sounds like the most probable way of restoring things. And yes, the only visible location of Sys Preference location is in the main menu bar. And no, it doesn't even launch from there. It just stares back at me from the abyss and whispers: "Nuh uh... ain't gonna happen".

Otherwise, my Mac is behaving fine from all other aspects and I can do anything I was doing before. I just wanted to change something in preferences that I can't, so it's annoying. But more importantly, I am so curious to find out WHY this has happened... I mean, out of the blue a couple of files just disappear or get corrupted ?

If can't imagine that I even accidentally deleted those files, but if one were so inclined to do so, wouldn't OS X say.. Um no, you are not permitted to touch these system files' ?

Thanks for all the help fellas.

Doug
 
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I am so curious to find out WHY this has happened... I mean, out of the blue a couple of files just disappear or get corrupted ?

If can't imagine that I even accidentally deleted those files, but if one were so inclined to do so, wouldn't OS X say.. Um no, you are not permitted to touch these system files' ?

That's the bit that's got me.... If you accidentally moved them, I don't believe you'd have received any sort of warning, but seeing that you can't located, that points to the deleted belief, which just like you, I'd think you'd have received a "ahaam, are you sure you want to delete that, and if so, how's about giving me an ok, and further more, a password if you want to empty the trash" :)
Anyway, look forward to the post back that it's all joy again :D
I'd have never suggested the reinstall if you didn't have a backup, as no matter what's meant to happen when reinstalled, anything can go wrong, usually won't, but still can.
I reinstalled my brother's Mac using the SL basic upgrade due to a similar issue, and it all went smoothly, without a hitch.
 
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Doug b
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Success ! No hitches, no hiccups, no nuthin' but joy. It's back to normal and running very fast, so I'm extremely happy. I was hesitant to do the install because of my experiences with doing such a thing with "other" OS's and having the performance be degraded etc.. No such misery here though, and I thank you for the suggestion.

Of course you realize.. had it gone bad I'd be biting your virtual head off at some point .. haha. ;D

Cheers!

Doug

(and I'm still really baffled about the mystery of it all. Does anybody have a clue as to why it happened ? Does that log reveal anything at all?)
 
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Of course you realize.. had it gone bad I'd be biting your virtual head off at some point .. haha.

That's the bit I was afraid of :\
Even in a virtual world, it's nice to be liked O:)

Glad it worked out mate :)
 
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Doug b
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That's the bit I was afraid of :\
Even in a virtual world, it's nice to be liked O:)

Glad it worked out mate :)

Tell ya mutha thanks for the rabbit ! :D

Doug
 
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