HD icon missing

Joined
Oct 17, 2010
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Not sure what happened, but my Macintosh HD icon in the upper right corner is no longer visible. I can get to the Applications and other folders by entering the request in the search window. How can I get the icon back to the desktop?
Thank you.
 

pod


Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
235
Reaction score
6
Points
18
Finder > Preferences > tick the box next to Hard Disks under the heading 'show these items on the desktop.
 
OP
E
Joined
Oct 17, 2010
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Thank you for the reply, I checked what you suggested and it was already checked. I unchecked and rechecked it, and still the HD icon does not come back to the desktop. When I open Finder, under devices on the left, there is no "Macintosh HD" listed, like before. It has vanished. I've run a computer virus scan and there was a trojan. I removed it, so hopefully that was not the cause.
Any more ideas is greatly appreciated.
E.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
2,116
Reaction score
123
Points
63
Location
Rocky Mountain High, Colorado
Your Mac's Specs
1.8 GHz i7 MBA 11" OSX 10.8.2
If you right click on the sidebar in finder -> open sidebar preferences -> you should see a list of available default sidebar items and one of them should be the main hard drive. If that doesn't work try this
to get to spotlight and open a terminal
Code:
cmd-space <enter> 
terminal
select the terminal program and start it
in the terminal type these commands
Code:
cd /
open .

That should open a finder window at your top level hard drive. That should be failsafe if a program messed with your system.

Otherwise you could also try cmd-clicking on the titlebar of finder -> you should see a folder path with the top level being your computer (counterintuitively the top level is at the bottom of the list). Select that and you should see your hard drive there.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I am having the same problem, there is nothing in my desktop- my finder won't open, if I click on it to open it opens for a few seconds and then self-quits. I can find my 'Macintosh HD' in the Spotlight, but I can't open it no matter how many times I click.
Please keep in mind that I do not know much about computers, but I have had my macbook Pro (OSX 10.5.8) for several years.
Please help!!
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
2,116
Reaction score
123
Points
63
Location
Rocky Mountain High, Colorado
Your Mac's Specs
1.8 GHz i7 MBA 11" OSX 10.8.2
I am having the same problem, there is nothing in my desktop- my finder won't open, if I click on it to open it opens for a few seconds and then self-quits. I can find my 'Macintosh HD' in the Spotlight, but I can't open it no matter how many times I click.
Please keep in mind that I do not know much about computers, but I have had my macbook Pro (OSX 10.5.8) for several years.
Please help!!

Sounds like finder is somehow corrupt. Try using Pathfinder - another file browser
Download : Cocoatech
Just to see if you can browse you computer at all. That will tell us if it is a Finder issue or something deeper.

No Finder install
-Save the dmg somewhere (I'm going to Assume your Downloads Folder. I also see you are using Leopard - the default name of the file is Pathfinder5.dmg)
-Open Terminal
-Type this below
Code:
cd ~/Downloads
hdid Pathfinder5.dmg
#some TCs will scroll by - type Y to agree
cd /Volumes/Path\ Finder/ 
cp -R Path\ Finder.app Applications/
cd Applications/
open Path\ Finder.app/
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I went ahead and installed it, but it won't let me open it at all when I double-click on it in my downloads. (I copied and pasted that code into my terminal and it just ran a bunch of numbers and then nothing happened. Forgive my ignorance if I did it wrong, I've never used Terminal before!)
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Every hour or so something pops up telling me that Preference Sync Client has failed. Not too sure what that means or if it's pertinent?
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Ok, I went out and bought Snow Leopard for $30, installed it, and now everything works great, the finder runs and everything is back on my desktop!!
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top