An HD icon has suddenly appeared on desktop

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Something strange has happened to my MPB (10.6.8). A Mac HD icon has appeared on the desktop. It seems identical to the one that still comes up where I have always seen it before – that is to say via Finder in the dock. I can’t understand how this has happened or how I can safely remove this new one from the desktop. I hesitate to experiment because I don’t want to corrupt or lose my HD!
Thanks in advance for advice.
M
 
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Right click on it and select get info then it will tell you whats on it .
 
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HD icon has appeared on desktop

Thanks for your post.

I've right-clicked on the new icon on the desktop; also on the icon which appears in Finder as usual. The details of both are identical.

I wonder what I did to make this happen. Or is it a glitch? Presumably I should remove one but which one, and how?

Grateful for your help.

M
 
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Have tried a reboot not restart?
Also in get info take note of the dates created.
Do you have a backup program turned on but not connected to an external drive?
Have you done anything in Finder when this happened?
Does this Mac have more than one Hard Drive ?
 
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HD icon

Thanks again.
You say:

"Have tried a reboot not restart?"
Well, I think I'll need my system disks for a reboot (yes?). I can't get at them for a couple of weeks because they're at another location.

"Also in get info take note of the dates created."
The dates are the same in both cases.

"Do you have a backup program turned on but not connected to an external drive?"
I use TM but the outboard drive has not been connected since my last b/up and this was last week.

"Have you done anything in Finder when this happened?"
Last night I was fiddling around with iPhoto and the scanner and may have done something hastily and in error.

"Does this Mac have more than one Hard Drive ?"
No, it has just the one HD; the outboard drive is connected only when I do a b/up with TM.

M
 

bobtomay

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reboot: restart or turn your computer off and on

What is the name of this drive showing on your desktop?
 
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HD icon

OK and thanks.

Well, I've restarted and the rogue icon is still there.

The name of the drive on the desktop icon is "Mackintosh HD", followed by a number of GB and then a number of GB free. Exactly the same GB figures appear when I select the HD via Finder in "John Smith's Computer".

There are two dates, identical on the desktop and via Finder: one is "created" and the other is "modified". The date for "created" looks like when I got the MPB in 2009; not sure about the "modified" date, which is in January 2013.

M
 

pigoo3

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The name of the drive on the desktop icon is "Mackintosh HD", followed by a number of GB and then a number of GB free. Exactly the same GB figures appear when I select the HD via Finder in "John Smith's Computer".

Is your hard drive partitioned into more than one volume?

- Nick
 

pigoo3

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Just a thought. I'm going to assume that you are connected to the internet/network via Airport. Turn off your Airport...then reboot/restart the computer.

When the computer has rebooted...verify that Airport is off. Do you still see this 2nd mysterious hard drive?

- Nick
 
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HD icon

VMT for the continued support.

No, I don't use Airport but an ethernet connection. Anyway, I disconnected the ethernet and restarted but, alas, everything is still the same.

M
 
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Finder menu - Preferences... un-check this:
Does it go away?

Finder Preferences 2014-02-19 14-38-45 2014-02-19 14-39-00.png
 
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And then, by magic, it had gone ... (!)

Well, thanks very much "cardom" ... yes, it's gone!
I guess that while fiddling around with the scanner and iPhoto late last night I checked the box in question.

*Most* grateful to you and also to the other guys who came forward to help.

Long live "Mac Forum"!

M
 

Rod


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Too Easy

Go to an empty desktop, click on Finder (next to the Apple icon) select preferences>general.
There are checkboxes next to the items you want to show on the desktop. De select HD's and it should be gone.
There are some useful options in this Pref menu you might like to play with. I usually have my Mac HD on the desktop cause that saves me from going to the finder on the dock.;D
 

pigoo3

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Well, thanks very much "cardom" ... yes, it's gone!
I guess that while fiddling around with the scanner and iPhoto late last night I checked the box in question.

*Most* grateful to you and also to the other guys who came forward to help.

Long live "Mac Forum"!

M

I was going to suggest this earlier…but that seemed too easy!;)

You're really supposed to know the name of your computers internal hard drive (even if it isn't visible on the desktop)…since you are the one who named it.;) In any case…glad to hear things are ok.:)

Way to go "cradom"…nice job!:)

- Nick
 

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