Safari app on desktop

The other day when I turned on my Mac, the Safari icon was missing. Not sure what I did to find the Safari program, but I moved Safari.app to the desktop and used it to long on. The Safari icon appeared. How do I return the safari app icon to where it should be. the program

Start Safari from your Applications folder. When it appears in the Dock, right click on it select "keep in Dock".

The Safari icon is in the dock. The Safari.app icon is on the desktop. Starting safari in the applications folder there is a Safari.app program. no other Safari line. I cannot get anything by right clicking no matter where initiate Safari. Tried to put Safari.app in trash, but Safari would not start becaue safari.app was in the trash.

You can't have two Safari programs, one in the Applications folder and the other on the desktop. One of them must be an Alias. Look closely at the Safari icon. If there is a small arrow on the icon, then that's the alias. Delete the Safari alias. The real Safari program belongs in the Application folder. The Safari icon on the Dock is also an alias, but you can leave that one in place.

I have one Safari program. I had the Safari icon missing so I went to the application folder I moved the Safari.app to my desktop. The safari ion then appeared in my dock, but the Safari.app icon is on my desktop. I tried moving the Safari.app icon on my desktop to the trash but then Safari said it could not open because the Safari.app was in the trash. I can't t delete the Safari.app in my application fold as it tells me OSX needs safari.app so I can't remove it. I did try to move the application Safari.app to the desktop. It became the alias safari.app which I could move to trash. Still leaves the Safari.app icon on my desktop. Not sure what would happen if i reset safari. Any idea on that?

I suggest you do as Chscag suggested above and follow that advice to the letter... and you will be fine.
Any other activities you do will only make it harder for us to help you.

Cheers ... McBie

Guys, appreciate the help, but we are going in circles here. How do I delete one of the safari.app programs? I tried moving any of them to trash but neither the icon in my Dock or the icon on my desktop will stay in trash. I believe the safari.app in my application is the alias, but how do I delete it?

You have Safari in Applications AND on the desktop?
One is a copy and it's alias is in the Dock. Drag the Dock icon onto the desktop til it goes 'poof'. Then drag the copy in Applications to the Dock.
You should now be able to delete the one on the Desktop (but ONLY if there is one in Applications, and it's NOT an alias, with the arrow).
To be sure do a command-i on it and make sure it is not an alias.

Edit: rereading...if the one in Applications is an alias, right-click and select Move to Trash. You will probably have to input your password.
Then move the one on the desktop to Applications. Password again probably.

I dragged the dock icon onto the desktop. It did not go poof, even tho I held it for 30 seconds. When I let go it returns to the dock. Right clicking on either safari.app does nothing except eventually open Safari. I can move the Application Safari.App to the desktop where it says Safari.App alias. I can then move that to trash. But shadow text remains in Applications. Tried to move the desktop Safari.app to applications but get msg alongs the lines of cannot modify OSX Safari and or OSX needs safari to operate. When I tried to drag the Applications or desktop Safari.app to the trash it says Safari is in use. even tho I did command Q. Would it be easier to either reinstall OSX...I don't have a copy or use Time Machine to try and go back a week or so?I never tried to use Time Machine before although I have a dedicated ext. drive.

To clarify: I have safari.app in applications and on my desktop. I also have the safari icon in my dock.

Maybe a screenshot would help us see what you are experiencing.

If you are ABSOLUTELY SURE the Safari in Applications is not an alias...
Open Terminal
Type: cd Desktop
Type: sudo rm -rf Safari.app
It will ask for your password. Type it in. You wont see it but it's taking it.
Close Terminal.

Note: If the one in Applications turns out to be an alias this means reinstalling (or repairing) OS X from the recovery partition. So make sure.

Dogreath - How do I do a screen shot?
cradom - I am fairly sure the safari.app IN Applications is the alias because if I move it to to the desktop it says alias.
How do i reinstall or repair OSX from the recovery partition?

That doesn't mean anything. Dragging Safari from Applications will create an alias because you cant change anything in Applications without authenticating (at least for system stuff).
It automatically creates an alias instead of moving. That's also why you cant drag the one on the Desktop into Applications.
Look at the one in Applications. Does it have the arrow like chscag said? Probably not.
If it doesn't, follow the Terminal instructions I gave for the one on the Desktop.

Additional info. Command Q would not let me move desktop safari.app to trash. Quitting safari, under Safari allowed me to move desktop safari,app to trash. BUT Safari would not open because it said the Safari.app was in the trash. Removing it from trash let me open Safari. This is proof that Safari.app in Applications is the alias,

cradom - No arrow. What is terminal and how do I open it? And have you read my previous post?

Terminal is in the Applications folder, in the Utilities folder.
Click on Terminal. You'll get a plain screen in a window with a prompt (probably your name).
Do that command ONLY on the one in the Desktop folder (that's the cd Desktop command, moves you there).
If you're anywhere else when you do the rm command it wont work.

Command-Shift-3: Take a screenshot of the screen, and save it as a file on the desktop
or
Command-Shift-4, then select an area: Take a screenshot of an area and save it as a file on the desktop
or
Command-Shift-4, then space, then click a window: Take a screenshot of a window and save it as a file on the desktop


Then after you get your screenshot, use the "GO ADVANCED" reply feature and attach the screenshot (which is stored on your desktop) in your reply.

cradom - It worked...sort of. Got the desktop safari.app to go away. But Safari would not start cause that was the real app. Fortunately I had safari.zip in my trash and when I opened that, Safari was back with no icon on desktop. Two other problems cropped up.
1) My mac hd now is named after my password. Need to change it back so my password is not on my desktop. Something i did in Terminal probably.
2) I have the terminal icon...square with >_ ,,, inside dock. How do i remove that? Couldn't put in trash.

1) My mac hd now is named after my password. Need to change it back so my password is not on my desktop. Something i did in Terminal probably.
2) I have the terminal icon...square with >_ ,,, inside dock. How do i remove that? Couldn't put in trash.

Click to expand...

You can easily rename your hard drive by clicking on its name. A red box will highlight it and from there just type in a new name. And quit messing with your terminal as it's going to eventually get you into trouble.

Right click on the terminal icon in the dock and select close.