Missing Menu-bar icons

A few days ago, my menu-bar icons disappeared. I'm not sure what I did to make them vanish, but would like some help to get them back. Will someone please advise?

Also, when I go to check my sound in my system preferences, I get a "Preferences Error - Could Not Load Sound". Why?

Please help. I don't like seeing my mac sick.

Thanks,
MTon

Welcome to Mac-Forums, MTon.

Could you give us a bit more detail? What is your Mac model? How much RAM? Which Mac OS X Tiger version are you running (assuming it is Tiger)? Did this happen after you installed new software or an update? Or after you added a new peripheral?

And can you post a screenshot of the menubar so we can see what you mean exactly?

Hi MacHeadCase,

I have an iMac G5 with 2GHZ of RAM and Mac OS X Tiger version 10.4.10.

It did happen after an update, but I also just deleted all my music from my iTunes library, so I'm not sure if that was the cause as well.

As for a screenshot, I just noticed that my Mac isn't responding to that as well. Nothing happens when I type [command+shift+3 or 4]. But to describe what menu icons I'm referring to, they're the menulets. The sound, display, bluetooth, wireless connection and finder icons. There all missing.

What is wrong with my machine? please help.

Ok just to see if this is system-wise or not, try creating a new user and see if the GUI is intact in that new account.

Report back your findings.

This happen to me as well, I just got each one back from the system preferences. For example I got the bluetooth menu icon from the bluetooth preferences and I checked 'show bluetooth status in menu bar'

Ok, I created a new user and the menu icons still are not appearing. I also noticed that along with my Sound preference error in the System Preference menu, the keyboard and mouse gets an error as well.

What should I try next?

Just to know... Did you manually change the name of your user account? I'm not sure if doing this would affect the whole system though but asking because the symptoms are very weird.

No. I didn't change a thing.

Well it looks like something corrupted your system.

Can you launch DiskUtility (Utilities folder) and repair disk permissions on your hard drive? That might help.

Also, do you let the maintenance tasks run once in a while?

Give this a try and report back. Open Drive Utility in Utilities repair permissions. Reboot and see if that solves it.

EDIT: Opps! MHC is FAST today!

I ran Utilities Repair Disk Permissions and rebooted, but it still didn't solve the problem. Any other suggesstions?

Ok. I think that you installed some piece of software that corrupted a lot of stuff. Could that be true?

Try trashing the Finder pref file ( path is: Macintosh HD -> Users -> your user account -> Library -> Preferences -> com.apple.finder.plist) and restart: but I have to say that I highly doubt this is going to fix anything as this fix only touches your account.

Here are a few things to try:

- resetting your PRAM, booting in Open Firmware (keyboard shortcut: Command + Option + o + p)

- entering these lines at the prompt:

1. type in this: reset-nvram
2. press Return
3. type in: reset-all
4. press Return to restart.

- You could shut down and unplug your iMac from the wall and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the capacitors drain. Then plug it in again and start up, see what that does.

- Pop in your restore DVD in the optical drive and boot from it holding down the C key and when you see the OS Install options select to run DiskUtility to check the hard drive this time.

- And lastly, run Apple's Hardware Test in Extended mode. You should find the Hardware Test on your restore DVD holding down the C key.

If nothing in the above changes anything...

While you're at it, check out your serial number and compare it to the ones on this list and this other list.

And if not, looks like a reinstall just might be what is needed in your case.

Back up your stuff and wipe the drive and reinstall. It would be best if you didn't choose the Archive and Install or the Upgrade options just in case it would keep the corruption in the new OS.

Let us know how it goes for you. Good luck!