Corrupted Apps - help needed

Symptoms:

iCal - app starts, and freezes, spinning rainbow ball shows, calendar shows, no events in calendar, all gone, only way out - force quit

Address Book - all contacts gone, app launches, bounces once in dock, nothing happens, even a window doesn't show, only way out - force quit

Mail - app launches, checks mail forever, shows a new mail for some accounts, for others not, but while trying to view mail "Loading" messages is the only thing that shows, some old messages can be read, some have only "Loading" message, quit doesn't close app, force quit does.

Adium (!) - can't start "Could not create Sounds folder" messge shows, followed by "try running Repair Permissions from Disc Utility"

Skype, Firefox, Safari, Lightroom, Photoshop, and everything else (I think) - work fine

I've tried booted up from MacOS disc, verified disc (disc was corrupted - fixed), repaired permissions etc, nothing works...

I've got my mail messages backed up, my contacts are on my mobile, calendar as well, so I can reinstall apps (which I've tried) and restore all from mobile and backup, but maybe there is a better way...?

It all happened when I copied a vast amount of data onto my local HD from an external one, and deleted it afterwards.

help appreciated, not having working email is a pain...
cheers
Matt

my only advice would be to reinstall the OS. if that doesn't work, give apple a ring

ki99 said:

my only advice would be to reinstall the OS. if that doesn't work, give apple a ring

Click to expand...

Agreed, but when you reinstall the OS make sure you completely 0 out the drive to make sure any old info on the drive is wiped out. If this doesn't work I would replace the hard drive.

thought about it but for a very reliable system like OSX is claiming to be, reinstalation after 2 months from new, seems little odd. If so, how can I export all my settings and prefs from all programs to restore them later ? I'm talking Cyberduck, MAMP, PS, LR etc...

Do you by chance have Limewire installed? I read an article in MacWorld about people downloading from limewire and getting all their system files corrupted. Also do you have all your updates installed from software update?

respectively, no, and yes

I was going to guess the Limewire thing too.

Then I think a reinstall is your only option, if that doesn't work you probably have a bad hard drive. As for transferring your info I would just use each apps backup/export option and save everything to an external hard drive or a .mac account.

follow this, in order.

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2004011205473937

thanks guys, good it's weekend, I'll get on it now.

Done, system reinstalled, BTW is there a way to export mail accounts from Mac mail and import them afterwards? not mailboxes with messages, that's easy, I'm talking accounts, pop settings SSL, ports etc. I had to add them manually..

Did the reinstall work for you, let us know if you have any other problems. I don't know about exporting server settings in Mail, never tried it, maybe someone else will know.

After reinstallation seems like it's all OK, probably too early to say it's fixed as I just finished reinstalling all apps, but mail works, iCal works, Address Book sync'ed and works fine, so I guess I can be happy 4 now, thanks 4 your help. Matt