Preview Problem

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I'm having a strange issue with Preview lately since the last OS update.
I use Preview to open Photos and recently, the app just keeps crashing on launch. I end up "force quitting".

Any ideas?

I tried to copy another version from my brother's Mac but it would not let me replace it. Kept saying it is needed by MacOS. Is there a way to copy the file?
 

chscag

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Which last macOS update?

The only way to replace Preview is to reinstall macOS. Tell us which update and we can suggest downloading and installing a combined update of macOS which may fix the problem.
 
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knightjp
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I'm using the MacOS 10.14.6 update.
To be honest I did reinstall of MacOS and Preview still has the same issue. It was a fresh download from the App Store. So I can't understand the issue.
Would it be possible to do the app replacement using the same recovery (CMD+R) using the terminal?
 
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Have you restarted your Mac?
 
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Have you restarted your Mac?
Yes.. I've even done a fresh reinstall of MacOS and Preview does the same thing. Can't really understand why.
 

chscag

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To be honest I did reinstall of MacOS and Preview still has the same issue. It was a fresh download from the App Store.

What you downloaded and reinstalled was the 10.14.6 update. Try downloading the combined update to Mojave which will overwrite everything, or you could boot to recovery, and reinstall from there.

Mojave combined update.
 
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You might want to try booting up using Safe Boot Mode and then test and see if Preview works any better.

If it does, then you have a third party software conflict... something, somewhere....

To get out of Safe Boot Mode, just restart normally.

When did the problem start, is another thing to consider.




- Patrick
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UPDATE to this issue. I got myself a combo update, installed it, restarted and everything is still the same. It seems to me that Preview has issues opening only .jpg files. PDFs and other image formats are fine.
Seems simple enough. Now I just need to convert all the photos to .png LOL..
 

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@knightjp,

I sympathise deeply with your predicament and the frustration of not finding a solution. I am probably adding to your woes when I tell you that for as far back as I can remember, Preview has always opened .jpg files - and continues to do so in macOS Mojave.

I appreciate that you must be bored rigid trying this & that suggestion; but I have to say that Patrick's suggestion of booting into Safe Mode is a worthy option.(#7). Doing this not only carries out internal cleanup and clearing of caches - which is useful in itself - but allows you to test the operation of Preview. As stated by Patrick, if it works, then some third party app may be obstructing it. Safe Mode disables all third party and non-essential apps.

If you want to try this and are not sure how, please ask.

Ian
 

chscag

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I think it might also be a good idea to create a test account, log on with that and then see how Preview behaves.

Also, in another forum you were given the location of several plist files that you could delete or move to the desktop to see if that made a difference with Preview.
 
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UPDATE to this issue. I got myself a combo update, installed it, restarted and everything is still the same. It seems to me that Preview has issues opening only .jpg files. PDFs and other image formats are fine.


Glancing over this thread I'm just wondering if there's not something wrong with the .jpg files on the Mac that are causing the problem.

Does Preview.app have the same problem with a good known .jpg file downloaded from the 'net or elsewhere???

Are the ".jpg file" files typed or named incorectly or something???


- Patrick
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UPDATE to this issue. I got myself a combo update, installed it, restarted and everything is still the same. It seems to me that Preview has issues opening only .jpg files. PDFs and other image formats are fine.


Glancing over this thread I'm just wondering if there's not something wrong with the .jpg files on the Mac that are causing the problem.

Does Preview.app have the same problem with a good known .jpg file downloaded from the 'net or elsewhere???

Are the ".jpg file" files typed or named incorectly or something???


EDIT:
Yikes...!!! It seems like the OP is not the only Mac user with this problem when doing a quick Google search:
mac Preview crashes when opening .jpg files
mac Preview crashes when opening .jpg files - Google Search

Might be some solutions amongst the hits...???



- Patrick
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Have you tried to open Preview, then do a File > Open, and navigate to the jpeg files?

Or right click on the jpeg files and Get Info, then look at the section "Opens With" and confirm Preview is listed as the default app?
 
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I can remember, Preview has always opened .jpg files - and continues to do so in macOS Mojave.
How to get that to work to open jpeg's
Sorry to Butt in on your posting I have same issue every time I click on the preview icon in the dock it goes to my PDF files, it used to open jpeg but for some reason it don't any longer.
I have the latest update installed.
Thank You.
 

IWT


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David,

In your case, it might be worth following Bob’s advice in post 14 above. It’s maybe a question of confirming that Preview is the default app for jpegs as well as for pdfs.

Ian
 
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@Tomos, you said:
I have same issue every time I click on the preview icon in the dock it goes to my PDF files, it used to open jpeg but for some reason it don't any longer.
Clicking on the icon on the dock should open Preview and show a Finder-like window with all the kinds of files associated with Finder in black and everything else greyed out. If jpg files are greyed out, then they are not associated with Preview. To associate all jpg files with Preview, find one in Finder (not Preview) and then right click on it to Get Info. In the resulting window, click on the lock icon and provide an admin password to open up the file attributes for change. Now in the middle of the window will be a prompt for "Open with" and in the block should be Preview. If it is not, click on the box and a list of potential applications will appear. Find Preview and click on it, then click on "Change All..." just below the box and give it a few minutes to run. Every .jpg file will now be associated with Preview and will now appear to Preview as one that can be opened.

What I suspect happened is that some other application was installed and took over as the application default for jpg files. Could be just about anything that can show images.
 
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What I suspect happened is that some other application was installed and took over as the application default for jpg files. Could be just about anything that can show images.


A good explanation and possible solution Jake, and I hope those affected will try the suggested fix and report back if it fixed the problem or not.

BTW: I thought the "sandboxing" was to prevent any app installs from making such changes if that was happening.



- Patrick
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Patrick, I have seen in some installations that when you give permission to the installation, you are also giving permission for it to make system changes. Sandboxing cannot prevent user-permitted changes like that. The lesson to be learned is to read what you are agreeing to, don't just click on "Agree."
 
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Sandboxing cannot prevent user-permitted changes like that. The lesson to be learned is to read what you are agreeing to, don't just click on "Agree."


You got that right Jake and I forgot that the option was sometimes offered, and up to the user to notice, but that's almost like suggesting that the user RTFM!!!

RTFM = Read The Friendly Manual... in polite terms, for those who didn't know!!! Various other versions exist... :Smirk:



- Patrick
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