Can't open Mail, Calendars, and Contacts preferences

[shaun3000]

I tried installing the Facebook Plugin developer preview. I realize it's beta and I'm probably on my own but I'm hoping maybe someone can help me.

After installing the plugin, opening the Mail, Calendars, and Contacts preference pane gives this message in a pop-up window: You can’t open Mail, Contacts & Calendars preferences because it doesn’t work on an Intel-based Mac.

When I click OK and try, again, I get a different message that slides down from the top of the preferences window, and is the same message I get until I close Preferences: Could not load Mail, Contacts & Calendars preference pane.

I tried deleting the Facebook plugin from /System/Library/InternetAccounts/ but still get the same error.

Any idea how to fix it?

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks!

Edit: Solution from Apple Support discussion. (Bolded text my clarification)

Well after about 45 minutes with Apple Tech Support, I was able to (re)establish access to the "Mail, Contacts, & Calendars" screen in System Preferences.

Neither the tech specialist nor myself are quite sure how we accomplished it, and I will try to retrace our steps here for those of you *still* experiencing the problem.

FYI this is a "user" problem, not a system problem; that is to say, if you create a new user (in System Preferences) with admin status, you should be able to access this setting under that (new) user account. Thus, we established that there is something funky going on under the user settings.

That being said, see if this works for you:

1. Go to your Library folder (~/Library/) (Open Finder, then click "Go"; hold down 'option' key, and your Library should open)

2. In the Library folder, find your "preferences folder” (~/Library/Preferences/) and copy it to your desktop (click on a file, hit cmd-a, then copy, and paste to desktop)

3. Delete (move to trash) everything in your Library ---> "preferences” (~/Library/Preferences/) folder EXCEPT the following file:

com.apple.mail.plist.lockfile

4. Restart (After restarting your desktop image will be reset, as well as many other options you may have set)

5. Move everything back from the "preferences" folder on your desktop BACK to the Library ---> Preferences folder (remember: to access your Library folder, go to Finder, click on "Go" and hold down "option" key, and it will appear)

6. Restart

7. Open "System Preferences" and click on "Mail, Contacts, and Calendars" and you should be all set

You can now just delete the "preferences" folder from your desktop (only after being sure you've copied everything back to the Library ---> "preferences" folder; you can also empty the trash at this point, assuming all is working).

NOTE: I can't vouch for this working without any problem. If you're the least bit nervous or suspicious about this remedy, call Tech Support and I am sure they will walk you through this. I was on hold for about 1 minute, and although it was tedious to fix the problem, all was resolved in the end.

Note: This procedure will reset many of your preferences so you will have to spend some time resetting Finder preferences, etc. Kind of annoying but at least everything works

 

[kml4e]

same problem

Unfortunately I do not have any solutions for you. However, I am having the same problem. For what it's worth, I did NOT download the plugin you speak of, so I don't think that is directly the problem.

Other than that, yes, same 2 messages you are getting, and shutting down apps and whole system doesn't fix it. And, like you, I WAS able to open this pane at least once right after downloading ML, but for some reason now cannot.

Any ideas?!?

THANKS!

P.S.- I've got a mid-2009 MBP that meets the specifications for ML.

 

[shaun3000]

Most interesting... Thanks for the reply. I'm on a rMBP, if it makes a difference.

 

[gotanimac]

I also am having this error...

 

[kml4e]

still no fix

I've tried a bunch of things, mostly having to do with scrapping incompatible apps and plugins, but with no luck. STILL the same two error messages.

The only thing I've been able to figure out, though, is that it is NOT a hardware problem-- I can create a new user account or log in as a guest account on the same computer and open up the pane with no problems.

This doesn't seem to be a very widespread problem... something tells me we all have the same stupid hidden file somewhere that is screwing everything up. So if anyone can identify what that is, I'd be most grateful

----------

I had started a thread on this on Apple Support Communities yesterday before I saw the post here. Not much new info there either, but just FYI...

https://discussions.apple.com/message/19019703#19019703

 

[gotanimac]

This is, perhaps, an issue with shortcuts?

From the menu bar and the application folder, I am getting this problem. Furthermore, the notifications, mail, etc icons are in the 'other' in system preferences...

If I go to the Apple Logo (top left) -> System Prefs, they are in their correct location and there is no problem...

 

[dcorban]

You must have installed something that replaced the existing preferences panel with the Power PC version, somehow.

 

[gotanimac]

Found the error...

Basically I had my "System Preferences" app in the "Utilities" folder. It was the copy from Lion.. I move my apps into folders to make things neater.

The new copy of "System Preferences" was in the Applications folder, I was opening the wrong copy.

So, I deleted the one in Utilities and now I'm all set.

 

[kml4e]

Sadly that doesn't work for me. I've tried opening System prefs from the Applications folder, from the Apple menu, etc., and still can't get into Mail Contacts and Calendars pane. I've tried deleting the relevant plist files in app preferences, too. ughhhhh

 

[shaun3000]

Solution from Apple Support discussion. (Bolded text my clarification)

Well after about 45 minutes with Apple Tech Support, I was able to (re)establish access to the "Mail, Contacts, & Calendars" screen in System Preferences.

Neither the tech specialist nor myself are quite sure how we accomplished it, and I will try to retrace our steps here for those of you *still* experiencing the problem.

FYI this is a "user" problem, not a system problem; that is to say, if you create a new user (in System Preferences) with admin status, you should be able to access this setting under that (new) user account. Thus, we established that there is something funky going on under the user settings.

That being said, see if this works for you:

1. Go to your Library folder (~/Library/) (Open Finder, then click "Go"; hold down 'option' key, and your Library should open)

2. In the Library folder, find your "preferences folder” (~/Library/Preferences/) and copy it to your desktop (click on a file, hit cmd-a, then copy, and paste to desktop)

3. Delete (move to trash) everything in your Library ---> "preferences” (~/Library/Preferences/) folder EXCEPT the following file:

com.apple.mail.plist.lockfile

4. Restart (After restarting your desktop image will be reset, as well as many other options you may have set)

5. Move everything back from the "preferences" folder on your desktop BACK to the Library ---> Preferences folder (remember: to access your Library folder, go to Finder, click on "Go" and hold down "option" key, and it will appear)

6. Restart

7. Open "System Preferences" and click on "Mail, Contacts, and Calendars" and you should be all set

You can now just delete the "preferences" folder from your desktop (only after being sure you've copied everything back to the Library ---> "preferences" folder; you can also empty the trash at this point, assuming all is working).

NOTE: I can't vouch for this working without any problem. If you're the least bit nervous or suspicious about this remedy, call Tech Support and I am sure they will walk you through this. I was on hold for about 1 minute, and although it was tedious to fix the problem, all was resolved in the end.

Note: This procedure will reset many of your preferences so you will have to spend some time resetting Finder preferences, etc. Kind of annoying but at least everything works

 

[mstrike]

If you are having contacts somewhere (icloud.com, mac address, backup) you will be fine!
Restoring them and updating to icloud.com will fix half problem.
Important, login to icloud.com to make sure the contacts are there!

Other half and the main solution is clash between new separate settings in iOS 6 for icloud (above mail, contacts, calendars) and mail settings with icould account. Here are the steps:

1. Delete first icloud account in mail settings (if you have all the contacts in icloud.com erase them from iphone)
2. Delete the separate main icloud account
3. Restart iPhone (just in case, but might not be necessary)
4. Enter the user name and pass in the main icloud account
5. You should have now synced all the contacts from your icloud.com

This worked for me!