icon/clicking problem= huge frustration

[dorqiekat]

I have a G4 12 inch 1.33 Ghz powerbook and lately its proven to be a big pain in the butt. First, I have to organize my files and applications alphabetically in the finder (I'd prefer my own organization with the use of 'snap to grid') because the 'snap to grid' option has completely deteriorated over time. First of all (most annoyingly), it overlaps the icons. Second, it leaves empty spaces. And third, when you try to move the icons to the empty spaces, it doesn't respond. Along with other empty space you would like to move it to.

Secondly, when in finder and I click to open a file or application the double clicking once isn't enough. It doesn't seem to register that I've double clicked. It takes up to 6 double clicking to open a file. Not always though, sometimes it opens with the first double click. But rarely. It seems that at least I have to double click twice for any affect.

Is this happening to anyone else?

Oh, just prior to the double clicking problem, I restarted my computer. It chimed and stayed at the grey apple screen for a while. And then instead of moving on to the welcome screen, it chimed again and started over.

weird.

 

[mad jew]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd try running fsck considering the start up problem. Hopefully it's related to your Finder issues.

 

[dorqiekat]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I'd try running fsck considering the start up problem. Hopefully it's related to your Finder issues.

Repaired, and now login isn't a problem anymore, but icons within the finder is still displaying its annoying habits. Oh, well.

 

[mad jew]

Okay, that's a good start. If it's just Finder playing up now, then I'd drag a file named com.apple.finder.plist to the Desktop and restart.

 

[x86]

Your double click issue may be related to your double click speed setting in the system preferences menu.

 

[dorqiekat]

Okay, that's a good start. If it's just Finder playing up now, then I'd drag a file named com.apple.finder.plist to the Desktop and restart.

Oh my gosh, it worked perfectly. Can you say genius? Now, what do I do with the com.apple.finder.plist file on my desktop? I tried to put it back from where I found it, but I guess it made another one because it said that the file already exists. Can I throw it away?

 

[mad jew]

Yep, throw it away. There was a corruption in it so the problem will reoccur if you replace the new one with the one on your Desktop.

 

[mkrishnan]

Oh my gosh, it worked perfectly. Can you say genius? Now, what do I do with the com.apple.finder.plist file on my desktop? I tried to put it back from where I found it, but I guess it made another one because it said that the file already exists. Can I throw it away?

What happens is that these plist files are preferences for the related software. In some cases, like Finder, there aren't really important preferences per se. But if the file gets corrupted, strange behavior ensues. Whenever a program finds that a plist file is missing, it just makes a new one from scratch. So the new uncorrupted one replaces the old one. You can delete the old one -- sometimes we ask you to put it on the desktop so if something goes wrong, you can put it back where you found it. But now that things are fixed, just throw it in the trash.

P.S. Here, when we say genius, it comes out "mad."

 

[mad jew]

P.S. Here, when we say genius, it comes out "mad."

Or "Mohan", either way.