Macworld: "Finder Not Running" ...

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9 Replies Last post: Nov 26, 2002 7:55 AM by Nobody

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

Nov 24, 2002 6:36 PM

"Finder Not Running"

For some reason my finder is not running after restart. There is no triangle next to it and nothing happens when I click on it. When I click and hold the mouse over the icon in the dock it says "Finder Not Running". What is going on, and why is it not running? Any ideas? Please help!!!! I'm using an iBook 600 30 gig combo 384mb RAM OS X.2.2
Thanks in advance.

CrecenS

1,562 posts since
Jan 30, 2002

1. Nov 24, 2002 8:38 PM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

Can you do a software restore and restore the os without touching anything else? Like a restore in place?

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

2. Nov 24, 2002 10:39 PM

in response to: CrecenS

Re: "Finder Not Running"

I don't know, can I? What is a restore in place. Can you software restore from the 10.2 disk? Or would I have to reinstal 10.0 and then update to 10.2? Maybe now would be a good time to back up my hard drive.

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

3. Nov 24, 2002 10:51 PM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

Hi warnett,
Have you started up in single user mode (hold down command+S right after you hit the power button) and tried using fsck -y?

If you go to "force quit" (command+option+esc) does the finder show up in the window as an available option to force quit?
Jim

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

4. Nov 24, 2002 11:45 PM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

I just tried booting into single user mode and doing the fsck -y. I did the fsck -y several times and each time it said that in modified file system. I rebooted and the finder is still not running. Also if i go to the force quit window it does not show the finder as a running application.

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

5. Nov 25, 2002 9:06 AM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

I had the same problem with the missing finder and I've yet to find a solution. Everything worked except the finder. I finally tried a reinstall and I got the blue screen. I had to erase my hard drive and now I'm not able to get anything to work. I cannot install Jaguar on my machine! With a couple of minutes left on the install my monitor shuts down and I cannot boot into X. I think this occurred after I installed the 10.2.2 update.

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

6. Nov 25, 2002 8:40 PM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

But you can still do specific things such as navigate through folders?
If you can, try navigating to your user folder then library/preferences and delete (or move) com.apple.finder.plist .
In fact view the items in this folder as "list" and sort by "date modified", then move each one out one at a time, rebooting in between.

Do you have any log in items? If so disable them. You can do it via the pref pane or by holding down "shift" at start up.

Also try holding down the command+V keys at start up. This will alow you to see what is going on at boot up and hopefully show if any errors are occurring at boot.

If that does not work, create a new user in the system prefs and see if the Finder launches. If it does, I would bet it is a bad pref somewhere, if not "com.apple.finder.plist" then most likely from one of the last applications or drivers that were most recently installed.
Jim
P.S. Do you have OS 9 installed? If the above suggestions don't work you may need it if you are not too familiar with the Terminal.

11-25-2002: Message edited by: jpmhughes

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

7. Nov 25, 2002 9:56 PM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

After one start up my computer would not get passed the screen with the big apple. I ran Disk Warrior and that didn't help. I finally had to archive and install from the 10.2 cds. Everything seems to be running fine now. Thanks

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

8. Nov 25, 2002 10:03 PM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

The oprative word here is seems. Many times an archive and install may get you up and running again, but I still would not feel to secure. Hey, call me paranoid.
Now that you are at a usuable state, back up anything important.
You never know.
Jim

Nobody

58,347 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

9. Nov 26, 2002 7:55 AM

in response to: Nobody

Re: "Finder Not Running"

Jim I'm sure you're right. I've been wanting to buy a 30 gig firewire drive for some time now to back my computer up to. I guess now would be a good time to do that.

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Nov 24, 2002 6:36 PM

"Finder Not Running"

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