plist

How to edit OS X system files with TextEdit

Underneath its slick interface, OS X has a number of hidden configuration files that contain the settings for default and standard behaviors. While in most cases these files being hidden is good for system stability and security, sometimes you may need to access one for troubleshooting purposes or to apply small customizations to the system.

Often these files can be accessed with simple one-line Terminal commands, as is commonly seen with the "defaults" command for editing program or service property lists; however, at other times you might need to make more extensive edits to a settings file. When … Read more

Copy preference files instead of deleting them when troubleshooting

Sometimes when troubleshooting aspects of OS X, we resort to a routine of disabling features and removing configuration files to have them recreated freshly. While this is an approach that is sure to give you fresh configuration files and ensure that settings or configuration options are not contributing to the error at hand, sometimes it is not always necessary to do.

Recently as part of one of the MacFixIt Answers columns I offered a couple of suggestions for fixing Safari bookmarks being duplicated when synced with Apple's iCloud service. One of my suggestions was to remove Safari's bookmarks … Read more

Troubleshooting case: Tackling stubborn Mail preferences

Many times when program settings don't stick properly a common troubleshooting step is to "delete the preferences file," which will remove any custom settings and have the program re-create the preferences file from defaults. This step is so commonly recommended it's almost cliche, but sometimes it's fun to take a look at exactly how preference corruption manifests itself.

Recently MacFixIt reader Fredrick contacted me with a problem that had all the indications of being from preference file corruption:

With my Mac Mini and Snow Leopard, I now find that I can't keep my "… Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week people wrote in with questions on preserving an intact preferences file for restoring if the working one becomes corrupt, using an alternative e-mail account with iCloud, an unrecoverable filesystem error showing in Disk Utility, and why not download PKG installer files directly. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

NOTE: The "contact us" box for e-mailing us will hopefully … Read more

AppleScript Fun: Automatically changing Safari's downloads folder

While the various programs and services on a computer are meant to offer you convenience, there are times when you may need to do repetitive tasks using the various tools and programs on the system. In these cases, the use of scripting tools can be exceptionally useful. Unlike programming, scripting is when you take a set of current tools and utilities and automate their interactions with commands. For instance, with Javascript you can tell a browser to change the way it renders HTML content, or with Automator you can tell the Finder to organize files in a certain way.

Recently … Read more

Lockfiles and other plist file subtypes in OS X Lion

When troubleshooting your system, or when attempting to mirror settings from one system to another, you may end up browsing through your user library, and specifically through the Preferences folder within it to copy preferences files for your applications. This procedure is fairly straightforward, but when browsing through your preferences folder you may see a few unexpected file types, including ones with strings of characters appended to the ends of them and in Lion a new "lockfile" type.

MacFixIt reader "Chris" wrote in, asking:

Can you please provide an explanation of the new plist.lockfile files … Read more

Multiple copies of the same .plist name in preferences folders

When most programs in OS X save preferences and settings, they do so by using standard property list files (.plist), which are either ASCII or binary-encoded XML files that have a naming convention of "domain.developer.application.plist" (e.g., "com.apple.iTunes.plist") though some subcategory preference files may exist such as "com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist" for the iTunes equalizer settings. These files are generally stored in the Preferences folder that is within the user's library, but may also be stored in the global library at the root of the hard … Read more

Not all plists are created equal: Be cautious with what you delete

In the process of troubleshooting poor application performance, the removal of preference files is often an easy remedy. In Mac OS X, preference files are usually saved in the property list format, which are identified by their .plist suffix. Since preference files are recreated by applications upon launch, the recommendation to remove preference files is relatively harmless; however, do not misinterpret these recommendations to mean any plist may be deleted safely.… Read more

Weekly Utilities Updates and Review: PrefEdit

Every week I like to outline the utilities that have been updated and released for OS X, and provide a small review of one for everyone. While utilities can be any tool that helps you perform a routine task, I try to focus on those that can help in troubleshooting Mac hardware and software problems. This week, we've got "PrefEdit" from the makers of Tinkertool and Hardware Monitor, which is a utility for managing preference files.… Read more