Disappearing Login Item

Jump to First Reply
fulmerfulmer
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I just got rid of my WinXP machine and bought an iBook in December 2002. I work in the IT department at my company, so I can usually figure out what's wrong with a computer, but this one has really stumped me. Could someone please help?



I'm a newbie to Mac (and this is my first post here at AI, but a longtime reader of the forums). I've been searching the forums looking for a similar problem, but couldn't find anything.



I have an 12" iBook 800mhz running OS X 10.2.5



MSN Messenger keeps disappearing from the Login Items menu each time I reboot.



For example:

Boot the system (no MSN Messenger in the Login Items)

Add MSN Messenger to the Login Items

Reboot

MSN Messenger automatically starts up

Reboot

MSN Messenger no longer automatically starts up

Repeat the cycle



I've got other items listed in the Login Items list (Yahoo Messenger, Norton stuff, Office stuff, etc) and they all seem to be alright. It worked fine until I updated MSN Messenger to the latest release and also (around the same time) updated the system to 10.2.5. I know someone will probably say that the newer version of the app is the problem, but I just don't see how a newer version of an app could cause the system to remove an item from the list...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    The usual list of instructions for problems that are just weird software stuff is to fix permissions with Disk Utility in the Utilities folder, Then empty the cache folders found in Library/ and your home/Library/. Empty the cache usually helps problems where preferences are missing or software acts batty.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 13
    fulmerfulmer Posts: 171member
    Hello,



    Thank you iBrowse for your reply.



    I've run the disk utilities program both from within OSX and from booting off the CD-ROM. Neither have helped (they did fix other problems though). I've even tried the Norton System Works utilities CD.



    I'll try your suggestion about empting the cache folders tonight when I get home from work. Thanks again.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 13
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    Norton is the devil... stay away! Disk warrior is the way to go...
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 13
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Paul

    Norton is the devil... stay away!



    I second the motion.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 13
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Paul

    Norton is the devil... stay away!



    I third the motion.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 13
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    Make sure you repair disk permissions from Disk Utility -- even more so than running fsck.



    You also might want to try to creating a new user and see if the same MSN login glitch exists with the new user.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 13
    ibrowseibrowse Posts: 1,749member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by fulmer

    Hello,



    Thank you iBrowse for your reply.



    I've run the disk utilities program both from within OSX and from booting off the CD-ROM. Neither have helped (they did fix other problems though). I've even tried the Norton System Works utilities CD.



    I'll try your suggestion about empting the cache folders tonight when I get home from work. Thanks again.



    How's things working out?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 13
    fulmerfulmer Posts: 171member
    Hello,



    I cleared both of the cache directories you told me to clear, but it didn't help.



    Are there any other suggestions?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 13
    fulmerfulmer Posts: 171member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Hobbes

    Make sure you repair disk permissions from Disk Utility -- even more so than running fsck.



    You also might want to try to creating a new user and see if the same MSN login glitch exists with the new user.



    I'm not sure how to use the fsck utility... the results of running "man fsck" is cryptic .... what would be a good switch to use with fsck?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 13
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=22781



    btw, this belongs it the GB
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 13
    fulmerfulmer Posts: 171member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Paul

    http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=22781



    btw, this belongs it the GB



    I don't mean to be rude (newbie question), but I'm not sure why this problem doesn't belong in the OSX forum... I'm having a problem with a function of OSX. What would the appropriate usage for the OSX forum? And what would be the appropriate usage for the GB forum?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 13
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by fulmer

    I don't mean to be rude (newbie question), but I'm not sure why this problem doesn't belong in the OSX forum... I'm having a problem with a function of OSX. What would the appropriate usage for the OSX forum? And what would be the appropriate usage for the GB forum?



    oh, dont worry about it...

    but in the GB you generally get more people that are looking to help... it doesn't really matter, i just felt like pointing it out.



    also, that link i posted to gives directions for fsck, repairing permissions, and clearing the cache... try them.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 13
    fulmerfulmer Posts: 171member
    Thank you for the help.



    I tried rebooting, using Apple + s, then running /sbin/fsck -y



    I'm still having the same problem. It didn't work.



    So... I've tried the following



    Clearing the cache from /Library/Caches

    Clearing the cache from /Users/myhomedir/Library/Caches

    Running disk utilities from within OSX

    Running disk utilities from the recovery CD (booting from the CD)

    Rebooting using Apple + s and then typing /sbin/fsck -y from the command prompt



    Any other ideas?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
Sign In or Register to comment.