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silentfeet · May 13, 2009, 12:14 PM

Hello everyone,
I recently had been running OSX 10.5.6 with no Library folder showing in the User Home Folder. So, to correct I did a complete Erase and Install. Then, from Time Machine and did a Complete Restore. Still, no Library folder in the User Home Folder, and none of my settings, bookmarks, emails appeared. Neither did any native apps. such as Safari, Mail, iTunes, etc. So, I performed another Erase and Install and migrated nothing. Voila! The Library folder in the User Home Folder appeared. But, the problem of how to regain all my settings, bookmarks, email still loomed.
I called Apple. The product specialist said there is no way to migrate your settings (which exist in the Library folder in the User Home Account) from the Library folder if it does not exist. While I know this to be true, I have to wonder how is it then that every time I turned on my computer everything was there? The missing folder must exist somewhere! So, the question the begs to be asked is,"Where is it?"
Any thoughts, help, fixes will be GREATLY appreciated. I am fully prepared to have to start over as the Apple Product Specialist advised, but I would prefer to avoid this, if possible.

Thanks in advance to those with any helpful thoughts, strategies, etc.

CharlesS · May 13, 2009, 12:48 PM

Are you sure you're not running it in another language or something? Doing so causes Library (along with some other items) to display with a localized name (such as Bibliothèque for French).

Chuckit · May 13, 2009, 01:04 PM

Are there by any chance any other home folders in your time machine backup that it might have been using a Library folder from?

silentfeet · May 13, 2009, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Are you sure you're not running it in another language or something? Doing so causes Library (along with some other items) to display with a localized name (such as Bibliothèque for French).

Yes, I am certain that I am not operating Library in another language. The Apple Product Specialist (APS) would have (or should have) known this. This is a very weird situation that most folks are not going to be able to solve. Even the APS had no fix for this. But, I believe someone out there in Internet Land knows the answer.
Thanks for your input. I appreciate anyone trying to help me, whether or not they solve the problem
Have a great day!

CharlesS · May 13, 2009, 01:34 PM

Well, if it actually did get backed up, then you can search for a characteristic file that would be found inside the Library, such as com.apple.dock.plist, and see if you find it. I'd use the Terminal in case it happens to be in some place where Spotlight decides not to index it:

sudo find / -name com.apple.dock.plist

Dismount your Time Machine backup drive before doing this, or it will take a long time to complete.

Of course, if your Library was sitting in one of the places that Time Machine doesn't backup (like the Trash) for some reason, then you will have wiped it when you erased the drive, and there won't be much you can do to get it back.

silentfeet · May 13, 2009, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Are there by any chance any other home folders in your time machine backup that it might have been using a Library folder from?

Hi Chuckit,
Perhaps, but I have done a spotlight search and nothing shows up except the Library folder in the MacIntosh Hard Drive. I need the Library folder in the Users Home Folder.
Thanks for your input.

silentfeet · May 13, 2009, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Well, if it actually did get backed up, then you can search for a characteristic file that would be found inside the Library, such as com.apple.dock.plist, and see if you find it. I'd use the Terminal in case it happens to be in some place where Spotlight decides not to index it:

sudo find / -name com.apple.dock.plist

Dismount your Time Machine backup drive before doing this, or it will take a long time to complete.

Of course, if your Library was sitting in one of the places that Time Machine doesn't backup (like the Trash) for some reason, then you will have wiped it when you erased the drive, and there won't be much you can do to get it back.

Hello Charles S,
I dismounted the backup drive, went to the Terminal and typed in the prompt you gave. Nothing happened. Further, I am not certain how to use the Terminal, but the APS cautioned me not to use except in extreme cases. Well, I view this as not only extreme, but weird.
I have to log off for now and will be back later in the p.m. (PST).
Thanks for your input.

CharlesS · 12:59 PM

Did you leave the find command running for a while? It should take a while to complete, since it's going through the entire hard drive searching for the file. If it doesn't turn anything up, I'd suspect that you have somehow deleted your Library folder and you won't be able to get it back.

If you want, you could try it with the Time Machine backup connected to see if it's in your backup anywhere and didn't get restored to disk for some mysterious reason. However, do be prepared for the search to take a long time.

silentfeet · May 13, 2009, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Did you leave the find command running for a while? It should take a while to complete, since it's going through the entire hard drive searching for the file.

Hello CharlesS,
No, I did not leave the command running for a time. As it appeared nothing was happening after I pasted in the command you listed, I closed out of Terminal. Tonight, I can leave it on during sleeping hours to see if anything shows; Same with hooking up the backup drive. I won't be answer back until after 11p.m, PST, when I return home from work. Thanks for trying to help me. I really appreciate it.

Hal Itosis · May 14, 2009, 09:31 AM

n e v e r m i n d

angelmb · May 14, 2009, 12:29 PM

May it be invisible?

Chuckit · May 14, 2009, 12:54 PM

If it is, find should still show it.

David Lee · May 14, 2009, 03:24 PM

You could try using "EasyFind" to locate the "com.apple.dock.plist" file (it took all of 5 secs to find it on my system. Easy Find is available on Macupdate.com - do a search for it.
I suspect your library is invisible or named differently than it should be, as mentioned above. To check if it has been renamed, open the system preferences/international/ and check to make sure English is on the top of the list.
IF it is invisible you could use the free version of Tinkertools to have finder show the invisible files and then do a Get Info and change the folder back to visible (have to quit finder or log out/log back in to have that work.
Good luck - sure is a strange problem.

silentfeet · May 18, 2009, 12:56 AM

Hello to everyone who gave input on this problem. I apologize for not updating you sooner, but I was unable to do so until now. Firstly, I did do a proposed search using the Terminal command given by CharlesS, and the drilling pathway showed that the Library Folder in the Users Home Folder still existed, though not visible when clicking on said folder directly. Then, with the help of an Apple Product Specialist, we were able to have the invisible folder appear by using the following Terminal command:
cd.. hit return and repeat 2 more times. Then type exactly as it appears: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES;killall Finder
Once this command string was entered and I hit the return, the invisible Library folder in the Users Home Folder appeared. Though my troubles were not over, I was able, though not easily through standard procedure, to obtain all my old mailboxes and the data contained within them, and I was able to regain my old bookmarks. Doing this took a lot of trial and error, however, I got back what I thought was gone forever. Though we were unable to determine what exactly happened, I am very grateful to everyone for their input.

Thanks to all of you, and have a blessed evening.

Big Mac · May 18, 2009, 02:07 AM

I'm glad you got the problem sorted out. I am a bit surprised that no one suggested doing an ls -a terminal command, though.

Hal Itosis · May 18, 2009, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

I'm glad you got the problem sorted out. I am a bit surprised that no one suggested doing an ls -a terminal command, though.

Goshdarnit... that's what my "nevermind" post was: ls -laO ~
(including -O to show flags, like "hidden")

Somehow the "Voila! The Library folder in the User Home Folder appeared" in post #1 made me decide it was probably too late.