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DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 02:10 PM

I dont know how he did it but all thats showing is the background picture. The dock appears if I hold the curser at the bottom of the screen.
Ive searched google for the last 20 minutes and im getting nowhere

Help me please

DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 02:11 PM

Sorry, 17" iMac G5, 10.5.8

Kensington · Nov 18, 2011, 02:49 PM

Not 100% sure I understand what you mean but if your trying to make your dock stay at the bottom of the screen without "disappearing" go to the dock, click on system preferences then click on the icon that says "Dock" it should be in the top row. Check to see if "Automatically hide and show the Dock" is checked...if it is uncheck it. Hope that helps.

DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 03:02 PM

Ive just unchecked 'automatically hide and show the dock' which has brought it back into the display. The problem is that none of my desktop items are on the desktop, nothing at all

andi*pandi · Nov 18, 2011, 03:06 PM

Did he drag everything to the trash, or did the finder crash? Did he somehow turn on Simple Finder?

DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 03:23 PM

I can find everything if I go through the finder, whatever he did it was done with a key shortcut I imagine, was only at the keyboard for less than a minute

Spheric Harlot · Nov 18, 2011, 03:27 PM

Is there anything in the Trash (err, Wastebasket)?

If not, what happens when you click on the Finder on the Dock (the blue smiley-face)?

DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 03:35 PM

Nothing in trash, if I click the finder in the dock it appears as normal as does everything else

DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 03:59 PM

Well I just restarted it and its back to normal, maybe the finder had crashed or something?

It looked like everything on the desktop was selected, if I clicked edit I had the option to copy the items -

MacNNUK · 03:08 AM

On my Desktop ⌘ Q, will clear the desktop.

Upd: Tinkertool allows this.

DanThe · Nov 18, 2011, 06:47 PM

I just tried the cmd Q but nothing happened? I didnt have the dock set to hide, it must have happened at the same time.

Good point on the Reg! Thanks

Spheric Harlot · Nov 18, 2011, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by MacNNUK

On Desktop ⌘ Q, will clear the desktop.

What?

Can you explain to me what this means and how it's done?

I have never seen this behaviour and am unable to replicate it.

olePigeon · Nov 18, 2011, 07:28 PM

Also, go to the Finder menu, then click on Preferences. Make sure the hard disk, Optical, Server, and iDisk are checked.

MacNNUK · 03:08 AM

Either minimise open window, or click on background, then ⌘ Q .... desktop disappears.

Upd: Tinkertool allows this.

Spheric Harlot · Nov 18, 2011, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by MacNNUK

Either minimise open window, or click on background, then ⌘ Q .... desktop disappears.

Nope.

Never seen this behaviour in 22 years of using the Mac, and trying it on my machines right now does absolutely nothing.

⌘ Q is completely without function in the Finder, and has been since 1984, near as I can tell.

Athens · Nov 18, 2011, 09:00 PM

Sounds like he was in a different "space", one clear of all desktop icons. This can be done from the keyboard.

Control Key and left or right arrow will change spaces.

MacNNUK · 03:08 AM

Upd: Tinkertool allows this.

Athens · Nov 18, 2011, 09:04 PM

For the Command Q thing, you can enable that option with some programs. By default its not a option. All that does is quits the Finder leaving a blank desktop as well. Dock remains and nyou can relaunch the Finder by clicking the Finder Icon.

Spheric Harlot · Nov 18, 2011, 09:19 PM

The Finder has never had a Quit command in its File menu by default.

MacNNUK has modified the menu resources of the Finder through the use of some hack-enabling utility, I agree.

MacNNUK · 03:04 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

The Finder has never had a Quit command in its File menu by default.

MacNNUK has modified the menu resources of the Finder through the use of some hack-enabling utility, I agree.

Had a thought, and ........ I have used Tinkertool & Onyx in the past to set extra parameters !!

I've un-clicked the quit option now.

andi*pandi · Nov 18, 2011, 09:45 PM

I like Athens spaces idea. I've not used spaces much though but it sounds probable!

Kensington · Nov 20, 2011, 02:57 AM

I agree with andi*pandi on this one....a mixup with spaces might be a good next possibility to consider.

Spheric Harlot · Nov 20, 2011, 05:31 AM

Originally Posted by Athens

Sounds like he was in a different "space", one clear of all desktop icons. This can be done from the keyboard.

Control Key and left or right arrow will change spaces.

AFAIK, it's not possible to clear a Space of desktop icons in 10.5.8.