Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > System Preferences Error

System Preferences Error
Thread Tools
Westbo
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: ME
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 16, 2011, 11:47 AM
 
Hi all

I keep getting a Preferences Error: "You can't open Print & Fax preferences because it doesn't work on a PowerPC-based Mac".
Error repeats if I select another preference such as Desktop & Screen Saver, Sharing, etc. What's the fix?

I am running OSX 10.6.8 on a 2.8GHz 17" MB Pro.

Thx!
     
Waragainstsleep
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 16, 2011, 04:49 PM
 
Never seen that before. If go into /System/Library/PreferencePanes and get info about the various prefs, does it list them as Intel?
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Westbo  (op)
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: ME
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 16, 2011, 05:12 PM
 
Don't know, now. After downloading and installing the latest security update (10.6.8), I decided to run disk utility to verify the disk and mistakenly tried restart from 10.4.11 on an external drive and got the message. Realizing OF COURSE STUPID, it won't work, I cancelled. Next time I opened System Preferences to to add a printer, I got the error message, which also then popped up for any setting selected. I've trashed systempreferences.plist and systempreferencepanes cache, retarted and continue to get the errors. I am reinstalling 10.6 from the disk. If it doesn't work, I'll wipe the partition, do a clean install and reinstall apps. I never to cease to amaze myself.
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 16, 2011, 05:12 PM
 
I'm thinking along the same lines. A utility may have been used on your sys prefs to strip the intel executables.
     
Westbo  (op)
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: ME
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 16, 2011, 07:04 PM
 
I think so, reader50. Oh the pain... Well I'm now up and running. However iDVD, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie now inform me that they can't run on this mac. So they've too have been removed for now. Once I've met some project deadlines and clear the deck, perhaps over Thanksgiving I'll start fresh, erase the partition do a clean install of OSX 10.6 and then reinstall all the apps. For now, it's time for a cocktail!!!

Thx guys.
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:06 AM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,