System Preferences freezes when opened

Problem

On your Mac, when you open System Preferences it freezes straight away.

Solution

  1. Click the Finder icon in the Dock (smiley face icon).
  2. On the top menu click Go -> Go to Folder…
  3. Type in ~/Library/Preferences and press Enter.
  4. Look for a file called com.apple.desktop.plist and move it to the Trash.
  5. Logout.
  6. Log back in (you will need to set your Desktop wallpaper again).

18 comments

  1. thanks! worked for me too, went to reset my wallpaper and it froze again in the process….. now what? this is only my third day with this mac..just bought it brand new.

  2. it worked after I restarted my Mac but after awhile same thing again – do you know what may have caused this issue?thanks!

    1. Hello TC,

      Sorry to hear you are still having issues, could you please try creating a new user profile and testing that for a while.
      If a new user profile works fine then you can copy over your files and delete the corrupt user profile.
      It is also a good idea to keep the desktop as clear of files and alias icons as possible.
      Hope this helps.

      Regards
      Russell

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