TinkerTool killed my user folder...help

[soho]

I had a problem with a Safari plugin hidden in the Shared User folder. I installed TinkerTool and checked 'show hidden files' and removed the offending file. I then unchecked 'show hidden files' and clicked 'Relaunch Finder', 10 mins later I still had the spinning beachball on screen, I could not do anything but force shutdown the Mac. When I rebooted the Mac boots as normal as far as the blue screen (before loading users background image) with an active mouse but no further. I reinstalled the system and tried again, same result. I installed a new Snow Leopard system on an external drive and migrated everything from the original drive, rebooted but same problem...damn.

All the files on the original drive are intact but for some reason the Mac won't access the original user folder.

I wonder is there a pref file that if I delete that may could solve the problem.

Any other ideas please?

Update:
Booted in Safe mode, trashed the finder prefs in User Folder/Library/Preferences, rebooted, problem persists.
Repaired permissions on drive, problem persists.

[benwiggy]

Quote: Originally Posted by soho I had a problem with a Safari plugin hidden in the Shared User folder.

???? Do you mean plug-in, or extension?

Any plug-in for Safari should be in /Library/Internet Plug-ins, or ~/Library/Internet Plug-ins (i.e. the one in you user account). I'm not sure how something there would be an active Safari plug-in. Nor extension.

What was this extension?

Do you have another user account you can boot into?

I don't see how deleting something in /User/Shared would cause your user account to corrupt.

I would run Repair DISK from the installer disk. Repair Permissions does nothing for the user account.

It's possible that the Finder's preferences have got so corrupted that it get stuck, so you need to find a way of deleting them. Target mode form another Mac?

[soho]

Quote: Originally Posted by benwiggy ???? Do you mean plug-in, or extension? The following plugin which was hidden and was occasionally crashing Safari according to the log: /Users/Shared/.NetSupportSchoolPro.so Any plug-in for Safari should be in /Library/Internet Plug-ins, or ~/Library/Internet Plug-ins (i.e. the one in you user account). I'm not sure how something there would be an active Safari plug-in. Nor extension. Whatever I installed Tinkertool and removed it. What was this extension? .NetSupportSchoolPro.so Do you have another user account you can boot into? Yes...booting in Safe Mode I can log into an admin user account. I don't see how deleting something in /User/Shared would cause your user account to corrupt. Deleting the problem file didn't cause the corruption. Tinkertool caused it when unchecking 'show hidden files' and then clicking 'Relaunch Finder' which sent Tinkertool it into a spin which it never recovered from. I would run Repair DISK from the installer disk. Repair Permissions does nothing for the user account. I'll try that and report back. It's possible that the Finder's preferences have got so corrupted that it get stuck, so you need to find a way of deleting them. Target mode form another Mac?

Booted in Target Mode removed finder pref file but the problem still persists. I then trashed the complete User/Library/Preference folder, rebooted and problem persists.

Sorry added my comments into the quote above...duh

[soho]

Ran repair disk, reported an invalid file count discrepancy of 1 file, repair report successful and still the problem persists

[benwiggy]

Quote: Originally Posted by soho booting in Safe Mode I can log into an admin user account.

A different user account? But only in Safe Mode?

That would suggest a system-wide problem. Perhaps this NetSupportSchool thing has some other components, like .kexts or launchd daemons that are causing the crash because they require the deleted component?

http://www.netsupportschool.com/
"NetSupport School ... provides teachers with the ability to instruct, monitor and interact with their students, either individually, as a predefined group or to the overall class."
Sounds a bit more than a Safari plug-in. This is your computer, right....?

[soho]

No it's a colleagues Mac.

I can boot into Safe Mode and turn off automatic login which will allow me to reboot and login as the Admin user. At the moment auto login is on and obviously it can't login to the problem user on boot.

[agentx]

Overall Auto-Login really should not be used on Computers full stop. This is one of the main reasons as well.....as what is the point of having a Local Admin when you cannot login to it when things go wrong like this. Anyway micro rant over.

Disable Auto Login > login as Admin and try and fix User account.
I think from memory you SUM (Single User Mode)
/sbin/mount -uw /
cd /Library/Preferences
rm com.apple.loginwindow.plist
rm com.apple.windowserver.plist

Then it should boot to login screen. Or you could try Target disk mode if device has Firewire.

[ldrury]

Isn't it a bit unfair to run a headline - "x application killed my user folder", when it sounds you did the killing on your own!

How about deleting user/system cache files?? Helped me with a strange issue recently....

[benwiggy]

As I hinted earlier, there are probably other components of this NetSupport School software installed elsewhere that require the file you deleted.

So you need either to remove the other NetSupport School files, or to restore the file you deleted.

I'm assuming that the computer belongs to a school, or to an employee of a school? Did the school's IT department instal this software? Perhaps they can help to uninstall or reinstall it.

[soho]

Managed to sort it by rebuilding the Mac from backups. Annoying that TinkerTool messed things up in the first place.

Thanks

[ldrury]

So if you had opened Terminal, and typed in "rm /path/to/.hidden-file" and screwed your system, would it be Terminals fault??

[soho]

Quote: Originally Posted by ldrury Isn't it a bit unfair to run a headline - "x application killed my user folder", when it sounds you did the killing on your own! How about deleting user/system cache files?? Helped me with a strange issue recently....

I ran TinkerTool and it went into a unrecoverable spin resulting in me not being able to access my User folder. I don't think my title was unfair at all.

[benwiggy]

I had an argument with my neighbour, and then my cow died. She must have caused it. She's a witch!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc

From what you've said, you deleted a file and then restarted the Finder, at which point you got the lock-up. Restoring files from backup (presumably including the one you deleted) fixed it.

[soho]

Ah i see your point. But...I did however as a test boot from a backup of the drive, install TT, unhide hidden files, delete the file, show hidden files. I had no spin from TT and rebooted and all was fine. So I don't think deleting the file from the Shared User folder had anything to do with my troubles.

[agentx]

I find it hard to believe that tinkertool did anything that screwed things up.

For reference you can show/hide files with a one line terminal command

SHOW
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE ; killall Finder
HIDE
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE ; killall Finder

[benwiggy]

Quote: Originally Posted by soho I did however as a test boot from a backup of the drive, install TT, unhide hidden files, delete the file, show hidden files. I had no spin from TT and rebooted and all was fine. So I don't think deleting the file from the Shared User folder had anything to do with my troubles.

Then that would also rule out TinkerTool!

Don't forget: from a file dialog, you can show or hide hidden files by <command><shift> <dot>

[soho]

Thanks for the tip.

[dianeross]

Quote: What was this extension? .NetSupportSchoolPro.so

According to this post Intego finds new, insidious strain of Mac Flashback Trojan horse | Macworld the .so extension indicates malware.