Mac OS X 10.4.9 Special Report: Application launch problems

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 1:11 a.m. PT

3 min read

Some users have reported issues with launching various applications after updating to Mac OS X 10.4.9.

One reader writes:

"I just updated to Mac OS X 10.4.9 and now Final Cut Pro won't open."

This issue is generally soluble through workarounds listed in our tutorial "What to do when a Mac OS X application will not launch." The following fixes are particularly effective:

Delete appropriate .plist files A non-launching application can be the result of a corrupt or otherwise defunct application-associated .plist file (for more information on exactly what a .plist file is, see this series of articles) Most of these files are stored in a folder named Preferences, and located in the Library folder of your home directory, e.g.:

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist

Go to the ~/Library/Preferences folder, and search for any .plist files that may be associated with the application with which you are having trouble. Drag the .plist file(s) [many applications have more than one associated .plist file, so be careful to scour for all of them] to the Desktop, then re-attempt launching the application.

Update prebinding Many cases of application launch-failure can be resolved easily by simply updating prebinding, via the following steps:

Log in as an administrator

Open the Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities)

Type: sudo update_prebinding -root / -force and press Return.

When prompted for a password, enter your admin password, and press Return again. The process may take a few minutes, and you may see various messages flash by. The process is complete when the Terminal returns to a normal prompt.

Type exit and press Return.

Check for the capability to launch the problematic application.