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General discussion

Dock item gone missing

May 5, 2007 1:45AM PDT

Or, I should say, I accidentally dragged it (instead of the document that was right above it) off the Dock and (apparently) into oblivion. I don't even know its name, but it was the one right next to the Trash. No, it's not in the Trash.

How can I get it back? I don't know whether I wanted it on the Dock because I'm still wandering about in OS X (delayed because I was away so long, tending to my mother), but I'd like to have a chance to find out.

Sorry to be such a dope. Thanks, in advance, for help finding and restoring the item, which I assume is possible.

jenny

Discussion is locked

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No biggie...
May 5, 2007 2:23AM PDT

I can't get the actual icon back for you without a little more research, but according to my dock, the icon next to the trash is a "@" on a spring. Clicking it launches Safari and takes me to http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/ . It isn't really that critical of a link - you just freed up Dock space for something important... like perhaps your applications folder (I have found that handy) and because of you, I have just removed that same icon you inadverdently removed. So thank you for helping me de-clutter my Dock.

Dock items are aliases... that is, they are only pointers to the real thing. When you drag an icon off the dock, the alias is removed, not the real thing. That said, the thing you removed must be *somewhere*, I just don't know where. You will notice a very thin line that sets the Trash apart from the other application aliases in the Dock. When you add Application icons to the Dock, they will be added to the "other" side of the line. When you add folders (like the Application folder) or documents to the Dock, they will be on the same side as the Trash...

You are not being a dope... Maybe mrmacfixit knows how to recover that icon and its [in my opinion] not-so-important functionality...

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I think you may be right
May 5, 2007 5:50AM PDT

Now that I think of it, the icon you are talking about sounds familiar and is no longer in the Dock. I am using Firefox as my browser, anyway, so I don't need a spring to Safari, and there seems to be another icon for Safari, should I want it. It looks like a compass and is nearer to the left than the little spring thing was.

Thanks for the explanation. Very clear and quite comprehensive. I'll look for the "spring" but won't worry if I can't find it. Like you I really have no great need for it.

jenny

jenny

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Exactly right
May 5, 2007 6:28AM PDT

That icon, the @ sign on a spring, was an alias to the Apple site for information on OS X.
Not worth chasing around your HDD for.

I note that you are using FireFox as your primary browser. To ensure that FF is the browser that launches when you click a link in an email, or such, do the following.
You may have already done this and you only need to do it once.

Launch Safari, go to the Menu Bar, Safari > Preferences and select FireFox as the default browser.
Close out of preferences and quit Safari.
You're done.

FF will launch automatically whenever you need a web browser

P

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dock
May 30, 2007 5:25AM PDT

you just gave advice that to open in FF instead of Safari to change Preference...when I tried that it tells me "Other" then takes me to Apps..I want Google because Safari ALWAYS tells me that it cannot connect me..Thank you for any advise

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Firefox and Google
May 30, 2007 5:46AM PDT

Google is a website that is viewed with a web browser, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Camino, etc. and as such cannot be chosen to be the default browser.

Your comment about Safari ALWAYS telling you that it cannot connect needs a little more information. This is just a guess but once Safari gets over telling you that it cannot connect you to that particular website, you can then use it to go somewhere else?

I think you may be confusing Default Browser with Default Webpage, AKA the Home Page.
To set this to one of your choice, launch Safari and put the url of the place you always want to start from, in the address bar. In your case, www.google.com. Go to that webpage. Now go to Preferences and
on the first tab you will see something about a Home Page. You should choose the option to use the current page, or words to that effect.
Close preferences, quit Safari. Launch Safari again and it should go to Google.

Did it?

Of course, if this is not your problem, tell us what other web browser you have installed, where it is located and we can point you in the right direction

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safari/google
May 30, 2007 6:02AM PDT

No, I can't go anywhere else. I just go back to file and open new page....which for once I did right and yes it opens to my home page of google that I personalized somewhat. Some of the widgets thingies don't work anymore such as moon phases that had something to do with time/temp/date,,I finally just deleted it...Still can't get things to play on Quicktime or flip4mac..so I guess that was the issue with it...I can really call Apple ...I didn't take Apple plan because of money issues...I plan to as soon as I get the $$$...BTW how do you get those smiley faces in forums??? THANKS

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A tad confused, methinks,
May 30, 2007 9:45AM PDT

When you "just go back to file and open new page", that is going somewhere else. So, Safari is working but the Home Page that is set in its preferences, is a bad URL. Change it to Google, as described, and when you launch Safari it will go there.
If your machine is still under warranty, you can buy AppleCare at any time until the first year is up.
If you have had your machine more than 90 days, Apple may want money from you for phone support. Call anyway, they may take pity on you.

Widget thingies that deal with Time/Temp/Date must be connected to the internet to actually work. Which thingy was it. Have you checked at the Widget Store, Apple menu/Mac OS X Software for a replacement.
What version of QT do you have? Does iTunes work? Can you download and play a video podcast from the store?

Smiley faces. A colon a hyphen & a close parenthesis will produce a smiley face. Happy
Substitute the colon for a semi colon and you should get a wink. Wink

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The Forum FAQs have all kinds of info...
May 30, 2007 11:06PM PDT
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I disengaged that ?-Folder for the Downloads too.
Feb 1, 2011 2:51PM PST

Hey, gang --

The top of this post said he accidentally pulled the folder with the ?-mark on it for the quick-get of Downloads out to oblivion instead of the Download on top of it. Ditto. The conversation seemed to degenerate into why or why not to have Safari default there. I just want the spring-load folder back. Neither Spotlight nor dragging the Downloads from my Users> does not restore it. Help?

Cowgal

MacMini G4, OSX 10.5 Leopard

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Did you ever use it?
Feb 1, 2011 9:01PM PST

It was only a link to the Apple site for OS X news

The thread moved on as the Original poster had the problem solved for them.


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Dock widget icon is missing
Jul 27, 2007 11:22AM PDT

I trashed my dock widget icon and now I want it back. How do I get it back? Pressing F12 opens widgets but I prefer using the dock sometimes. Running OS 10.4.10 on a G5 desktop.

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Widgets
Jul 27, 2007 1:29PM PDT

The item you are looking for is called Dashboard.

You will find it inside the Applications folder. Just drag the application into the dock and your icon will magically reappear.

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(NT) Thank you so much for the quick response
Jul 27, 2007 2:07PM PDT