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#1 2009-01-14 5:41 am
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Spotlight in System Prefs not working
I'm on a Macbook Pro Core2Duo, running 10.5.5. Today, I typed in a term in the system preferences search box. The pane went dark, as it usually does, but nothing was highlighted. Thinking that the term I had used was too specific, I entered "spotlight". Nothing light up. Then just "s". Still nothing.
In other words, despite the pane going dark, nothing is ever circled. I have tried repairing permissions, to no avail.
It just occurs to me know, too, to mention that no suggestions in a drop down box ever appear, either.
My spotlight (as in, cmd+spacebar) works pretty much flawlessly, so I don't think it's an overall problem with spotlight.
I do use this feature quite a bit, or at least I did. I was hoping you, a super helpful, knowledgeable mac geek could help me out with this problem.
Thanks very much,
jb.
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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#2 2009-01-14 10:58 am
- pottymouth
- Uncreative
- Moderator

- From: JP, MA
- Registered: 2002-02-06
- Posts: 17411
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Re: Spotlight in System Prefs not working
Well, it's not just you. I've got that same problem on a couple of my 10.5.5 machines but I don't know where to begin with that one so I've never bothered to try to fix it.
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#4 2009-01-14 10:51 pm
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Re: Spotlight in System Prefs not working
I just tried updating to 10.5.6, but the problem is still here.
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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#5 2009-01-15 7:56 am
- Nefarious
- Tuning Fork
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- From: 45°22"N 84°57"W
- Registered: 2002-09-30
- Posts: 7998
Re: Spotlight in System Prefs not working
Did you do the combo update ? Any system maintenance with Yasu, Onyx or Cocktail ?
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#6 2009-01-15 7:57 am
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Re: Spotlight in System Prefs not working
It was the incremental update from 10.5.5, and I am yet to use Yasu, Onyx or Cocktail on this system since I last reinstalled it.
Onyx screwed with my system last time, so I've left its ilk alone since.
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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#7 2009-01-15 4:06 pm
Re: Spotlight in System Prefs not working
I've never seen a maintenance app screw up a system on it's own but if there is something wrong it seem they'll either fix it, do nothing, or compound the issue.
Download the 10.5.6 Combo update and apply it over 10.5.6. The Delta update is more than a bit screwy.
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#8 2009-01-16 7:40 am
- jb
- Member
- From: Melbourne, Australia.
- Registered: 2004-01-04
- Posts: 2179
Re: Spotlight in System Prefs not working
Having not yet installed the combo updated (partially downloaded), the situation seems to be rectified.
Freakin' weird.
Anyway, thanks everyone for your help! It's much appreciated.
jb
They say that the most secure computer is the one not connected to the internet.
That's why security experts recommend Telstra BigPond.
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