"Ghost" Duplicate

[jb]

Lately, whenever I make a duplicate of anything using Command D, not only do I get a duplicate (copy), but I also get a “Ghost Duplicate”, i.e an exact replica of the duplicate icon, but one which does not do anything as well as not being able to remove it to the Trash.

The only way to get rid of the “Ghost” is to restart the computer, or to trash the “True” copy.

See Picture.

[attachment=1642:Picture_4.jpg]

Can this be fixed?

jb

[Paddy]

Never seen this behaviour, JB and I can't seem to find any reference to it. Does it only happen with the key commands or does it happen when you use the Finder menu as well? Have you repaired permissions or tried this with a different account?

[gunug]

I've seen this once on a machine at one of my high schools and it also had other "issues" which all seemed to be cleaned up by cleaning up preferences and permissions (think it was probably the preferences).  Does it seem possible that it something to do with Automator?

[krissel]

I vaguely remember something similar years ago and changing the size of the icons in the finder, logging out and back seemed to do something to the prefs that stopped the activity. Or maybe changing resolution stopped it.

But I think just dumping related prefs would be easier.

Try eliminating prefs in this order:

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

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

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

[jb]

Thanks Krissel. Thrashing those preferences fixed the problem.

xxx

jb

[Highmac]

QUOTE(jb @ Nov 4 2009, 02:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Krissel. Thrashing those preferences fixed the problem.

xxx

jb

Thrashing doesn't often fix things, but it sure makes you feel better