Check Preference Files - 1.6.6

Building on a discussion at www.macintouch.com, this application will check your preference files (both in your user's preference folder and the system's preference folder) for corruption by using the "plutil" command line tool. If it finds suspect files, it will list the files and allow you to reveal them in the Finder or move them to the trash. You may also double-click on a file in the found files table to open it in the application of your choice (you can designate the default application from the preferences). There is also an option to save the results of a scan to a text file.

"Check Preference Files" is basically just a GUI wrapped around the "plutil" command line tool provided by Apple Computer, Inc. since Mac OS X 10.2 (see "man plutil" in the Terminal).

"plutil" just checks to see if .plist files are valid XML. This application is no panacea but it does help to fix blatantly corrupt preference files.

Notes:

• Deleting the preference file (.plist) of some applications may mean you will have to re-enter a registration code and/or preferences (such as server and network settings for Mail.app) for the deleted preference file's application to work properly.
  
  
• You must have administrative permission to open many system preferences--even to use this application to scan them for corruption. For instance, the files in the folder "/Library/Preferences/DirectoryServices/" ("ContactsNodeConfig.plist", "DirectoryService.plist", "DSLDAPv3PlugInConfig.plist", & "SearchNodeConfig.plist") may be listed as corrupt when using the application.
  
  If you authenticate "Check Preference Files" and then scan the system preferences, this runs the "plutil" as sudo which should eliminate the permissions issue and allow the files to be parsed properly returning no error--unless, of course, there are an unrelated errors with these files.

Preferences: As of v1.4, this application has its own preferences. You may now set the folders that the application searches--and the script it uses when searching those folders. For most users, the defaults will suffice. If you are using a server or NetBoot environment, however, your preference files may be in a unique location and you can tell the application to search those folders by selecting "Preferences..." from the application menu and specifying the appropriate folders as necessary.

You may also modify the script the application uses to check those folders. Some people have had mixed success using the application to find files with spaces or high-ASCII characters in their names. You can adjust the script any way you wish as long as you keep the preference folder placeholder in tact ("?pref_folders?"). Again, for most users, the default should be sufficient.

With the new ability to specify folders--and the script it uses to search those folders--the application becomes much more flexible and can be used to script much more than just the "plutil" utility.