For now, I'll be using Xbox Dead. (handle: StupidComputer!)

June 8, 2008 10:03 PM

PowerBook&NetworkingFilter: Dialogue box freezes after I choose System Prefs > Sharing. Help?

Alright. I'm trying to bridge the connection between my wireless network and my ethernet port (in order to get my Xbox 360 online). Trouble is, once I click on Sharing in the System Preferences menu, it stays on loading forever. (Forever = I let it run for forty-eight hours. Nothing.) All other programs work while this happens. Nothing else appears to be wrong with my system. Any ideas what might cause this?

Details:
PowerBook G4 w/ Leopard
Wireless adapter and ethernet both built-in
Wireless network is password-protected
Linksys router

I'll respond to any questions within a day--more details available if necessary.

posted by reductiondesign to technology (4 answers total)

I went to My user> Library>preferences and opened my sharing panel in system prefs.

Try trashing this file: com.apple.internetconfigpriv.plist
That and com.apple.systempreferences.plist

(If you're worried, just move them to the desktop. If that doesn't fix it, you can move them back.)
posted by filmgeek at 5:48 AM on June 9, 2008

Any helpful error messages in the Console logs would help diagnose what is causing the computer to freeze when you open that preference panel, but I would also second trashing the related preference files that filmgeek points to. OS X will recreate them upon reboot and it has helped me solve many a problem.
posted by genial at 7:35 AM on June 9, 2008

I can't find either of those .plist files on my system.
posted by reductiondesign at 10:04 AM on June 9, 2008

Hmm, that's really odd...but possible.

Ok, let's try creating a new user and trying to turn the sharing on/off there. If it works under a new user, under your prefs, sort it by date, so you can see which prefs are being used.

Bonus, if it works under a new user, we know the problem is specific to your user, and not your machine.
posted by filmgeek at 4:38 AM on June 10, 2008