I stuffed up Dock.app


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So I was messing around with SuperDocker. I changed the Stacks background image and then restored it to default. What I didn't realise was SuperDocker is a Leopard era app, so the Stack background was incorrect. I tried several things until I got to CandyBar, which stuffed up the 2D background. I then tried restoring Dock.app by hand which has resulted in losing right click functionality.

My question is, how can I restore Dock.app without having to do a full archive and restore. I don't believe Target Disk Mode works on Intel Macs, so thats not an option. I'm thinking Single User Mode (I've got a copy of Dock.app from my iMac) but I wouldn't have a clue what commands to use to restore everything.

Any help would be very much greatly appreciated :)

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Target Disk Mode works just fine between Intel Macs.

Thought I'd heard otherwise. I effectively don't have target disk mode since I don't have a Firewire cable :p

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Well the feature is still there on Mac OS X Snow Leopard under System Preferences > Startup Disk. But beyond that you're a bit out of luck I'm afraid.

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Just out of curiosity, if this were to happen to me would I be able to restore Dock.app from my time machine backup?

Yes i belive time machine includes system files in all it's sweeps so you should be safe. Put it this way i think you can boot from a time machine backup so it must be their somewhere?

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So I ended up doing an archive and install. For future reference:

? There is no way to kill Dock.app

? There is no way to replace Dock.app while running. Doing so will corrupt it like no tomorrow. I lost right click functionality and Dashboard widgets wouldn't load. I also couldn't add or remove anything from the Dock, it would crash.

? Pacifist will not work.

? A manual copy and paste will not work.

? Finder will not launch if Dock.app doesn't launch.

? I didn't have a Time Machine backup (Don't ask :p), but logic states it should run into point 2.

? Your restore options are as follows:

- Clean Install/Archive and Install.

- Single User mode with a clean copy of Dock.app from another machine running the same version of the OS (I don't know the exact Terminal commands).

- Use a Boot Camp partition with Mac Drive installed and replace corrupted Dock.app with a clean Dock.app.

- Install OS X to a USB drive and copy Dock.app from the USB Drive to your Hard Drive (You need at least a 6GB USB Drive).

? Despite claims, Snow Leopard will not restore you back to the version you are on (10.6.2), it will take you back to the version on the install disc (10.6.0).

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Yes i belive time machine includes system files in all it's sweeps so you should be safe. Put it this way i think you can boot from a time machine backup so it must be their somewhere?

Time Machine backups are not bootable.

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Maybe applying last software update again ?

I thought of that but I wasn't sure if Dock.app was updated at all from Snow Leopard's initial release. If it wasn't the download wouldn't have repaired it.

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