Mac / Safari help please

Scaredy_Cat_3

Hi

I hope someone can help me please. I switched my Mac on this morning and found Safari isn't working correctly. I normally have it set to open up a google page, and it has a load of bookmarks listed across the top of the screen.

Running alongside Safari, I also have Firefox. Google looks exactly the same as normal on Firefox, but is completely different on Safari. Now I just have a blank screen with a grey line about 1cm from the top, and with no bookmarks across the top of the screen. The web address shows as http://www.google.co.uk/webhp but it's just a blank screen.

I even tried logging into a different website (https://www.newscientist.com) and I get a mostly blank screen with the start of the page all over on the right hand side of my screen. There is no scroll bar and the arrow keys don't work, so I can't see anything on the page. I don't know how to do a screen capture to show you what I mean, but it basically looks like the content has been moved over to the right hand side and I can only see a blank screen at the left.

The only thing I can think of that may be causing this is that last night I got an Apple software update prompt, which I allowed - I get these regularly and have never had a problem.

If anyone can help I would really appreciate it, as this is now unuseable.

Thank you.

sw67

If you can see the button for settings in the top right hand corner ( looks like a waterwheel ) click on it and select show menu , status and bookmarks bar

Mine defaulted to hide when i updated

Scaredy_Cat_3

Thanks for the suggestion - but no, I can't see the wheel thing.

I've been on the Apple site and it looks like there are a number of people having problems with this update so I can only hope they will fix it soon.

Do you know anything about the Reset Safari option? I wondered if choosing this option might take me back to the set up prior to the update, but I'm a bit scared to chance it.

isofa

Can you right click any toolbar area, to then turn on the menu/options?

Scaredy_Cat_3

Nothing seems to be working - but thanks anyway. I just have this massively wide screen in Safari, but I can't adjust the computer display settings because Firefox and my emails and everything except Safari is fine, and if I reduce the Safari size it will reduce everything else.

I think I will have to ditch Safari and get another browser. I already have Firefox, which I like - but I find some websites are not compatible with Firefox, so I need another browser as an alternative.

Any suggestions? I was told to try Opera and Camino some time ago but never bothered. Any thoughts on what they are like?

Marty_J

Close Safari, go to your user folder, then Library > Preferences, and drag the file com.apple.Safari.plist to your desktop. Then restart Safari.

Scaredy_Cat_3

Marty_J wrote: »

Close Safari, go to your user folder, then Library > Preferences, and drag the file com.apple.Safari.plist to your desktop. Then restart Safari.

Thanks but I think I've messed things up. I couldn't figure it out (it was before anyone had answered me) so I removed the Safari icon from the dock and then tried to download a new copy. Somehow I've managed to download a new copy and get the icon for that into my dock - but it's still a faulty copy (Safari 4), with a really really wide screen.

I am at the end of my tether with this now - I've wasted an entire day on it and am furious with Apple.

I think I need to find a way to get an old version of Safari, or I have to give up. I've downloaded Camino and Opera but am not too sure how to use them. I can't see how to set google as my homepage on there... and need to try to remember all my bookmarks from my old Safari.

Would appreciate any help with Opera and Camino. I always thought Safari was a bit glitchy anyway, but I am so annoyed at this happening. I think I'll refuse all future updates.

Marty_J

Scaredy_Cat wrote: »

Thanks but I think I've messed things up.

Did you try what I suggested?

Safari 3 was always a bit glitchy in my experience, but I've been using Safari 4 since it was in beta, and haven't had a single problem with it. It convinced me to switch back from Firefox.

You can download Safari 3 from here if you want to go that route. I would suggest upgrading if you can though, Safari 4 is a much better browser.

Scaredy_Cat_3

Marty_J wrote: »

Did you try what I suggested?

Safari 3 was always a bit glitchy in my experience, but I've been using Safari 4 since it was in beta, and haven't had a single problem with it. It convinced me to switch back from Firefox.

You can download Safari 3 from here if you want to go that route. I would suggest upgrading if you can though, Safari 4 is a much better browser.

No, I didn't do what you suggested - but that was because I had already removed Safari from the dock before I saw your post. I guess I am getting impatient and thought the best thing was just to delete it.

Can you explain to me how I can upgrade to Safari 4? I've been on the Apple website and downloaded the Safari 4 about 3 times now (including the automatic update yesterday)... and every time I get the same problem. I don't see how I can upgrade if it keeps doing this. I'd be happy to use it if it would work, but I just get a blank screen and it turns out the page content is so far over to the right that it's not visible on my monitor.

I'll wait for your reply because if you can help me sort out Safari 4 that would be great - but if not, I'll try downloading Safari 3 again using the link you gave. Will I need to delete the faulty version of Safari 4 before I do that, or can I download 3 and then delete 4 once I see it's worked?

I don't know if I was using Safari 3 before, or if I had an earlier version of Safari 4. I don't pay much attention to these things, just assumed that when the Apple software update comes round I am supposed to do it. Anyway, it was fine until the update yesterday.

isofa

Removing it from the Dock doesn't remove the application, it just removes the "shortcut" to the application in the Dock. It can still be found at in your Applications folder which is within your main hard disc icon on the desktop (to add Safari to the dock again, just drag it's icon from applications to the dock.

Follow Marty's advice in post #6, clear the preference file (it doesn't matter if Safari is on the dock or not).

Marty_J

Try deleting the preference file as I said above; if your old one is messed up, Safari will still try to use it when you reinstall it. Dragging it onto the desktop means that Safari can't find it, so it has to make a new one.