Mac OS X forum: Expose problem - computer going nuts!!! Please HELP!!!

When I right click on the above, I see an option to Compress Expose. I tried to search out what that does, but came up empty. Perhaps you will have better luck, or are adventurous enough to just try it. I also found Show Package Contents to be intriguing. I selected that, and a folder opened. Perhaps there is an answer with one of those files. Wish I could help more.

I do not have any other USB devices connected. Can anyone tell me what I would be doing by compressing Expose before I just try it? I'd ideally like to find a solution where I can still use Expose, because I find it really handy, just not when it switches on and off all the time.

I haven't tried the archive and install or the deleting expose preferences yet because I don't know how to, but I'd happily give it a shot.

I'll check again this evening.

P

of the OS and see what happens


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Second, do a fresh backup

Put in Disc 1
Hold down C on keyboard
Restart

The rest should be easy to follow. I'm not gonna start it on my system, so I can't give you the exact name of what to click first.
What you're doing is reinstalling the OS.
Select the Archive and Install option.

The simplest is to find and delete current preference files for : Expose, Mouse, Trackpad. These will usually be found in User directory, Library folder, Preferences folder.
(Unfortunately, I do not have my Mac runnable right now, so I cannot tell you exact name - If you find a specific item for "Expose", "Trackpad" "Mouse" Great, drag those to the trash. But I think they may all be bundled together in the "com.apple.systempreferences.plist" , in which case, drag that to the desktop and restart. The system will rebuild the preferences for those items with all default values.

The other things I would try BEFORE archive and install (which is a "BIG DEAL") are:
1) Run Disk Utility and Repair Permissions (not verify, but actual Repair)
2) Run a Preference checking program such as:
Preferential Treatment - though that one has not been updated for Snow leopard, so it might not catch everything,
TinkerToolSystem v2 - I have had this tool registered for a long time, it has lots of features, one of which is a thorough Preference files Validation process. Run that and see if it helps.
3) Use TinkerToolSystem (or similar Cache Cleaning program) to clean the cache files (do not clean out log files - they can be helpful later). Do not select any other of the cleanup routines unless you know what their results will be. Cache file cleaning is a safe one in most cases (in my experience, i've not had problems with cleaning cache files).
Other tools that do similar: Snow Leopard Cache Cleaner, Cocktail, Maintenance or Onyx. These tools are either free or small shareware fee.

And do a fresh restart after these cleanups and see if that helps.

Archive and Reinstall of the Operating system is really a LAST RESORT, as it means you MUST have ALL your user data and settings and registrations saved off to another disk location, then you have to Reinstall Mac OS X, and all the applications... rather tedious (though I've done it bunches Plus, if you have to do a Reinstall, you never really find out what went wrong, so you don't have a good fix-up process if it ever re-appears.

Snow Leopard has refined the Archive and Install process significantly, so you do not have as much leftover stuff, but OS Reinstallation is still a big deal and you must backup all your data first.
Detail Note: Snow Leopard combines the old "Upgrade" and "Archive" installation by installing your new OS X software, then deleting the old system. It also disables any drivers or kernel extensions it doesn't know about, moving them into a holding directory. (I have not verified this, as I have not had to install SNow Leopard).

Links:
http://www.jonn8.com/html/pt.html - Preferential-treatment
http://www.bresink.com/osx/300321023/details.html - TinkerTool System 2

Apple Help articles:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710 - About the Archive and Install feature (Ti+)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1545 - about installation in general (Ti, Leo)

At least in Tiger, the Expos prefs are part of the dock prefs. To fix:

1. Go to your Home folder
2. Open the Library folder that is in your Home folder (NOT the Library folder at the root level of your hard drive.)
3. Open the Preferences folder.
4. Delete the file com.apple.dock.plist.
5. Reboot the computer (or log out and back in.)

Note: you will have to re-personalize any changes you had made to your dock, as it will be set to the system defaults.

This was driving the user crazy, as Expos would be invoked every time the mouse was even moved without clicking anything. We even tried a whole new keyboard and mouse, and I tried deleting a bunch of root level System Configuration prefs, with no joy.

Interestingly, for those of you more knowledgeable about these things, it also happened when logged into another user account, which usually means something is wrong at the system level. I haven't checked that other user account yet, but deleting the dock prefs sure has fixed things in the original account.

I tried resetting the Dock preferences, and I haven't had the problem occur again since. I'll keep an eye on it for the next few days. Since I did have some periods of reprieve before when everything would work fine, I still can't guarantee the problem is gone for good, but I've been on my computer for the last several hours working on an exam, which would usually be more than enough time for Expose to start going nuts on me, and so far I'm fine. I'm optimistic! I'm also happy because in resetting the preferences, I found that I had changed some stuff that I actually like better in its original format

Perhaps incense, sage and a few positive incantations about how you love your Mac when it works well???

Just KIDDING!! (or not - hey, if it works...

I will give it some more thought.

Did you try creating a brand new User ID account?
Please give this a shot, it is not harmful to anything on your Mac -- from System Prefs / Users create a new Admin level account, (any name) then completely log out of your regular user account (do not do a fast switch), and log into the new user. Of course, you will not see any of your desktop files or folders, since this is a new account, but your data are all safe back under your original user ID.
Now go about word processing or web access or whatever you would normally do.
Does Expose go all weird in this brand new user ID?

If yes, then the problem is definitely a system level issue and may need more serious reset and or the reinstallation.

If there are no Expose problems in this new user ID, then the issue is with something about your regular user account that has gone "wonky" (as we say in the tech industry).

Under System Preferences/Accounts/Login items, there is one called Director Docker, which sounds like it could have to do with the Dock, but deleting it is not an option. Under Library/Startupitems, there are 3 folders: HP IO (Date modified Sept. 20, 2009), HP Trap Monitor (Date modified Feb. 5, 2007 - before I even owned the computer!), and ProTecVb (Date modified April 24, 2009). Should I delete the HP Trap Monitor folder? I don't want to delete something I actually need. I don't know what a haxie is, so if I've downloaded any, it wasn't knowingly...

Hi Tiger32382,

Haxies - they are programs from Unsanity software development company, and they do various user interface adjustments. They were pretty popular in the early OS X days . Because of the way that the Unsanity Haxies (such as APE-Application Enhancer or FruitMenu) tie into the system at a low level, they are sometimes thought to involved in some of the weird system behaviors people get from time to time. (Some people love their apps, some think they are bad...)
If you have any items with the unsanity or haxie word in their title, or named as per their product apps list, it would be best to uninstall those. (a list of their programs is at: www.unsanity.com/products, as well as uninstall instructions)

Director Docker and HP IO are parts of the massive software support apps that get installed when you install HP printer drivers. (Note that different HP Printers, and different versions of their installation drivers install different things, so not every computer with HP printer will have same items on it... )

It is rather likely those items are not needed, even if you have an HP printer, so could be disabled at least temporarily.
But here is the thing with Mac Login items - while you can disable it by highlight then select the "-" minus button to remove it, there is no easy way to temporarily take it out then put it back.
So I always take a screen snapshot (Cmd-Shift-4) of just the login items BEFORE I disable anything. That way, if I want to put it back, I have a snapshot to let me know what named item to go search for.

If you have no HP printer attached to the Mac, you definitely do not need those HP items.

That would also indicate the computer was setup for someone else before you got it.

I did not ask before -- is this a Used computer that was originally set up for someone else and you bought/got it to use for yourself?
If so, then there may be a bunch of stuff in there which might cause issues down the road. If so, this would begin to look like a good case for OS re-installation, to clean out old, previously installed things that now have no usefulness.


Also, perhaps it is related to flakiness in the keyboard, with the f9, f10, f11 keys? Since those keys control the expose actions, if the keys are flaky, and the computer thinks they are being pressed often, then the screen would blink in and out seemingly on its own.
TO test this possibility, you would need to temporarily disconnect your keyboard. Either just see if the expose stuff stops or doesn't happen with no keyboard plugged in, or if you have an alternate keyboard, try using it and see if the expose weirdness happens.


Lastly,
Did you try the new admin user test I mentioned before?


Please try each of these investigation requests, then post back with the results, as, for example, use this list:
1) i found or not found any haxies, removed any found ones, did that improve expose problem?
2) took out HP items, restarted, did that improve expose problem?
3) this is or is not a used/previously owned computer so may have strange things in it?
4) i unplugged the keyboard and/or tried a different keyboard, did that improve expose problem?
5) i setup a new admin account, restarted into that user, did that improve expose problem?

Best,

I know this thread is over a year old but we have just had the EXACT same thing happen with my husband's computer, the only difference being the right hand shift key sets it off.
How was this issue finally resolved?

I recently had the same problem on my iMac with standard keyboard and trackball mouse, and I found an easy solution: Cleaning my keyboard with compressed air. Apparently one of the function keys was stuck... very annoying, but now solved! Hope it works for you too.