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Posted By: ryck Missing Safari plist - 12/21/17 06:30 PM
My "Top Sites" decided it was not accepting new sites (I now have a continuing blank spot). It occurred when I was checking an existing Top Site. The software suddenly dumped the site I was checking and replaced it with the site above.

So my first thought was that maybe the Safari plist was corrupted.

I went to Hard Drive>Library>Preferences and, lo and behold: There isn't a plist for com.apple.safari For that matter, there was nothing with Safari in the name.

I assumed I was looking in the wrong Library so I went to Users>My Account> but found that there was no Library at all.

Thoughts?
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/21/17 06:47 PM
The User Library is hidden by default. Read How to Show to ~/Library Folder in MacOS Sierra
Posted By: Urquhart Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/21/17 09:15 PM
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist
But the one you’re looking for is:
~/Library/Safari/TopSites.plist
Posted By: ryck Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/22/17 08:08 AM
Originally Posted By: jchuzi

Got it. Thank you.
Posted By: ryck Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/22/17 08:09 AM
Originally Posted By: Urquhart
But the one you’re looking for is:
~/Library/Safari/TopSites.plist

….and got that too. Thanks.
Posted By: Gregg Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/27/17 09:25 PM
Sure looks to me like the instructions on that page you provided the link for are not correct. It says to hold down the SHIFT key while clicking the Go Menu, but that doesn't work (in Sierra). Instead, it's the OPTION key. Did this change in High Sierra?
Posted By: ryck Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/27/17 10:59 PM
Originally Posted By: Gregg
Sure looks to me like the instructions on that page you provided the link for are not correct. It says to hold down the SHIFT key while clicking the Go Menu, but that doesn't work (in Sierra). Instead, it's the OPTION key.

That's correct and I should have mentioned it after I used the link....although the instructions do say: "* Note that in older versions of MacOS and Sierra you need to hold down the OPTION key rather than the SHIFT key." Thanks for the catch.
Posted By: alternaut Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/28/17 10:02 PM
Originally Posted By: Gregg
Sure looks to me like the instructions on that page you provided the link for are not correct. It says to hold down the SHIFT key while clicking the Go Menu, but that doesn't work (in Sierra). Instead, it's the OPTION key. Did this change in High Sierra?

Hmm, this is confusing. FWIW, I’m running Sierra (10.12.6 with the latest security updates), and pulling down the Go menu while pressing SHIFT* shows the Library item. Pressing Option doesn’t do anything in this context. The article linked to is incorrect in this respect. I read your post as you running Sierra, am I wrong?

*) The sequence doesn’t matter, select Go, then press SHIFT or the other way around.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/28/17 11:17 PM
FWIW in High Sierra (MacOS 10.13.3 build (17D25b)) clicking on the Go menu and pressing…
  • Option (⌥) adds Library to the list of menu options
  • Shift (⇧) presents a wider menu display and adds the option to Select startup disk on Desktop
  • Control ( ) presents a wider menu display offers the option "Enclosing folder in nw window"
  • Command (⌘ ) has no effect
It sounds as if Apple's technical writers are having trouble keeping up with the change rate. 𝌡
Posted By: artie505 Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/28/17 11:47 PM
Originally Posted By: alternaut
FWIW, I’m running Sierra (10.12.6 with the latest security updates), and pulling down the Go menu while pressing SHIFT* shows the Library item. Pressing Option doesn’t do anything in this context.

*) The sequence doesn’t matter, select Go, then press SHIFT or the other way around.

Likewise, here.

I'm surprised that How to Show the User Library Folder... (permanently), which is still an option in Sierra, hasn't been mentioned. (Nor has command-shift-L been mentioned.)
Posted By: Urquhart Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 09:04 AM
Originally Posted By: artie505
Nor has command-shift-L been mentioned.

Hey, thanks for that one; new to me. It works in Finder, regardless of open windows. I couldn’t find a reference for that online, mostly for clutter of older references and other apps. (I noticed ⇧⌘L is still mapped to ‘Search with Google’ in System Preferences>Keyboard>Shortcuts>Services>Search.)
Posted By: artie505 Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 09:22 AM
Originally Posted By: Urquhart
(I noticed ⇧⌘L is still mapped to ‘Search with Google’ in System Preferences>Keyboard>Shortcuts>Services>Search.)

Ha! I've never noticed that one (nor can I figure out under what circumstances it works).

command-shift-L also shows Safari's sidebar.

I wonder how many apps make use of the same command?
Posted By: Gregg Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 04:45 PM
Originally Posted By: alternaut
Originally Posted By: Gregg
Sure looks to me like the instructions on that page you provided the link for are not correct. It says to hold down the SHIFT key while clicking the Go Menu, but that doesn't work (in Sierra). Instead, it's the OPTION key. Did this change in High Sierra?

Hmm, this is confusing. FWIW, I’m running Sierra (10.12.6 with the latest security updates), and pulling down the Go menu while pressing SHIFT* shows the Library item. Pressing Option doesn’t do anything in this context. The article linked to is incorrect in this respect. I read your post as you running Sierra, am I wrong?

*) The sequence doesn’t matter, select Go, then press SHIFT or the other way around.

Yes, I am running 10.12.6 and am now back at my computer. (Previous post was from another Mac, also running 10.12.something.) On both Macs, when pressing the SHIFT key, nothing changes. When pressing the OPTION key, the Library folder choice appears.
Posted By: jchuzi Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 04:49 PM
Something funny is going on. On my iMac, running 10.12.6 (Sierra, with all security updates)‚ pressing Shift gives the choice of ~/Library but pressing Option does not. I don't know if this is relevant, but I have my preferences set to ALWAYS show ~/Library when I go into my User folder.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 05:27 PM
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Something funny is going on. On my iMac, running 10.12.6 (Sierra, with all security updates)‚ pressing Shift gives the choice of ~/Library but pressing Option does not. I don't know if this is relevant, but I have my preferences set to ALWAYS show ~/Library when I go into my User folder.

Bingo!

I just toggled command-shift-H > command-J > Always Show Library Folder off and back on to see what would happen.

At "Off", option showed ~/Library as opposed to shift (as I previously reported), and at "On", my library (and the key command I previously posted) moved into my drop-down permanently.

It looks like Apple has done some changing since introducing the ( tongue ) option, and toggling it brings it up to date. crazy

Referring back to joemike's post:

Originally Posted By: joemikeb
FWIW in High Sierra (MacOS 10.13.3 build (17D25b)) clicking on the Go menu and pressing…
  • Option (⌥) adds Library to the list of menu options
  • Shift (⇧) presents a wider menu display and adds the option to Select startup disk on Desktop
  • Control ( ) presents a wider menu display offers the option "Enclosing folder in nw window"
  • Command (⌘ ) has no effect
It sounds as if Apple's technical writers are having trouble keeping up with the change rate. 𝌡

After my toggling experiment, his items two and three now work for me.

His option one suggests that he's never turned on the permanent option.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 05:58 PM
Originally Posted By: jchuzi
Something funny is going on. On my iMac, running 10.12.6 (Sierra, with all security updates)‚ pressing Shift gives the choice of ~/Library but pressing Option does not. I don't know if this is relevant, but I have my preferences set to ALWAYS show ~/Library when I go into my User folder.

I just tested on my Mac running 10.13.3 beta and enabling the "always show ~Library" changes the effect of the various modifier keys when used with the "Go" menu.
  • ~/Library is ALWAYS on the go menu regardless of modifier keys
  • SHIFT — switches to wide menu display and changes "Enclosing folder" to "Select Startup disk on desktop"
  • OPTION — changes the "Enclosing folder shortcut" from ⌘↑ to ⌥⌘↑ (I have no idea why)
  • CONTROL — Same as Shift
  • COMMAND - no effect
Posted By: artie505 Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 06:11 PM
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
I just tested on my Mac running 10.13.3 beta and enabling the "always show ~Library" changes the effect of the various modifier keys when used with the "Go" menu.
  • ~/Library is ALWAYS on the go menu regardless of modifier keys
  • SHIFT — switches to wide menu display and changes "Enclosing folder" to "Select Startup disk on desktop"
  • OPTION — changes the "Enclosing folder shortcut" from ⌘↑ to ⌥⌘↑ (I have no idea why)
  • CONTROL — Same as Shift
  • COMMAND - no effect

I'm seeing (in 10.12.6) the same thing you just reported, except control changes "Enclosing Folder" to "Enclosing Folder in New Window".
Posted By: artie505 Re: Missing Safari plist - 12/29/17 08:23 PM
So, in summation, what it looks like is:
  • If you've never enabled "Show Folder", option shows it in the drop-down.
  • If you've enabled "Show Folder" previously, shift shows it in the drop-down.
  • If you newly enable "Show Folder" or toggle a previously enabled option, you'll see what joemike and I are seeing (with the possible exception noted in my immediately preceding post) (*).
(*) If your version of OS X/macOS is relevant, I'm at a loss as to which versions go which way, because I can only check in Sierra.
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