Manage secret preferences with Secrets

You would be far safer using a tool like Clix which helps you learn the command line while you use it.
Secrets keeps you in the dark, while it's issuing terminal commands.

I think people ought perhaps to read the manual on "defaults" _before_ using this tool. Here's the page on "defaults" at Apple:

http://developer.apple.com/DOCUMENTATION/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/defaults.1.html

For example, it is important to know:

*******

"Since applications do access the defaults system while they're running, you shouldn't modify the defaults of a running application. If you change a default in a domain that belongs to a running application, the application won't see the change and might even overwrite the default."

*******

In any case, it's always important to understand what one is doing and how. Otherwise, it's all just "magic" -- something that's all too common on the Mac platform. (c.f. the misunderstandings about what "Repair Permissions" is and is for.)

The app from "Alcor" (whoever he is) sounds fine in principal to me. But there is, of course, nothing here that couldn't be done with Terminal and a list of those defaults that aren't revealed in particular applications' Preferences. A webpage -- or a textfile -- of those would do just as well.

TinkerTool is better FTW!

Does anyone know of a setting that disables the finder preview on network shares?

Thanks!

I guess this secret has been exposed !!

I use TinkerTool for this.

This is why the command line is always safer. These things are generally boolean. They are either on or off.

I have no idea why the completely harmless setting to show all files would be ailing your machine.

There are a couple of solutions:
1. Boot to "safe mode" by holding down the Shift key. If this works, it means that the utility is starting up with the system. Go into the Users control panel and see whether you can stop it.

Lastly, if it didn't work, you will likely have to go into single user mode and reset the boolean. Reboot. Hit s. This should drop you to terminal. Type this exactly as shown.
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

It is conceivable that cold-crashing your Mac in the middle of boot damaged something somehow.
some questions for others:
1. Is single user mode really the same as Terminal?
2. Could he use Firewire Target disk mode to safely copy com.apple.Finder.plist from another 10.5.2 installation if it is corrupted? I suppose I should also ask.. is the defaults command extensible enough to actually revert that file back to a pristine state?

Great app; be good if they had a cheerful disclaimer on their site though.

This application can be quite dangerous--after trying out the "show hidden files" preference, my Macbook with 10.5.2 completely froze. Now, I can't get it to go past the gray apple startup screen. Anybody else have (or fix) this problem? I am not going to be happy if I have to do a complete restore...

And this thing is completely safe with no effects on my system?