What to do if Choose Folder… disappears from System Preferences’ Screen Saver panel

Yesterday, sometime after accidentally launching (and quitting) iPhoto 4.0, I found that the Choose Folder… option had disappeared from the Screen Saver section of the Desktop & Screen Saver panel of System Preferences in Mac OS X 10.3.5. It had been replaced by items for using iPhoto photo rolls as a screensaver, items which are useless to me since (alas) I don’t have a digital camera. (If I did, I’d be out taking pictures of the snow.)

Even if it’s not iPhoto that causes the Choose Folder… item to disappear in your case, here’s how to fix it.

  1. Close System Preferences if it is open.
  2. Open your home folder.
  3. Open the Library folder.
  4. Open the Preferences folder.
  5. Find the com.apple.systempreferences.plist file, and delete it.

Once you reopen System Preferences, the Desktop & Screen Saver panel should have returned to normal. If you had customized the items appearing in System Preferences’ toolbar, you will need to do so again.

That’s all. Just doing my bit for the world’s best troubleshooting database.

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