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Can’t open System Preferences

When I click on System Preferences in the Apple drop down menu, all the headings fade to grey but nothing else happens. After a few seconds when I click on a blank part of the desktop the headings reappear but no System Preferences.

When I open the drop down menu there is a rounded box next to System Preferences that says 1 update, but clicking on it does nothing.

I recently updated from Catalina to Big Sur.

Hardware is iMac Retina 5k 27-inch late 2015

Any advice welcome.


Posted on Feb 13, 2021 8:33 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 14, 2021 2:43 AM

Does this issue happen while booted into Safe Mode - Shift - key immediately at startup. It does a Repair Disk, clears cache files and only load the required Apple Software so loads very slowly - Normal. The computer will look and behave differently - Normal. Test opening System Preferences and advise back please.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 14, 2021 2:43 AM in response to Jabby13a

Does this issue happen while booted into Safe Mode - Shift - key immediately at startup. It does a Repair Disk, clears cache files and only load the required Apple Software so loads very slowly - Normal. The computer will look and behave differently - Normal. Test opening System Preferences and advise back please.

Can’t open System Preferences

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