I suspect the response directing you to the Macfixit forum will solve your problem, but I thought I'd describe a similar experience that I encountered on several occasions when dragging-and-dropping an attached file from Apple's Mail program to the Desktop. This happened to me while using various versions of OS X 10.4.x:
When I dropped the file onto the Desktop it displayed a one-character filename that looked something like a Chinese language symbol. Soon after that occurred — sometimes immediately, other times not — all items on my Desktop would begin flashing on and off, just as you describe. I tried force-quitting Finder and other apps, restarting, repairing permissions, all the usual remedies, but none of those helped. In each case — I think this happened to me two or three times, when I would forget and inadvertently copy the attached file by this method — I was eventually able to reboot my computer using the startup disk or another user name and delete the offending file. (The file could not be deleted if I booted or logged in under the user name I was using when the flashing began.) Once that file was deleted, the problem disappeared. I reported this problem to Apple and have left messages on several Mac message boards describing it but have never had anyone else confirm that they had the same thing happen. Yours may not have anything to do with this, but you might want to look at your Desktop files and see if any have a strange, one-character hieroglyphic-looking filename. Because of this problem, I began always to use Mail's "Save" option for attachments rather than drag-and-drop and I made sure that I always set up at least two admin-level users on my computers. After installing Leopard a few months ago, I decided I'd give the drag-and- drop method another try to see if the upgrade had fixed it, and it appears it has. I've dragged-and-dropped a dozen or so attachments from Mail to my Desktop recently without any corruption. Dan > I'm running 10.4.11/ > > When it blinks, it does not close program windows, but it does close > files and folders opened directly from a disk. It does look like a > finder problem to me. > >> The everything on the desktop disappears at the same time, and >> returns at the same time, a second later, altho any files or folders >> from the external hard drive do not re-appear. The cursor also moves >> during the blink. >> >> I have forced Finder to re-start, and I have re-booted, but have >> noticed no change. >> >> At 9:19 AM -0500 1/27/08, Jerry Freeman wrote: >>> ...and which OS? Preliminary, sounds like a Finder problem. Have you >>> relaunched the Finder in Force Quit. best...jf >>> >>> On Jan 27, 2008 7:34 AM, Ed Wiser >>> <<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>> By blinking is the screen dimming or the light changing? Or are the >>> icons blinking? >>> >>> >>> On Jan 27, 2008, at 2:19 AM, Nelson Helm wrote: >>> >>>> Everything on my desktop frequently blinks off and on. >>>> (perhaps 5 times while I worked on this post) >>>> >>>> Also, when finder looks for something, >>>> or when a program shud shut down after completing a task, >>>> it hangs. >>>> >>>> E.g., when I up-dated my software, >>>> the computer "optimized" my hard drive before quitting. >>>> But 90 minutes after the blue bar reached the end, >>>> the beach ball was still spinning. >>>> >>>> I have run TechTool Pro, and everything checks out. >>>> >>>> What to do next? >>>> >>>> >>>> Machine Name: iMac >>>> Machine Model: PowerMac4,2 >>>> CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (2.1) >>>> CPU Speed: 700 MHz >>>> Memory: 640 MB >>>> Boot ROM Version: 4.3.5f1 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will >>>> be February 26 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. >>>> Posting address: >>>> <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] >>>> Information: >>>> <http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup>http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will >>> be February 26 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. >>> Posting address: >>> <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected] >>> Information: >>> <http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup>http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> <http://ordinaryimages.com/>http://ordinaryimages.com/ >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will >>> be February 26 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. >>> Posting address: [email protected] >>> Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/ >>> macgroup >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will >> be February 26 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. >> Posting address: [email protected] >> Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup > > > > > _______________________________________________ > The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will > be February 26 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. > Posting address: [email protected] > Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup > > _______________________________________________ The next Louisville Computer Society meeting will be February 26 at MacAuthority, 128 Breckinridge Lane. Posting address: [email protected] Information: http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup
