# Mac problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 8, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290 "2008-08-08T15:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/1 "2008-08-08T15:36:03Z")
I was putting my PowerBook G4 to sleep when I noticed that the Finder/HD icon that usually lives in the upper-left corner of my screen was missing. I checked the trash but it wasn’t there. I used Finder from the Dock and tried to Macintosh HD to the desktop. Instead it ‘poofed’. I checked Trash and it wasn’t there. I did find it by using the Search box and put it back in its place in the Finder window. But it’s still not on my Desktop. I clicked Show all options in my Finder folder and now I have a Speech recognition ‘disc’ on my Desktop (always on top). I can’t close/hide it. 1. How do I get my HD icon back on the Desktop? 2. How do I hide the Speech icon? ETA: I did try rebooting. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/2 "2008-08-08T15:52:11Z")
Under ‘Finder Preferences’, ‘General’ pane: Checked the checkbox to show hard disks on the desktop. -If it’s already checked, uncheck it, then check it again. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/3 "2008-08-08T15:58:39Z")
Thanks. (It was checked already, so I did what you said.) Any idea of how to hide the Speech thing? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/4 "2008-08-08T16:08:26Z")
That’s in ‘System Preferences’ under System:Speech. Somehow ‘Speakable Items’ has been turned on. Turn it off. I’d run the disk repair utility at this point. Something, somehow has glitched your preferences. It’s best to take care of the problem before it starts in on other things. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/5 "2008-08-08T16:14:46Z")
The Speech icon came up when I clicked Show all options. EDIT: I clicked the Off box and that worked. Disc utility has three options: Verify Disc Permissions, Repair Disc Permissions, and Verify Disc. Do I choose Repair Disc Permissions? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/6 "2008-08-08T16:58:31Z")
Verify the disk. If it comes back with errors you’ll have to start up from another drive or CD, so you can repair it. Once that’s done, repair permissions. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/7 "2008-08-08T17:09:00Z")
Macintosh computers don’t have problems. Don’t you read Apple’s promotional literature? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/8 "2008-08-08T17:14:42Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] Macintosh computers don’t have problems. [/QUOTE] However, mine’s got a Vista partition (Nibiru). Damned thing causes no end of troubles. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/9 "2008-08-08T17:22:19Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] Macintosh computers don’t have problems. Don’t you read Apple’s promotional literature? [/QUOTE] Apparently not: > [@](#): > > **Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”** > Checking HFS Plus volume. > Checking Extents Overflow file. > Checking Catalog file. > Checking multi-linked files. > Checking Catalog hierarchy. > %) > Checking Extended Attributes file. > Checking volume bitmap. > Checking volume information. > The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK. > Mounting Disk > > **1 HFS volume checked > Volume passed verification** 😛 I must have clicked something inadvertently. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/10 "2008-08-08T17:44:19Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Somehow ‘Speakable Items’ has been turned on. [/QUOTE] As opposed to “Unspeakable Items?” Paging Howard Phillips! ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-problem/459290/11 "2008-08-08T18:49:37Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I must have clicked something inadvertently. [/QUOTE] But it only has the one button. Wait a minute; did you click Open Apple-Ctrl-C-Mouse Button at the same time? Yeah, you’re fucked. Stranger