Weird preferences folders

On 21-Feb-07, at 11:14 AM, r2ggentlysloping.com wrote:

> I am looking at one user's preference folder (~/Library/Preferences)
> on a G5 running 10.4.8 and there are approximately 30 empty-looking
> folders with different creation dates, all named with some
> gobbledygook with special European characters such as < ?ô˜,> or <ü
> ´?> <ý„?> <ÿô?> <ÿä˜> <î´?> (brackets are mine)...
>
> I'm wondering if anyone knows what it could be and/or could they be
> deleted (I assume anything in /Preferences can be deleted, but I've
> never seen such a thing before).

I have seen this recently as well... I just deleted them all. The
client has not complained of strange occurrences since, so I suspect
no harm was done!

The client in question is a designer, and was using Adobe and Quark
products. Maybe they were involved?

I have not checked to see if those folders have reappeared since...

Cheers,

Dave

On 21.02.2007, at 17:14, r2ggentlysloping.com wrote:

> I am looking at one user's preference folder (~/Library/Preferences)
> on a G5 running 10.4.8 and there are approximately 30 empty-looking
> folders with different creation dates, all named with some
> gobbledygook with special European characters such as < ?ô˜,> or <ü
> ´?> <ý„?> <ÿô?> <ÿä˜> <î´?> (brackets are mine)...

A recent MacOSXHints article covers this phenomenon:

"A possible cause for oddly named Preferences folder"
<http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070215095449325>

In short, the Epson TWAIN plug-in for Photoshop CS2 creates these
folders each time it runs.

Cheers, Kei.

On or about 2/21/07 8:14 AM, thus spake "r2ggentlysloping.com"
<r2ggentlysloping.com>:

> I am looking at one user's preference folder (~/Library/Preferences)
> on a G5 running 10.4.8 and there are approximately 30 empty-looking
> folders with different creation dates, all named with some
> gobbledygook with special European characters

As a rule, things with funny names in Preferences are usually some app's
attempt to implement its payment scheme - it makes a record of when you
first use the app, so that when the demo runs out it can refuse to run
unless you've paid. These, of course, might not be that. But then you can
have recourse to a second rule, which is that it can never do harm to delete
stuff in the Preferences folder, provided you are prepared to supply your
serial number again if it turns out that what you deleted was where your
registration for an app was being remembered. m.

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On Feb 21, 2007, at 8:14 AM, r2ggentlysloping.com wrote:

> I am looking at one user's preference folder (~/Library/Preferences)
> on a G5 running 10.4.8 and there are approximately 30 empty-looking
> folders with different creation dates, all named with some
> gobbledygook with special European characters such as < ?ô˜,> or <ü
> ´?> <ý„?> <ÿô?> <ÿä˜> <î´?> (brackets are mine)...

There has recently been a long discussion of this in one of the venus
I visit. As I don't have the problem, I haven't paid attention in
detail, but...

Except for the clutter, the folders are basically harmless (and
empty). They can also be deleted freely.

They are associated with the TWAIN driver associated with one or more
Canon (I think it is) scanners, when used wtih a range of Adobe
products. It appears that if you need the combination in current
versions, you're stuck with the folders appearing.

   --John

>
> A recent MacOSXHints article covers this phenomenon:
>
> "A possible cause for oddly named Preferences folder"
> <http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070215095449325>
>
> In short, the Epson TWAIN plug-in for Photoshop CS2 creates these
> folders each time it runs.

Thanks, that's definitely the case here -- Photoshop + Epson Twain --
I threw all those folders out, and upon launching Photoshop, a new
one appeared in the preferences. Interesting.

--- Kei Ishii <kei.ishiigmail.com> wrote:
>
> In short, the Epson TWAIN plug-in for Photoshop CS2
> creates these folders each time it runs.

I also get these weird preferences folders, however, I
only have Photoshop CS (not 2).

On my wife's Mini Mac (Intel), Photoshop quits before
completely launching. Haven't been able to figure it
out.

Took Epson Twain out of the plug-in folder and it
solved both problems.

Marty Curtis