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Hidden Preference Panes for Mac OS X

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Preference panes are dynamically loaded plug-ins that provide a graphical user interface to the system’s or an application’s user preferences - Apple

In System Preferences, each icon represents an individual preference pane plug-in which can be used to change or modify the setting for each application.
Most of preference panes contain generally used application. We can also create our own preference panes that will be able to be used by System Preferences or even by your application. The link above contains the details, if you're interested.

PrefPane 1

I found few application that help us activating hidden preference pane. First application is the Archive Utility. Following these steps will help you :

  1. Open Finder
  2. Navigate into Mac HD ▸ System ▸ Library ▸ CoreServices ▸ Archive Utility.app
  3. Show contextual menu and choose Show Package Contents
  4. Open Contents ▸ Resources ▸ Archive.prefPane

PrefPane 2

PrefPane 3

Once you double click the "Archives.prefPane" then it will prompt up for installation and password required if you install it for all users on your mac.

PrefPane 4

PrefPane 5

Repeat the same thing, you can do it for Disk Image Application. Go to using your Finder - Mac HD ▸ System ▸ Library ▸ PrivateFrameworks ▸ DiskImages.framework ▸ Versions ▸ A ▸ Resources. Find the preference pane and double click it to install it.

PrefPane 7

Beside, I found out a very nice various kind of preference panes that can modify a lot of Mac OS X hidden feature.
Check out this website which will reveal you the secret. This application is done by the same developer who develops Quicksilver.
Overdoing this may be harmful to your Mac because you're playing around with your system file. Most of the case take effects after rebooting your computer.

Picture 10

Categories: Popular, Productivity, Tips and Tricks
Tags: Mac

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12 Comments

steven 

why not post pictures of the new pref panes?

Marc Gray 

Thanx a lot.

The process of installing the two "hidden" Apple Preference Panes is an automated command in "Leopard Cache Cleaner", an  outstanding application.

Mark Batt 

Interesting, but now how do I make them go away?

webmaster 

@mark, just right-click on the icon and click "remove XXXX Preference Pane"

charlie 

How boring.  How about you learn how to speak and type English correctly before writing tutorials.

Lionhart 

These are some decent tips; Charlie, your comments are uncalled for.  Also, some users will still find this information useful, despite grammatical errors.

Joshua 

I cannot get the link to the website for Secrets to work.
I keep getting an "502 Bad Gateway" Error that tells me "The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server."
I would really like to download this prefpane.
Any idea where else I can get it?

Jo 

the link of "secrets".... crash!!!!, so what's up?

camilla 

my mac doesnt say CoreServices.
grr =[

Matt 

Not bad, not bad :)

Gray Stockton 

How did you get your scrollbar to look like the one in itunes?

Shabbir Ahmed 

What do you do when you cant use the regular pref. pane.
I cannot load it! Its making life kinda tough. Please respond via email. THANKS!

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