MAR
07
Hidden Preference Panes for Mac OS X
Posted by Wendy
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.
I found few application that help us activating hidden preference pane. First application is the Archive Utility. Following these steps will help you :
- Open Finder
- Navigate into Mac HD ▸ System ▸ Library ▸ CoreServices ▸ Archive Utility.app
- Show contextual menu and choose Show Package Contents
- Open Contents ▸ Resources ▸ Archive.prefPane
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.
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.
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.
COMMENTS
steven
March 8th, 2008 at 02:34 AM
why not post pictures of the new pref panes?
Marc Gray
March 8th, 2008 at 04:10 AM
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
March 9th, 2008 at 09:46 PM
Interesting, but now how do I make them go away?
webmaster
March 10th, 2008 at 10:28 PM
@mark, just right-click on the icon and click "remove XXXX Preference Pane"
charlie
March 13th, 2008 at 05:31 PM
How boring. How about you learn how to speak and type English correctly before writing tutorials.
Lionhart
April 11th, 2008 at 06:11 PM
These are some decent tips; Charlie, your comments are uncalled for. Also, some users will still find this information useful, despite grammatical errors.
Joshua
April 28th, 2008 at 09:47 AM
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
May 11th, 2008 at 01:34 AM
the link of "secrets".... crash!!!!, so what's up?
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