It was gone, but is now back.

I won't go into all of the gory details of my own making but the solution was simple.

Just prior to downloading and installing Lion, I had downloaded several updates through MacUpdate using Speed Download. That is my standard method. This meant there was a record of the arrival of each file with the ability to find its location in the Downloads folder using a 'Reveal' button. But that could not produce a firm Finder Window.

So I wrote to Yazsoft who replied:

"Hi Brian,
Delete the com.yazsoft.SpeedDownload.plist file from your preferences folder.
Log out, login, empty the trash and try again.
Best,
Johnny"

There was a problem still - finding it. Then I remembered that the 'Find Any File' application might help and that did locate the file. [Writing this some days after the event, I am misty how I located and launched Find Any File, but I did. I used 'Launchpad'. Now I have found a use for it.] FAF provides the option of several Control+ actions, one of which is to trash the selected file. This I did *.

Unbelievable as it may seem, problem solved. Finder Windows appeared and Lion was up and running.

--------------------
Regards from bjf
=============
* . At the time when I did the above, it was late evening after a few glasses of red followed by 2 hours of Bridge, so I was tired. To make matters worse, I did not have my reading glasses on so FAF window was a blur. Instead of Control+Send to Trash of the .plist file, I had selected the whole Preferences folder. Off it went. I did not empty .Trash. After dragging this folder back into ~/me/Library, all I have to do is get my passwords back. Nearly done.

==========================================

On 26/07/2011, at 2:58 AM, Doug McNutt wrote:

> At 15:37 +1000 7/25/11, Brian Ferguson wrote:
>> Yes, it is weird.
>> 
>> After taking 9h:10m to download, I can see all sorts of things in Lion but I cannot open any Finder windows.
>> 
>> I can see them on one Desktop, but they seem to be visible for a very short time as I move from one Desktop to another, but I cannot operate on them at all.
>> 
>> Perhaps there is something in System Preferences which I played with, but I don't know what, if any.
>> 
>> Simple-language reply please; not very sane at the moment.
>> 
>> Opening Applications seems fine, e.g. Mail, NWP, Preview, etc.
>> I just cannot access any work files.
> 
> Did you , perhaps, acquire a new user account and now can't get to folders under a previous account?
> 
> -- 
> 
> --> From the U S of A, the only socialist country that refuses to admit it. <--