Computer Name screen saver appears as a folder

This FAQ describes:

• A Mac® OS X 10.4 Tiger® anomaly where:
  • The Computer Name screen saver appears as a folder in Screen Saver preferences.
  • System Preferences crashes if you are using the Computer Name screen saver and you attempt to use the Change Desktop Background choice of your desktop's contextual menu.
• A workaround for the problem.

Note: This problem is solved in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.

Problem Description

1. You select the Change Desktop Background choice in the contextual menu of your desktop.
2. Desktop & Screen Saver preferences are launched with the Screen Saver tab open.
3. If you are using the Computer Name screen saver, System Preferences may crash immediately. Otherwise:
   1. The Computer Name screen saver appears as a folder in the Screen Savers list, as seen in the following screen shot:
      1. 
   2. Clicking the Computer Name screen saver displays a Finder navigation sheet.

This appears to be a bug in either Desktop & Screen Saver preferences or the Computer Name screen saver itself. If one leaves the Screen Saver tab open in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences, quits System Preferences, then reopens Desktop & Screen Saver preferences using the Change Desktop Background choice in the desktop's contextual menu, then the anomalies described above result.

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Launch System Preferences by any means, e.g. selecting Apple Menu > System Preferences or via its icon in either the Applications folder or the Dock.
2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.
3. If not open, click the Screen Saver tab.
4. Quit System Preferences. One can also use other preference panes before quitting System Preferences: the key is to leave Desktop & Screen Saver preferences with the Screen Saver tab selected (open).
5. Reopen Desktop & Screen Saver preferences using the Change Desktop Background choice in the desktop's contextual menu:
   1. Control-click the desktop.
   2. Select Change Desktop Background from the resulting contextual menu.
6. Results:

• If you are using the Computer Name screen saver, either:
  • System Preferences will crash immediately.
  • A Finder navigation dialog may appear. Clicking Cancel closes the dialog and System Preferences crashes almost immediately thereafter.
• Otherwise, the Computer Name screen saver appears as a folder and cannot be launched.

The problem occurs if the Screen Saver tab was the selected (open) tab in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences when one last used that preference pane.

Workaround

The key to avoiding the bug is to not leave the Screen Saver tab selected in Desktop & Screen Saver preferences. Instead, select the Desktop tab before leaving Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.

1. Launch System Preferences.
2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver preferences.
3. If you are using the Computer Name screen saver, consider selecting a different screen saver in the Screen Saver tab.
4. Click the Desktop tab.
5. Quit System Preferences.

To confirm that the workaround fixed the problem:

1. Reopen Desktop & Screen Saver preferences using the Change Desktop Background choice in the desktop's contextual menu. Desktop & Screen Saver preferences open to the Desktop tab.
2. Click the Screen Saver tab. The Computer Name screen saver appears correctly and functions nominally.
3. Make changes, if desired, in Screen Saver preferences.
4. Click the Desktop tab.
5. Quit System Preferences.

A bug report has been filed with Apple on this issue. This FAQ will be updated as more information becomes available.