MacOS – Applications (Google Drive, Dropbox, Eclipse, etc) only start when I launch them from within their package

applicationsdropboxgoogle-drivemacos

I am running Mountain Lion and I have an issue when trying to start certain applications: Dropbox, Google Drive and Eclipse.

If I click their icon inside the Applications Folder or I try to launch them from Spotlight, they will not start. As simple as that, they just will not start, no sign of anything, nothing.

However, I found out that I can still launch them if I do the following:

  • Suppose I would like to launch Google Drive, then I will go to the Applications folder in Finder.
  • Right click the icon of Google Drive and select the option 'Show Package Contents'

  • Go inside the Contents folder (only folder that appears when I perform step 2).

  • Go inside the MacOS folder.

  • Double – click the unix executable file that has the name of the application I want to run, i.e. Google Drive

After this, a Terminal window is launch and the application starts and keeps running as long as this windows is open.

My questions are: how could I start my application in the easy usual way (click on its icon)? Has anybody experience the same issue? Did you find a solution?

Thank you very much!

Best Answer

It is possible that this could be a hardware problem? Specifically the logic board. I discovered mine needs replacing. I am having the same errors. I also discovered that launching the Unix Executable works for many of the apps that otherwise won't load. This makes no sense to me, but after hearing two Apple Support Technicians confirm, who am I to question.