Member Avatar for moonbeeme

I just bought a new Mac Book and have safari installed on it and when I try and launch it it will not open - so I am using Firefox. Maybe the two conflict?? Then I also cannot upload any softare updates - tells me that the server timed out and I check the server and it is fine. Any help out there?

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Thread notes a new MacBook where Safari refuses to launch and Software Update reports server timeouts. already suggested the usual quick fixes (opening from Applications, Force Quit, restart, reinstall) and offered perspective on alternative browsers. The suggestions are useful, but a few low-risk diagnostics often finds the real cause without an immediate reinstall.

Console logs and crash reports usually point to the offender. Console.app (Applications > Utilities) and the DiagnosticReports folders (/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports and ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports) will contain Safari or WebKit crash files. Look for crash reasons (SIGABRT, EXC_BAD_ACCESS) and any references to third-party plugins or frameworks. If a crash mentions Flash, Java, SIMBL, or other non-Apple code, removing or updating that component frequently restores normal startup.

Corrupted preferences, saved-state or caches can also block launch. Moving ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist, ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Safari.savedState, and ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.Safari to a temporary folder forces Safari to rebuild defaults without permanent deletion. Creating a fresh user account or booting into Safe Mode isolates whether the problem is user-specific or caused by third-party extensions. Activity Monitor can reveal hung Safari/WebContent processes that should be quit before relaunching.

The Software Update timeout usually points to the network or system clock: incorrect Date & Time will break secure connections, and proxies, DNS or firewalls can block Apple servers. Testing another network or checking proxy settings helps narrow that down. If diagnostics indicate persistent corruption, reinstalling Safari from an official Apple installer or doing a macOS reinstall after a full backup is the last resort. These steps expand on ’s reinstall idea while giving safe ways to find the root cause first; ’s suggestion to use alternate browsers remains a reasonable temporary workaround.

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Member Avatar for ApolloKnight

Try to open Safari using Applications Folder inside of Finder.

If that doesn't work, go to Apple, Force quit, and quit safari. Then try to start it again.

If that doesn't work, restart the system.


Worst come to worst, delete Safari from the dock & the applications folder (by dragging to the trash), then empty the trash. Then go and reinstall Safari.

Personally, I believe FF is a better Browser than safari.. kind of like FF vs. IE.

-A.K

Member Avatar for moonbeeme

Thanks - I will try this - but you think FF is better? The guy at MAC told me he thought that safari was better - I will just use FF if thats the case. I will try opening it from the app folder - thats the only thing I have not tried. Thanks so much!!

Member Avatar for ApolloKnight

Safari is the equivalant to Internet Exploer, except it is safer than IE! Ha. But yes, Firefox seems to work better with some websites compared to safari.

-A.K

Member Avatar for John A

>but you think FF is better?
There isn't a clear cut line between which browser is better. Firefox is more customizable, and seems to support more sites. Safari on the other hand, has a much smaller memory footprint, is fully compliant to (X)HTML standards, and I've found that it seems to run a bit faster than Firefox in most cases.

Additionally, there are other browsers contending on the Mac platform, some of them worth mentioning include Opera, Flock, and Camino. If you find that Firefox is a bit too bloated for your needs (and Safari still doesn't work), you may want to try one of these.

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