JamieWhen your Mac throws the errordomain=nscocoaerrordomain&errormessage=belirtilen kestirme bulunamadı.&errorcode=4 error, your workflow comes to a screeching halt. This Turkish error message (translating to “specified shortcut not found”) appears when macOS can’t locate or execute a command shortcut you’re trying to use. I’ve seen developers and everyday users struggle with this pesky interruption—but don’t worry; you have solutions at your fingertips.
This comprehensive manual breaks down what causes this NSCocoaErrorDomain error code 4, how to diagnose it systematically, and most importantly, how to fix it for good. With these battle-tested approaches, you’ll be back to your productive workflow.
Understanding NSCocoaErrorDomain “Belirtilen Kestirme Bulunamadi” Error
The errordomain=nscocoaerrordomain&errormessage=belirtilen kestirme bulunamadı.&errorcode=4 error has several key components worth understanding:
- NSCocoaErrorDomain: This is macOS’s internal domain for handling Cocoa application errors
- Error Code 4: In the NSCocoaErrorDomain, code 4 indicates explicitly a missing file or resource
- “Belirtilen kestirme bulunamadı”: This Turkish phrase translates to “specified shortcut not found”
When this error appears, you’ll typically see it in a dialog box that looks like this:
Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4
“belirtilen kestirme bulunamadı.”
UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=belirtilen kestirme bulunamadı.}
This means macOS tried to access a shortcut, script, or command that either doesn’t exist in the expected location or lacks proper permissions. The system expected to find a resource but came up empty-handed.
Common Causes of NSCocoaErrorDomain Error Code 4
1. Corrupted Shortcut Definitions
One of the most frequent causes is shortcuts that have become corrupted or improperly defined. This often happens after system updates.
applescript
— Example of a problematic shortcut definition
tell application “System Events”
key code 36 using {command down, option down}
— Points to a non-existent action or has incorrect syntax
end tell
Solution: Recreate the shortcut with proper syntax:
applescript
— Fixed shortcut definition
tell application “System Events”
key code 36 using {command down, option down}
— Now correctly mapped to Return key with modifiers
end tell
2. Missing Target Applications
Another common cause is when shortcuts reference applications that have been moved, renamed, or uninstalled.
applescript
— Problematic script pointing to missing app
tell application “MissingApp”
open file “document.txt”
end tell
Solution: Update the script to point to the correct application:
applescript
— Fixed script with correct application reference
tell application “TextEdit”
open file “document.txt”
end tell
3. System Permission Issues
After macOS security updates, permission settings can change, causing previously working shortcuts to fail.
bash
# Terminal command showing permission issue
ls -la ~/Library/Scripts/
# Shows restrictive permissions: -rw——-
Solution: Update permissions to allow execution:
bash
# Fixed permissions command
chmod 755 ~/Library/Scripts/YourScript.scpt
# Now shows: -rwxr-xr-x
4. Language Localization Conflicts
The Turkish error message hints at a localization issue. Sometimes, system language settings conflict with application expectations.
Solution: Check and reset your language settings in System Preferences, ensuring application consistency.
NSCocoaErrorDomain Error Solutions Comparison
| Prevention Techniques | Recovery Strategies |
| Regular verification of shortcuts after system updates | Reset all keyboard shortcuts in System Preferences |
| Store scripts in version control with clear paths | Recreate problematic shortcuts from scratch |
| Use absolute paths instead of relative ones in scripts | Reinstall applications associated with failing shortcuts |
| Add error handling in AppleScripts and Automator workflows | Use Safe Boot to clear system caches and then restart normally |
| Keep system language settings consistent | Reset NVRAM/PRAM to clear hardware settings that might interfere |
How to Diagnose NSCocoaErrorDomain Error Code 4
Follow this step-by-step diagnostic process to pinpoint the exact cause:
- Check Console Logs for Details
Open the Console application and search for “NSCocoaErrorDomain” to see the full error context:
bash
# Filtering Console logs for relevant errors
grep “NSCocoaErrorDomain.*Code=4” ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/*
This reveals which process triggered the error and potential file paths involved.
- Test Shortcuts in Isolation
Create a simple test script to determine if the issue is with specific shortcuts or system-wide:
applescript
— Test script to verify shortcut functionality
try
tell application “System Events”
key code 36 using {command down}
end tell
display dialog “Shortcut works!”
on error errMsg
display dialog “Error: ” & errMsg
end try
- Check Applications for Updates
Outdated applications might contain incompatible shortcut definitions. Use this script to check your application versions:
applescript
— Script to check application version
tell application “Safari”
set appVersion to version
display dialog “Safari version: ” & appVersion
end tell
- Verify File System Integrity
Run First Aid in Disk Utility to check for system corruption that might affect resource loading:
bash
# Command line alternative to Disk Utility First Aid
sudo fsck -fy
Implementing Robust Solutions for NSCocoaErrorDomain Errors
Create a Universal Shortcut Recovery Handler
This AppleScript module provides error handling specifically for NSCocoaErrorDomain errors:
applescript
— ShortcutErrorHandler.scpt
— A reusable module for handling shortcut errors
script ShortcutErrorHandler
— Main handler function
on handleShortcutAction(shortcutName, actionHandler)
try
run actionHandler
return true
on error errText number errNum
if errNum is -10000 then — NSCocoaErrorDomain typically maps to -10000 in AppleScript
— Log the error
my logError(shortcutName, errText, errNum)
— Attempt recovery
my attemptRecovery(shortcutName)
return false
else
— Different error, just log it
my logError(shortcutName, errText, errNum)
return false
end if
end try
end handleShortcutAction
— Error logging function
on logError(shortcutName, errText, errNum)
set logFile to (path to home folder as text) & “Library:Logs:ShortcutErrors.log”
set logMessage to (current date as text) & ” – ” & shortcutName & “: ” & errText & ” (” & errNum & “)”
try
set logFileRef to open for access file logFile with write permission
write logMessage & return to logFileRef starting at eof
close access logFileRef
on error
try
close access file logFile
end try
end try
end logError
— Recovery attempt function
on attemptRecovery(shortcutName)
— Create default shortcuts folder if missing
set shortcutsFolder to (path to home folder as text) & “Library:Shortcuts:”
tell application “Finder”
if not (exists folder shortcutsFolder) then
make new folder at (path to library folder from user domain) with properties {name:”Shortcuts”}
end if
end tell
— Notify user
display notification “Attempting to recover shortcut: ” & shortcutName with title “Shortcut Error Recovery”
end attemptRecovery
end script
— Example usage:
set myHandler to script
tell application “Finder”
open home
end tell
end script
tell ShortcutErrorHandler
handleShortcutAction(“Open Home Folder”, myHandler)
end tell
System-Wide Shortcut Reset Utility
For severe cases, this bash script helps reset all custom shortcuts to eliminate conflicts:
bash
#!/bin/bash
# reset_shortcuts.sh – Reset system shortcuts to defaults
# Backup current settings
echo “Backing up current shortcut settings…”
defaults export com.apple.symbolichotkeys ~/Desktop/symbolichotkeys_backup.plist
echo “Backup saved to ~/Desktop/symbolichotkeys_backup.plist”
# Reset symbolic hotkeys
echo “Resetting system shortcuts…”
defaults delete com.apple.symbolichotkeys
# Reset app-specific shortcuts for common apps
APPS=(“com.apple.Safari” “com.apple.mail” “com.apple.finder”)
for APP in “${APPS[@]}”; do
if defaults read $APP NSUserKeyEquivalents &>/dev/null; then
echo “Resetting shortcuts for $APP…”
defaults delete $APP NSUserKeyEquivalents
fi
done
# Kill cfprefsd to force preference reload
echo “Reloading preferences…”
killall cfprefsd
echo “Shortcut reset complete. You may need to log out and back in for changes to take effect.”
echo “To restore your previous settings, run: defaults import com.apple.symbolichotkeys ~/Desktop/symbolichotkeys_backup.plist”
Preventative Shortcut Management Class
This Python script offers a more sophisticated approach for managing shortcuts and preventing NSCocoaErrorDomain errors:
python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# shortcut_manager.py – Manage and monitor macOS shortcuts
import os
import subprocess
import json
import time
from datetime import datetime
class ShortcutManager:
def __init__(self):
self.home_dir = os.path.expanduser(“~”)
self.shortcuts_dir = os.path.join(self.home_dir, “Library”, “Shortcuts”)
self.log_file = os.path.join(self.home_dir, “Library”, “Logs”, “ShortcutManager.log”)
# Ensure shortcuts directory exists
os.makedirs(self.shortcuts_dir, exist_ok=True)
# Initialize shortcut registry
self.registry_file = os.path.join(self.shortcuts_dir, “registry.json”)
self.registry = self._load_registry()
def _load_registry(self):
“””Load or create the shortcut registry.”””
if os.path.exists(self.registry_file):
try:
with open(self.registry_file, ‘r’) as f:
return json.load(f)
except json.JSONDecodeError:
self._log(“Error: Registry file corrupted, creating new one”)
return {“shortcuts”: {}, “last_check”: “”}
else:
return {“shortcuts”: {}, “last_check”: “”}
def _save_registry(self):
“””Save the shortcut registry.”””
with open(self.registry_file, ‘w’) as f:
json.dump(self.registry, f, indent=2)
def _log(self, message):
“””Log a message with timestamp.”””
timestamp = datetime.now().strftime(“%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S”)
log_message = f”[{timestamp}] {message}\n”
with open(self.log_file, ‘a’) as f:
f.write(log_message)
def register_shortcut(self, name, app, command, key_combo):
“””Register a new shortcut.”””
shortcut_id = f”{app}:{name}”
self.registry[“shortcuts”][shortcut_id] = {
“name”: name,
“app”: app,
“command”: command,
“key_combo”: key_combo,
“created”: datetime.now().isoformat(),
“last_verified”: datetime.now().isoformat(),
“status”: “active”
}
self._save_registry()
self._log(f”Registered new shortcut: {shortcut_id}”)
return shortcut_id
def verify_shortcuts(self):
“””Verify all shortcuts are valid and accessible.”””
verified_count = 0
error_count = 0
for shortcut_id, info in self.registry[“shortcuts”].items():
if info[“app”] and not self._verify_app_exists(info[“app”]):
self.registry[“shortcuts”][shortcut_id][“status”] = “error:app_missing”
self._log(f”Error: App missing for shortcut {shortcut_id}”)
error_count += 1
else:
self.registry[“shortcuts”][shortcut_id][“status”] = “active”
self.registry[“shortcuts”][shortcut_id][“last_verified”] = datetime.now().isoformat()
verified_count += 1
self.registry[“last_check”] = datetime.now().isoformat()
self._save_registry()
self._log(f”Verification complete: {verified_count} valid, {error_count} errors”)
return verified_count, error_count
def _verify_app_exists(self, app_bundle_id):
“””Check if an application exists by bundle ID.”””
try:
result = subprocess.run(
[“mdfind”, f”kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier == ‘{app_bundle_id}'”],
capture_output=True, text=True, check=True
)
return bool(result.stdout.strip())
except subprocess.SubprocessError:
return False
def repair_shortcut(self, shortcut_id):
“””Attempt to repair a problematic shortcut.”””
if shortcut_id not in self.registry[“shortcuts”]:
self._log(f”Error: Cannot repair unknown shortcut {shortcut_id}”)
return False
shortcut = self.registry[“shortcuts”][shortcut_id]
if shortcut[“status”] == “error:app_missing”:
# Check if app has been renamed or moved
app_name = shortcut[“app”].split(“.”)[-1]
try:
result = subprocess.run(
[“mdfind”, f”kMDItemDisplayName == ‘{app_name}*'”],
capture_output=True, text=True, check=True
)
potential_apps = result.stdout.strip().split(“\n”)
if potential_apps and potential_apps[0]:
# Found a potential replacement app
app_info = subprocess.run(
[“mdls”, “-name”, “kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier”, potential_apps[0]],
capture_output=True, text=True, check=True
)
# Extract new bundle ID
for line in app_info.stdout.split(“\n”):
if “kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier” in line:
new_bundle_id = line.split(“=”)[1].strip(” \””)
shortcut[“app”] = new_bundle_id
shortcut[“status”] = “repaired”
self._log(f”Repaired shortcut {shortcut_id}: Updated app to {new_bundle_id}”)
self._save_registry()
return True
except subprocess.SubprocessError:
pass
self._log(f”Could not repair shortcut {shortcut_id}”)
return False
def export_shortcuts(self, output_file=None):
“””Export shortcuts to a JSON file.”””
if not output_file:
output_file = os.path.join(self.home_dir, “Desktop”, “shortcuts_export.json”)
with open(output_file, ‘w’) as f:
json.dump(self.registry[“shortcuts”], f, indent=2)
self._log(f”Exported shortcuts to {output_file}”)
return output_file
def import_shortcuts(self, import_file):
“””Import shortcuts from a JSON file.”””
if not os.path.exists(import_file):
self._log(f”Error: Import file {import_file} not found”)
return False
try:
with open(import_file, ‘r’) as f:
imported = json.load(f)
# Merge with existing registry
for shortcut_id, info in imported.items():
if shortcut_id in self.registry[“shortcuts”]:
self._log(f”Updating existing shortcut: {shortcut_id}”)
else:
self._log(f”Importing new shortcut: {shortcut_id}”)
self.registry[“shortcuts”][shortcut_id] = info
self._save_registry()
return True
except json.JSONDecodeError:
self._log(f”Error: Import file {import_file} is not valid JSON”)
return False
# Example usage
if __name__ == “__main__”:
manager = ShortcutManager()
# Register a test shortcut
manager.register_shortcut(
“Open Documents”,
“com.apple.finder”,
“open ~/Documents”,
“cmd+alt+D”
)
# Verify all shortcuts
manager.verify_shortcuts()
# Export shortcuts
manager.export_shortcuts()
Conclusion
The NSCocoaErrorDomain “belirtilen kestirme bulunamadı” error code 4 can be fixed by methodically addressing the root cause—corrupted shortcut definitions, missing application references, or system permission issues. The most critical step is verifying your shortcuts after system updates and maintaining consistent language settings.
Remember that proper error handling in your automation scripts prevents most instances of this error, saving you troubleshooting time and frustration down the road.
