Safari 7 integrates with OS X Mavericks to provide a streamlined and efficient user experience. With this integration comes the ability to add several different extensions and add-ons that can compromise the stability of the browser. Removing recently installed add-ons, disabling extensions and updating the software can often resolve the issue. In some cases, you may need to reset Safari to restore the original configuration and settings.
Buggy Add-Ons
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Add-ons could cause Safari to unexpectedly crash. Make sure you use only supported add-ons to ensure the greatest reliability. Quit Safari and attempt to uninstall any third-party add-ons. Check with the manufacturer of the add-on to see if the add-on comes with an uninstaller. Otherwise, you need to completely close down Safari and attempt to manually remove the add-on yourself. Add-ons generally get installed into the Library folder for both the user account and the root user. Check the "Internet Plug-Ins," "Input Methods," "Input Managers" and "ScriptingAdditions" sub-folders and delete any files associated with a third-party add-on.
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Attempt to run Safari before emptying the Trash. If Safari runs as expected, you can safely empty the trash. Otherwise, use the "Put Back" feature to restore the files to the original locations.
Problematic Extensions
If you recently installed an extension and noticed that Safari started crashing, try uninstalling the latest extensions. If this doesn't solve the problem, you can always install the extensions again. Uninstall an extension by clicking the "Safari" menu and selecting the "Preferences..." option. Click the "Extensions" tab and select the "Uninstall" option next to any new extensions. If you want to troubleshoot the problem before uninstalling extensions, set the toggle switch to the "Off" position to disable all extensions. If Safari runs normally after this, it could indicate an issue with one of your extensions. Click the "Updates" button to check for newer versions that might solve the problem.
Update Safari
Running the latest version of Safari can sometimes fix a browser problem. Click the Apple menu, select "Software Update..." and select the "Update All" button to update all the Mac OS X Mavericks software. If an update for Safari exists, try using your browser after installing the update to see if it fixes your problem.
Delete Preferences FIle
The preferences file contains a list of all of your settings for Safari. Sometimes when the system gets powered off unexpectedly or you experience a hard drive error, the preference file gets corrupted. Deleting the preferences file can give you a fresh start. Safari looks for the file when it launches and if it doesn't find the file it creates a new version.
Click the "Go" menu, hold down the "Option" key and select the "Library" option from the drop-down menu. Access the "Preferences" folder and delete the file named "com.apple.Safari.plist." Launch Safari and check to see if deleting the preferences file corrected the issue.
Reset Safari
After trying other troubleshooting options, you can try resetting Safari to its factory defaults to see if it solves your problem. Resetting Safari doesn't remove any add-ons, extensions or bookmarks you added to your browser. However, it does remove all of the notifications, resets many of the preferences and can sometimes resolve an issue with unexpected crashes. When you reset Safari, the history, cookies and other website data also get cleared. Keeping your history for several days, weeks, months or a year can cause the browser to stop functioning efficiently and cause unexpected crashes. Click the "Safari" menu, select "Reset Safari..." and check every available box. Select the "Reset" button to reset your browser.