JeffT

Q: "Finder wants to make changes" Why is password required to delete a file?

If I drag an image from my browser to my desktop and later try to delete it, a notice comes up which reads, "The finder wants to make changes" and then asks for my password.

This is very annoying and is new. Whats up?

Thanks.

 

Jeff

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Jul 15, 2013 11:49 AM

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Q: "Finder wants to make changes" Why is password required to delete a file?

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  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Jul 15, 2013 11:53 AM in response to JeffT
    Level 10 (312,610 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2013 11:53 AM in response to JeffT

    Choose Go to Folder from the Finder's Go menu, provide ~/.Trash as the path, choose Get Info from the File menu, give yourself Read and Write access to it, and unlock it.

     

    (85610)

  • by JeffT,

    JeffT JeffT Jul 15, 2013 12:06 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 15, 2013 12:06 PM in response to Niel

    Just tried that and it states trash can't be opened because I don't have the permission to see it's contents.

     

    Why wouldn't I jave permission to see it's contents? I'm the admin.

     

    Any idea how this might've gotten started?

  • by JeffT,

    JeffT JeffT Jul 15, 2013 12:20 PM in response to JeffT
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 15, 2013 12:20 PM in response to JeffT

    Does it have anything to do with changing the name of the HD?

  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Jul 15, 2013 1:01 PM in response to JeffT
    Level 10 (312,610 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2013 1:01 PM in response to JeffT

    Open the AppleScript Editor in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder and run the following:

     

    do shell script "chown " & (do shell script "echo $UID") & " ~/.Trash" with administrator privileges

    do shell script "chmod u+rwx ~/.Trash"

     

    (85617)

  • by JeffT,

    JeffT JeffT Jul 15, 2013 1:56 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 15, 2013 1:56 PM in response to Niel

    sorry but that looks like two scripts. Run the first and then the other?

     

    I'd really like to know why this started happening in the first place. Thanks. Something I did or is it from recent upgrade?

  • by Niel,Helpful

    Niel Niel Jul 15, 2013 1:59 PM in response to JeffT
    Level 10 (312,610 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 15, 2013 1:59 PM in response to JeffT

    They're different lines of a single script.

     

    (85622)

  • by JeffT,

    JeffT JeffT Jul 15, 2013 10:46 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 15, 2013 10:46 PM in response to Niel

    I don't doubt tthat your script solution would have worked I still called AppleCare.

     

    It was obviously a permissions issue. Their solution was to restart with Command and R keys held to start up in recovery mode which led to a window with 4 options in it available to me.

    On the list was Disk Utility. I had tried Disk Utility before even posting here in Discussions. Remember this is now Recovery Mode Disk Utility.

    I verified first and found two permissions out of whack. I ran Repair and then restarted and the problem was gone.

    Regular Repair Permissions didn't do it.

     

    Thanks for your help/

  • by d00dbro,

    d00dbro d00dbro Jul 15, 2013 11:38 PM in response to JeffT
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Jul 15, 2013 11:38 PM in response to JeffT

    Yeah, I was going to say that. The trash permissions being off is a really bad sign and warrants a permissions repair in Disk Utility. You don't even need to boot into the recovery partition to do that.

  • by JeffT,

    JeffT JeffT Jul 15, 2013 11:47 PM in response to d00dbro
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 15, 2013 11:47 PM in response to d00dbro

    I thought that as well but repairing disk permissions w/out going to recovery didn't work. Not this time.I tried it.

  • by d00dbro,

    d00dbro d00dbro Jul 16, 2013 12:07 AM in response to JeffT
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Jul 16, 2013 12:07 AM in response to JeffT

    That's strange. It should do the same thing... Anyway, glad you got it working.

  • by Soundwolf,

    Soundwolf Soundwolf Jan 11, 2014 8:45 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2014 8:45 PM in response to Niel

    I had this same problem. I tried everything from Repair Permissions (several times), to rebooting in several different modes, to reinstalling System 10.7.5. Nothing worked. Then I found your post, copied and pasted your script into AppleScript Editor, ran it, and it solved the problem. Thanks, Niel.

     

    Like jeffT, I would like to know why this problem suddenly turned up on its own. I'm too technologically challenged to make it happen myself. Thanks again...

  • by Milk_Money,

    Milk_Money Milk_Money Jan 23, 2014 10:41 PM in response to JeffT
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 23, 2014 10:41 PM in response to JeffT

    I am having the same issue. I installed Minecraft on my MacBook Pro and have had all kinds of issues. I took it to the Apple store and they took care of it. I installed Minecraft again and am having different issues.

     

    Not sure if any of you installed Minecraft. I never had any issues until I installed it!

  • by BJNYC,

    BJNYC BJNYC Feb 3, 2014 2:13 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 3, 2014 2:13 PM in response to Niel

    Niel - Your Apple Script did the trick. Thanks! - BJ

  • by ODog,

    ODog ODog Feb 23, 2014 9:21 AM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 23, 2014 9:21 AM in response to Niel

    Neil,

    just found your post on how to keep the "finder wants to make changes.type your pass to allow" box from coming up.

     

    i know typing the wront code in the terminal can cause big issues and i'm not that savey when it comes to code. not sure if this is the case here?

     

    what exactly am i typing in the appscript editor?

     

    am i typing:     "chown "   with quotes and hitting run?

     

    and then  "echo $UID"   hit run?

     

    and then   "chmod u+rwx ~/.Trash" 

     

     

    my trash folder already has admin priv.

     

     

    thanks for your time

    owen

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