files changing to unix executable files in leopard!

I found that a number of Windows files copied across to an external HFS+ hard disk from a Windows PC using MacDrive showed as Unix executables.

It turned out that they files had Execute permissions set for all users.

You can change the "Execute" setting using chmod in the terminal, but a simpler solution is to install FileUtilsCM, a free context menu control available from http://www.abracode.com/free/cmworkshop/file_utils.html

It offers a variety of high level controls, including remove file type and creator; remove resource fork; clear "execute" Unix attribute.

I found this fixed the problem for my files. The "clear execute" control fixed the file type, and the "remove type & creator" command converted the type back to Plain text from Document.

I don't know if it will work for your problem, but could be worth a try. Works in Leopard 10.5.1 for me.

Slightly more control is available from Super Get Info from Barebones http://www.barebones.com/products/super/index.shtml

That's not free, however, but it does allow you to set the file type and creator.

DN

Sparkyj

Although this is no help to you with your problem, it may interest you to know that this misbehaviour has been an issue in both 10.3 and 10.4. I'm disappointed to see it is still present in 10.5 - I'd hoped that it had been eliminated by now.

Files can occasionally show up as all sorts of things (in 10.3 and 10.4) - not just as Unix Executables. The resource forks seem to be the cause of some of this behaviour, I've been told.

Good luck!

If the files are stored on FAT formatted disks they can lose their suffixes. You can re-attach them with a file renaming utility such as FileList

Regards

TD

I had the same problem when I backed up my files before upgrading to Leopard (clean install...)

Several of my Freehand MX files and Apple Works files suddenly had a unix exec icon and for Kind: Unix Executable File. A lot of searching on this website had me deleting resource forks, clearing Execuatble Attributes and everything else that was recommended. Nothing worked.

In the end I used Super Get Info from Bare Bones Software http://www.barebones.com/store/ to change the Type and Creator fields to match other files of the same type (that hadn't been corrupted.) This took me a while to discover since the right letters were there but they were in the wrong order so at first glance everything looked to be correct.)

It's a tedius process but maybe someone who knows about scripting can write one to solve this??

Good luck!

And let me know if it works!

DN,

I just downloaded the free FileUtilsCM, and it all seems to be there, but I have no idea how to work it, or make it work to keep my files in tact. I have it on the leopard, not on the computer I'm trying to transfer my data from.
So, I dragged a number of Appleworks files to the thumb drive with the SD card in on the old computer. I unplugged and plugged into the Leopard, the SD icon appeared on the desktop, I found the files I needed, but they are in the Unix format. So, what do I do from here to get the file to revert back to Appleworks, using the FileUtilsCM application?

Thanks in advance for any information from anyone....

Little Champ

I also have had Appleworks files changed, by Leopard, to unix files. I don't know a solution, or FileUtils, but for me, I found a work around. Instead of trying to open the file, open Appleworks, and chose NEW from the File menu ontop. Select Word Processing, or Drawing or Spreadsheet or whatever type file you have. Then, drag the Unix converted icon onto the New blank page. It's restored.

I've also had this problem with Preview saving .jpg files as Unix. If I add the missing extension .jpg after the icon name, the file reverts back to Preview. Adding the extension onto the file's name, if it's missing or hidden, might work for Appleworks, as well.

Not very sophisticated, but hopefully it will work for you, too.