file is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

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Level 1

103 points

file is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

All the files that I download from the internet return the error "*****" is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash. when I try to open them. This issue started today.

To clarify the problem only applies to downloaded files like apps, zip and dmg.

I'm able to open all the other files and run apps.

To solve the issue I reinstalled Catalina and disable Gatekeeper without any success.

Any Ideas on how to resolve this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Mac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) running Catalina 10..15.1

Thanks in advance,

WFG

iMac 27", macOS 10.15

Posted on Nov 26, 2019 5:05 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

wgrahame Author

Level 1

103 points

Dec 18, 2019 7:51 PM in response to wgrahame

Could not find a Fix, for the third time in a month I had to erase may machine and then do a restore. The difference is that this time I did a restore using the Time Machine backup from from the day before applying the 10.15.2 update, in previous 2 incidents I did a combination fresh Mac OS 10.15 install, manually transferring my files and migration assistance to move over apps from Time Machine.

Everything seems to be working fine, not sure how to proceed with the 10.15.2 update, I do not want to find my self in the same situation.

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Answer 2

El Deanio

Level 3

806 points

Jan 11, 2020 2:02 PM in response to wgrahame

I have experienced similar problems with 10.14.6. I was about to go to 15.2 when I read this post, so I have now hesitated to upgrade.

A couple of weeks ago I downloaded ScummVM from Ubisoft so that I may re-install my copy of Riven (5 CDs) and play it again. When I downloaded the installer I got the same message as you about the file being corrupted and moving it to the trash.

I found an answer in the Mojave forum here. The answer had me go into System Preferences/Security & Privacy/General then look for where it says -

“Allow apps downloaded from:

Apple Store
App Store and identified developers.

I then followed a very short instruction to use Terminal to disable a setting in GateKeeper. Just a short line that I could copy/paste.

Following this I now had a third option -

Allow from everyone.

After unlocking the pane and choosing this previously hidden option the downloaded files worked fine.

The instruction then showed me how to use Terminal to re-enable GateKeeper by using the same instruction say ‘enable' instead of ‘disable'. Although in practice it appears to have re-enabled itself at some point in time.

You will find the post in the Mojave forum. I think it may have been about three years old. I will look to see if I can find it again. If I find it I will post back with the link.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

210,777 points

Nov 27, 2019 1:43 PM in response to wgrahame

To tell if the problem is limited to your user account or is system wide log into another user account on your Mac, download a file and try to open it. If it opens then we know the problem is limited to your account.

Back in your account boot into Safe Mode (Use Safe Mode to isolate issues with your Mac) and repeat the download and open test. Reboot normally try opening the files again.\

NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.

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Answer 4

MacPCmb

Level 1

9 points

Jan 3, 2020 4:56 PM in response to wgrahame

I recently updated my 2013 27" iMac to macOS 10.15.2 Catalina, and found that I needed to update applications such as BackBlaze and TechTool Pro on my system. Downloaded the .dmg files and when I tried to open them, got the now infamous error message: "filename.dmg" is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash."

To test if this was true, I returned to my MacBook Pro running macOS 10.14 Mojave, downloaded the BackBlaze installer dmg file and successfully opened it on that system. Once the installer disk image was mounted on my desktop, I copied the installer App from that disk image and pasted it into a new folder in my iCloud Drive (in use on both the MBPro and on the iMac running Catalina). Back on the iMac, running Catalina, I used Command + Open to open the installer Application for Back Blaze, then answered the system security questions that yes, in fact, I did want to open that application. The installer application ran successfully in Catalina. Repeated the process for the TechTool Pro installer -- an Installer Package file -- copying it to the iCloud Drive folder. Repeated the Command + Open technique for the TechTool Pro Installer, but this time it did not work -- got the same "file is damaged" message. Have not found a work-around for this... yet. Hope this helps.

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Answer 5

TheLittles

Level 10

196,111 points

Dec 13, 2019 6:42 AM in response to wgrahame

wgrahame Said:

”file is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.”

———-

Scan your Mac for Malware:

Use MalwareBytes for Mac --- This is software that searches for malware/adware. Such software make your make act in mischievous ways(Technically). So, scan with it and then remove what is found. Once removed, uninstall MalwareBytes for Mac. Then restart the Mac.

Downloads:

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Answer 6

TheLittles

Level 10

196,111 points

Dec 14, 2019 10:39 AM in response to wgrahame

wgrahame Said:

”Thanks for the sugestión, but I am unable to install the app, anything I download gives the error file is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.”

———-

You are Welcome.

Create a Administrator-Type User.

Name it “test” and use the password “test” Try this in the new user. Delete the “test“ administrator user after all of this.

To Create the New Administrator User:

Go to:

System Preferences
Users and Groups
Unlock with Password (bottom-left of window)
Click the “+” button
Create a new user named “test”. Use:

administrator-type
”test” for the user name
“test” for the password

Login as “test” and see if this installs. If it install and work, then it’s something in your current user. If it doesn’t work, if it doesn’t the. it’s the application itself, most certainly. Just delete “test”

Whatever the application is, contact the developer for a new download — either it is incomparable with your Mac, or it is a corrupt download.

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Answer 7

MacPCmb

Level 1

9 points

Jan 4, 2020 3:24 PM in response to dot.com

Hello again. OK -- I ran the terminal commands as you suggested on the install_backblaze.dmg file on my desktop in Catalina, then tried to mount it, but still get the error message as show below

Note that after running the terminal commands as you suggested, and repeating the ls -lae@ install_backblaze.dmg in Terminal, I get these results:

-rw-r--r--@ 1 username staff 17658479 Jan 3 13:54 install_backblaze.dmg

com.apple.macl 72

com.apple.quarantine 57

The source for this file is at this URL -- see if you can download it on your system, and if you can get it to open on your machine running macOS 10.15.2: Download for Mac

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Answer 8

Old Toad

Level 10

210,777 points

Mar 17, 2020 10:28 AM in response to RiPC

Bring up the Info pane for that file and see if there's an Admin user listed in the Ownership & Permisions section. If not add it and make all of the users listed Read & Write. Then try to open the file.

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Answer 9

Nov 26, 2019 5:45 PM in response to wgrahame

How odd that this issue would persist after reinstalling Catalina. What browser do you use? If not Safari, perhaps the browser has an issue with Catalina. I would check for updates within the browser, and if that doesn’t help, try Safari or another browser. Let me know if you still have trouble.

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Answer 10

Nov 27, 2019 1:23 PM in response to wgrahame

What happens when you try to download these files on other devices in your home? Have you tried to download them on a network outside of your home? If you can share some links for these files, I can see what happens when I try on my Mac.

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Answer 11

wgrahame Author

Level 1

103 points

Dec 13, 2019 6:28 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for the reply, I ended doing a clean installed of the system and apps, then I moved my files manually.

It worked perfectly and my Mac was running like new until yesterday that I did the Mac OS 10.15.2 update, now all the files on all the accounts in the computer are "*****"is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

This is extremely frustrating, this is the second time I run into this issue since installing Catalina, never had this issue with previous Mac OS versions.

Doing a search of the community I can see that many user have the same problem, but I can find a solution that revolves the issue without having to do a clean install again.

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Answer 12

wgrahame Author

Level 1

103 points

Dec 14, 2019 2:27 PM in response to TheLittles

Thanks for the suggestion, but the issue is not related to one specific app, it's affecting all my my files on the computer, including documents and download, in all user accounts. The installed applications open and work fine.

It is extremely frustrating dealing with this issue, in my thirty years that I have been using Apple I have never encounter anything like this. As I mention before this the second time this has happen in less than a month and the only solution that fix the issue the first time was doing a clean install, I am not too keen on repeating the process, it was tedious and long.

Something is seriously wrong with Catalina and form what I can tell Apple is not paying attention to the problem or it does not care.

Bye the way tried the Administrator user and it does not fix the problem.

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Answer 13

dot.com

Level 4

2,455 points

Jan 3, 2020 5:11 PM in response to MacPCmb

Using the Terminal command "sum" do the two downloads show the same results? Are the file permissions and attributes the same? Try something like this in Terminal on both MacBook Pro and iMac systems:

uname -a
ifconfig -a
cd /folder-containing-dmg
sum filename.dmg
ls -lae@ filename.dmg

Post the results for both (change any personal info that you don't want public like username, IP address and ethernet hardware id) and maybe we can see what might be causing the problems. If you need more info, just ask.

Good luck...

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Answer 14

MacPCmb

Level 1

9 points

Jan 4, 2020 11:54 AM in response to dot.com

Thanks for your response. I used the terminal commands above and got the following results in Catalina, will post results from Mojave in my next post:

User@iMac27 Desktop % sum install_backblaze.dmg

3423 17245 install_backblaze.dmg

User@iMac27 Desktop % ls -lae@ install_backblaze.dmg

-rw-r--r--@ 1 username staff 17658479 Jan 3 13:54 install_backblaze.dmg

com.apple.lastuseddate#PS 16

com.apple.macl 72

com.apple.metadata:kMDItemDownloadedDate 53

com.apple.metadata:kMDItemWhereFroms 101

com.apple.quarantine 57

In Catalina, here are the results of the ifconfig -a command:

lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 16384

options=1203<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TXSTATUS,SW_TIMESTAMP>

inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000

inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128

inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

gif0: flags=8010<POINTOPOINT,MULTICAST> mtu 1280

stf0: flags=0<> mtu 1280

en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=400<CHANNEL_IO>

ether 88:63:df:a5:29:47

inet6 fe80::1c4a:9567:2fa3:d557%en1 prefixlen 64 secured scopeid 0x4

inet 192.168.254.11 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.254.255

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect

status: active

p2p0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 2304

options=400<CHANNEL_IO>

ether 0a:63:df:a5:29:47

media: autoselect

status: inactive

awdl0: flags=8943<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1484

options=400<CHANNEL_IO>

ether ae:6f:ac:b2:7f:5a

inet6 fe80::ac6f:acff:feb2:7f5a%awdl0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x6

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect

status: active

llw0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=400<CHANNEL_IO>

ether ae:6f:ac:b2:7f:5a

inet6 fe80::ac6f:acff:feb2:7f5a%llw0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x7

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect

status: active

en2: flags=8963<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=460<TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO>

ether 82:0d:65:07:00:00

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

en3: flags=8963<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=460<TSO4,TSO6,CHANNEL_IO>

ether 82:0d:65:07:00:01

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=50b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_HWTAGGING,AV,CHANNEL_IO>

ether 0c:4d:e9:c7:76:23

inet6 fe80::10e4:6152:2b72:f389%en0 prefixlen 64 secured scopeid 0xa

inet 192.168.254.13 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.254.255

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect (1000baseT <full-duplex,flow-control,energy-efficient-ethernet>)

status: active

bridge0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=63<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6>

ether 82:0d:65:07:00:00

Configuration:

id 0:0:0:0:0:0 priority 0 hellotime 0 fwddelay 0

maxage 0 holdcnt 0 proto stp maxaddr 100 timeout 1200

root id 0:0:0:0:0:0 priority 0 ifcost 0 port 0

ipfilter disabled flags 0x2

member: en2 flags=3<LEARNING,DISCOVER>

ifmaxaddr 0 port 8 priority 0 path cost 0

member: en3 flags=3<LEARNING,DISCOVER>

ifmaxaddr 0 port 9 priority 0 path cost 0

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: <unknown type>

status: inactive

utun0: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380

inet6 fe80::a58e:6376:e798:86b5%utun0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xc

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

utun1: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 2000

inet6 fe80::4fb:54ef:4b3a:3a3e%utun1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xd

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

utun2: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380

inet6 fe80::6701:854a:bcb:7f73%utun2 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xe

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

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Answer 15

MacPCmb

Level 1

9 points

Jan 4, 2020 12:30 PM in response to MacPCmb

Thank you for any help you can provide to troubleshoot this issue, which is applicable to any file I am downloading from the internet in Safari on my iMac running macOS Catalina 10.15.2, and also a pdf email attachment from Apple Mail.

Here are the comparable results from my MacBook Pro running macOS Mojave 10.14.6, for the same installer file downloaded from backblaze.com:

MacBookPro:Desktop username$ sum install_backblaze.dmg

3423 17245 install_backblaze.dmg

MacBookPro:Desktop username$ ls -lae@ install_backblaze.dmg

-rw-r--r--@ 1 username staff 17658479 Jan 3 11:28 install_backblaze.dmg

com.apple.diskimages.fsck 20

com.apple.diskimages.recentcksum 81

com.apple.lastuseddate#PS 16

com.apple.metadata:kMDItemDownloadedDate 53

com.apple.metadata:kMDItemWhereFroms 152

com.apple.quarantine 57

Here are the results of the ifconfig -a command in Mojave:

lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 16384

options=1203<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TXSTATUS,SW_TIMESTAMP>

inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000

inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128

inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

gif0: flags=8010<POINTOPOINT,MULTICAST> mtu 1280

stf0: flags=0<> mtu 1280

XHC20: flags=0<> mtu 0

XHC1: flags=0<> mtu 0

XHC0: flags=0<> mtu 0

en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

ether 8c:85:90:ad:aa:65

inet6 fe80::41b:208e:4bb1:738a%en0 prefixlen 64 secured scopeid 0x7

inet 192.168.254.43 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.254.255

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect

status: active

p2p0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 2304

ether 0e:85:90:ad:aa:65

media: autoselect

status: inactive

awdl0: flags=8943<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1484

ether 7a:89:47:49:7a:ad

inet6 fe80::7889:47ff:fe49:7aad%awdl0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x9

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect

status: active

en7: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

ether ac:de:48:00:11:22

inet6 fe80::aede:48ff:fe00:1122%en7 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0xa

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: autoselect

status: active

en1: flags=8963<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=60<TSO4,TSO6>

ether de:00:cc:69:c5:01

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

en2: flags=8963<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=60<TSO4,TSO6>

ether de:00:cc:69:c5:00

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

en3: flags=8963<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=60<TSO4,TSO6>

ether de:00:cc:69:c5:05

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

en4: flags=8963<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,PROMISC,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=60<TSO4,TSO6>

ether de:00:cc:69:c5:04

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

bridge0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=63<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,TSO4,TSO6>

ether de:00:cc:69:c5:01

Configuration:

id 0:0:0:0:0:0 priority 0 hellotime 0 fwddelay 0

maxage 0 holdcnt 0 proto stp maxaddr 100 timeout 1200

root id 0:0:0:0:0:0 priority 0 ifcost 0 port 0

ipfilter disabled flags 0x2

member: en1 flags=3<LEARNING,DISCOVER>

ifmaxaddr 0 port 11 priority 0 path cost 0

member: en2 flags=3<LEARNING,DISCOVER>

ifmaxaddr 0 port 12 priority 0 path cost 0

member: en3 flags=3<LEARNING,DISCOVER>

ifmaxaddr 0 port 13 priority 0 path cost 0

member: en4 flags=3<LEARNING,DISCOVER>

ifmaxaddr 0 port 14 priority 0 path cost 0

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

media: <unknown type>

status: inactive

utun0: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 2000

inet6 fe80::e07a:b04e:8598:bd83%utun0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x10

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

utun1: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380

inet6 fe80::9dad:816b:cb30:f1db%utun1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x11

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

utun2: flags=8051<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 1380

inet6 fe80::8efd:ff3d:da66:279a%utun2 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x12

nd6 options=201<PERFORMNUD,DAD>

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file is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

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