Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items

I no longer use OneDrive, but still have the folder on my local HDD from the time I did.

OneDrive is no longer running.

Some files are completely unaccessible to me. I have tried:

$> chmod 777 document.docx
$> chown myusername document.docx

etc, as well as reviewing the permissions in the Get Info screen to be sure it is set to "read & write".


Nothing I can do will allow me access to this file. Can't open it, can't move it, can't delete it.


On my iMac, which hasn't been upgraded to Catalina, I still have all the correct access to this same file, which was also put there by OneDrive.


What's even more weird, is ls -al indicates it is a symbolic link?! But doesn't show what it links to?


The entire internet is telling me this is an SIP issue, and not to mess with system files.


What do I do to reclaim this file? Why is there no hint of the lack of permissions in any of the system tools?


This is a bug in Catalina, and I will not be updating anything else until this is resolved.



MacBook Pro

Posted on Dec 3, 2019 1:53 PM

Reply

Similar questions

4 replies
Sort By: 

Dec 4, 2019 3:31 PM in response to Kappy

Hey thanks for your help @kappy, but it is still not working for me.

The GetInfo window shows that I have read/write access.

The ls -l shows that the file is owned by my user, and is in the same group as my user.

I ran the RepairHomePermissions app, and also tried the commands themselves manually on the command line, and rebooted. I still have no ability to do anything with the file: open/rename/move/copy all fail.

Any other suggestions?

Reply

Dec 3, 2019 8:24 PM in response to jakehawkes42

What file do you want to reclaim? You need to turn off the SIP, first.


What is SIP and when is it safe to turn it off?

Disable System Integrity Protection (SIP) - Rootless In OS X El Capitan - How To


Turning Off Rootless System Integrity Protection in OS X El Capitan 10.11.x or Later


Again, the vast majority of Mac users should not disable rootless. Disabling rootless is aimed exclusively at advanced Mac users. Do so at your own risk, this is not specifically recommended.


Reboot the Mac and hold down Command + R keys after the startup chime, this will boot OS X into Recovery HD. When the Utility Menu appears, select the Terminal from the Utilities menu in the menubar. Paste the following command into the terminal then hit return: csrutil disablereboot.


You’ll see a message saying that System Integrity Protection has been disabled, and the Mac needs to restart for changes to take effect. The Mac will then reboot itself automatically. You can also issue the command by itself without the automatic reboot like so: csrutil disable.


Once the Mac boots up again, System Integrity Protection will be disabled entirely in OS X.


Checking the Status of Rootless / System Integrity Protection in OS X


If you want to know the status of rootless before rebooting or without rebooting the Mac from the Recovery HD, just paste the following command into the Terminal: csrutil status


You’ll either see one of two messages:


csrutil status

System Integrity Protection status: enabled


or


csrutil status

System Integrity Protection status: disabled


If at any time you want to change the status of rootless, another reboot from the Recovery HD is required.


How to Re-Enable Rootless System Integrity Protection in OS X


Simply reboot the Mac again from the Recovery HD as directed above, but at the command line use the following syntax instead: csrutil enable


Just as before, a reboot of the Mac is required for changes to take effect.

Reply

Dec 4, 2019 2:18 PM in response to Kappy

Ok, that is easy enough to do, but then what? I see no difference to the file permissions, and I still can't do anything with the file.

The file is not located anywhere near system files, so I'm not sure I understand why disabling SIP is going to have an effect on a file sitting in a subfolder of my home folder...

Reply

Dec 4, 2019 2:32 PM in response to jakehawkes42

The SIP prevents deletion of all sorts of files whether system or not. Only files in your Home folder can be removed by you except for some in the invisible Library folder. If you think it is a permissions problem, then select the file, press COMMAND-I to open the Get Info window. At the bottom, click on the arrowhead by Sharing & Permissions to open the panel. You can then change permissions by first clicking on the lock icon and entering your admin password. You may find other permission problems in your Home folder so here is a way to fix all of them: RepairHomePermissions 1.2 (Sierra, High Sierra and Mojave.) It will also work in Catalina.


Note that files from your computer are not going to be writeable or editable on someone else's computer unless you set the "everyone" user to Read & Write. This may not be desirable for security issues, so use the Shared folder locate in the Users folder - :HD_Drive/Users/Shared/.

Reply

The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.