After Time Machine restore most Apple Apps fail to launch (Permissions)

Question

After Time Machine restore most Apple Apps fail to launch (Permissions)

Hi,

I just restored my Fusion Drive iMac (MacOS Mojave) from a Time Machine backup. The restore was successful. However, I am having many permissions issues with the machine. I get prompted for my computer password anytime I want to lauch an apple app and they fail to open. After entering the correct account information It tells me that the program cannot run. Here are a couple screenshots:

I tried to run keychain first aid, but It doesn't seem to be there in Mojave. Some apps experiencing the issue are Safari, Messages, and mail. However, iWork apps do not have the issue.

Here is some info from Console related to mail.app refusing to open:

default 11:01:16.673843 -0400 com.apple.library-repair.agent unable to get real path of: /Users/myuseraccount/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail

default 11:01:24.328565 -0400 loginwindow -[PersistentAppsSupport applicationQuit:] | for app:Mail, _appTrackingState = 2

default 11:01:24.328584 -0400 loginwindow -[PersistentAppsSupport applicationQuit:] | App: Mail, quit, updating active tracking timer

error 11:01:24.330477 -0400 contextstored Death of untracked active application: com.apple.mail

I've tracked down that there are several apple directories inside ~/Library that I do not have access to. Each of these Apple apps that fail are show that "Fetching" has access, but I do not. I can add myself to the directory, give my self read/write permissions. However, applying to all enclosed folders does not work. I have to manually add myself to every folder and every sub folder.

I have thought about chown'ing myself in terminal and letting it be recursive, but are there any dangers in making myself the owner of everying inside ~/Library?

Any thoughts to get my machine working correctly again would be great.

thanks

2015 iMac

Mac OS 10.14.6

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Apr 28, 2020 8:09 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

joshuafrompalmetto Author

Level 1

18 points

May 20, 2020 9:08 AM in response to joshuafrompalmetto

I've realized now that all these permission errors are caused by a userID mismatch on these directories and files not being mapped correcly by the User Migration Tool (both during a time machine restore, and a User Migration Tool on a clean install) . When I set up my user account for the User Migration Tool, it sets the user account ID as a certain number (lets say 505). But it does not change all the directories and files to 505 (Specifically all Apple Apps, settings, and some directories in ~/Library). Instead, it leaves them as my original UID number (let's say 503).

So, Here is what I did. I do not know if this is a total solution because I received a few permission denied errors in places I didn't think they should happen while in the process, but all the Apple apps are working and I can see all my files:

Find out my user account's unique ID by running the "id" within the terminal (You can get the same information in GUI format within the Directory Utility application).
Boot into Recovery Mode
1. [Command]+[r] at boot.
Open Terminal
Run the following command to disable filesystem protections and allow me to make permission edits:
1. csrutil enable --without fs
Restart into Single User Mode:
1. [Command]+[s] at boot.
Mount my Hard Drive in Read/Write mode to allow me to edit permissions in Single User mode.
1. mount -uw /
go to the Users directory and run chown recursively for my unique user ID:
1. chown -R UID# myhomedirectory
  1. example for a UID of 505: chown -R 505 johndoe
Reboot the computer back into Recovery mode
Open terminal and re-enable filesystem protection:
1. csrutil enable
Reboot normally.

Hopefully this can help someone who falls into the same issue I did.

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Answer 2

SnickZ.

Community Specialist

Apr 29, 2020 1:18 PM in response to joshuafrompalmetto

Greetings, joshuafrompalmetto.

I see that you're having problems with permissions on your iMac after you restored a Time Machine backup to your iMac. Good job with the troubleshooting you've tried, and I'm glad to help with this.

Change permissions for files, folders, or disks on Mac -- This page of the macOS User Guide provides the steps to change permissions on your Mac.

Take care.

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Answer 3

May 19, 2020 5:27 AM in response to SnickZ.

Thanks,

I appreciate the response, but I don't know that this answers my question. I understand how to change permissions from the Finder. So far, changing permissions through the Finder has been somewhat ineffective. I've had to use the terminal. With the errors I am receiving I don't know if it is safe for me to just make myself owner with read/write permissions to everything on Macintosh HD (I know that isn't) or ~/Library.

Are their directories inside ~/* I should avoid when adjusting my permissions? I'm not real interested in making things worse than they are or introducing a security hole of my own making.

thanks

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Answer 4

Leanne_68

Community Specialist

May 20, 2020 9:18 AM in response to joshuafrompalmetto

Thank you for getting back to us, joshuafrompalmetto. It's appreciated. I understand your concern in changing permissions, so I'd like you to contact Apple Support.

Apple - Support - Product Selection — After selecting this link, choose Mac desktop > Installation & Updates > Application or System unresponsive > No Thanks. Continue. Then select how you'd like to start the conversation.

Cheers!

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Answer 5

May 27, 2020 6:03 AM in response to Leanne_68

Thanks for your response StarrC.

I think I am going to pass on Apple support. Everything is working. I had to reinstall MS Office, but I think what I did solved my issues. It's been a week and outside of Outlook having had problems launching I have not run into another single issue. A reinstall of Office solved that problem.

thanks again.

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After Time Machine restore most Apple Apps fail to launch (Permissions)

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