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this operation can't be completed because an unexpected error occured (error code -1407)

I have suddenly been getting this error when trying to restore a single file from one of my Time Machine backups. I have always been able to execute this in the past, for several years in fact, until this week.

I'm running macOS Mojave and I have two TM backup drives that alternate. Both are 6TG Western Digital drives in separate external enclosures, connected via eSATA to a PCIE card installed on a Mac Pro 2012 12-Core tower. I am finding no info whatsoever on this error related directly to TM. And everything else that mentions this error is completely irrelevant.


Any suggestions?

Mac Pro, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jul 24, 2021 2:19 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 24, 2021 3:44 PM

Thanks for your reply.

I came across all of the linked info yesterday, and most of it made no sense applied to macOS Mojave, or it flat out didn't work, and no such file existed.

Note:


  • Click on the Get Info icon. Now you see the Macintosh HD window on the screen.
  • To your left-hand side, users are requested to get a list of hard drives from the menu section and check whether the CD ROM is well connected or not.

WHAT!! There is no such list on the left side of Get Info. So none of the remaining suggestions even apply. Additionally it is my understanding that Repair Permissions hasn't been available nor necessary on the last several iterations of macOS. I haven't done it since pre-Yosemite.


  • When you see the hard drives list, Select the hard disk type and click the on Repair Disk Permissions button. Follow all the given instructions on your screen.
  • Click on the Get Info icon. Now you see the Macintosh HD window on the screen.
  • To your left-hand side, users are requested to get a list of hard drives from the menu section and check whether the CD ROM is well connected or not.
  • When you see the hard drives list, Select the hard disk type and click the on Repair Disk Permissions button. Follow all the given instructions on your screen.


Next:


Force Quit the Finder


Has zero effect on the problem.


Next:


Run this command in Terminal: sudo chflags –R nouchg


This returns -R does not exist.


Finally:


  • Remove the file written as: apple.finder.plist


This file does not exist anywhere on my Mac.


So I think all of these above suggestion are far too old for Mojave.


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8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 24, 2021 3:44 PM in response to ThomaStudios

Thanks for your reply.

I came across all of the linked info yesterday, and most of it made no sense applied to macOS Mojave, or it flat out didn't work, and no such file existed.

Note:


  • Click on the Get Info icon. Now you see the Macintosh HD window on the screen.
  • To your left-hand side, users are requested to get a list of hard drives from the menu section and check whether the CD ROM is well connected or not.

WHAT!! There is no such list on the left side of Get Info. So none of the remaining suggestions even apply. Additionally it is my understanding that Repair Permissions hasn't been available nor necessary on the last several iterations of macOS. I haven't done it since pre-Yosemite.


  • When you see the hard drives list, Select the hard disk type and click the on Repair Disk Permissions button. Follow all the given instructions on your screen.
  • Click on the Get Info icon. Now you see the Macintosh HD window on the screen.
  • To your left-hand side, users are requested to get a list of hard drives from the menu section and check whether the CD ROM is well connected or not.
  • When you see the hard drives list, Select the hard disk type and click the on Repair Disk Permissions button. Follow all the given instructions on your screen.


Next:


Force Quit the Finder


Has zero effect on the problem.


Next:


Run this command in Terminal: sudo chflags –R nouchg


This returns -R does not exist.


Finally:


  • Remove the file written as: apple.finder.plist


This file does not exist anywhere on my Mac.


So I think all of these above suggestion are far too old for Mojave.


Jul 24, 2021 3:12 PM in response to ThomaStudios


The Error 1407 on Mac appears when you try to move your files to trash or to any external drives like USB flash drives, SD card, HDD or SSD. The error shows up with the description stating:

The operation can’t be completed because an unexpected error occurred. (Error Code -1407).


Reasons for Error code 1407 on Mac

  1.    When Hard disk fails to execute read/write permissions
  2.    Unsupported drive volume formats
  3.    When file is locked by the system
  4.    If the file is being used by another program


A Complete Guide to Fix Mac Error Code 1407 - SFWare Blog


Also...


macos - error code -1407 Mac OS X 10.6.7 - Ask Different (stackexchange.com)

Jul 24, 2021 4:00 PM in response to ThomaStudios

Correct, Repair Permissions only exists for your Home folder...


Do a Get info on your Home folder, unlock the lock in the Get Info panel. Make sure it says you have Read & Write privileges.

Using the tiny gear icon, use the drop down to "Apply to enclosed items...


And for some external drives Get Info window's Ignore Permissions box.


  • Remove the file written as: apple.finder.plist


Apple hid the Users' Library folders...


Method 1:

  1. From the Finder, select the Go menu at top of the screen, and choose Go to Folder.
  2. In the window that opens, enter ~/Library, and click Go.

 

But it doesn't sound like it'll help, have you run Disk Utility's First Aid on the Backup Drives?

Jul 25, 2021 9:01 AM in response to BDAqua

I have always have my Library folder showing. I found it irritating back when Apple decided to hide it. It felt like they were trying to legislate intelligence to ignorant, know-nothing users to prevent them from damaging something in there because they didn't know what they were doing. I've been using Macs since 1989, macOS v6, so I have a history. I used to show it via a Terminal command but thankfully Apple finally did make it a bit easier with a checkbox.


I haven't ran Disk Utility on the two TM drives. I have always found DU to be a lightweight when it came to fixing drives. But I'll give it another go. I did run Disk Warrior 5.2 on both drives however. It took 4+ hours on each one and it repaired a lot of icon flags and text encodings among other things. But it made no difference to the -1407 error.


I have done that to my Home folder in the past, probably many times, but I did it again this morning, just for grins sake. At first I was wondering why my Home folder would have anything to do with this error. But, after mulling it over, I realized that I was trying to restore the file to my Desktop, which I have always been able to do in the past. And obviously my Desktop folder is in my Home folder. Hmm. So, last night before I went to bed, I tried restoring a file from the TM backup again, but this time I was restoring to another drive in my Mac, one that has the ownership ignored. It worked! So this is most likely some kind of permission issue somewhere that I would like to resolve. But at least now I have a viable workaround. I have always hated permissions since macOS went Unix. Necessary, but irritating to say the least. Kind of like the rebuilding of the Desktop file of the 90s.


Thanks again. Please chime in if you have any other ideas on this.


J D Thomas

ThomaStudios


Jul 25, 2021 9:10 AM in response to ThomaStudios

Oh yeah DW is much better if not APFS format.


I always wondered why they hid the User's' Library & not one or both the other 2 if they thought hiding was a good idea!?


I wonder what permissions are on that file on that other permission ignored volume? Maybe none, , I never checked that... & what are permissions on it now in your Home folder?

Jul 25, 2021 11:17 AM in response to BDAqua

I wish DW would get the next update that supports APFS!


I applied the Sharing & Permissions to everything in my Home folder and then tried to restore a file again to my Desktop. Same error. I then tried to restore via Time Machine, which puts the file into the original folder. Same error.


I don't keep much of anything really in my Home folder. The largest folder in there is my Library folder. I keep everything on Dropbox since I need access from two Macs, and iPhone and occasionally an iPad. So it's the best way to have that access. I also keep my Dropbox folder in the Shared folder on both of my Macs, instead of my Home folder, and I did this specifically to avoid these f***ing permission issues. I have version history on Dropbox if all else fails, like it is happening now. But this used to work perfectly, and it's irritating that it's suddenly broken.

Jul 25, 2021 11:23 AM in response to ThomaStudios

Aha, Apple is clamping down on us putting/using files outside the Home directory, expect assorted headaches if storing files on a boot disk not in your home directory or on an ignored drive.


iCloud Drive also gives the silliest Permission problems when trying to save files.


When I had DropBox I got rid of the Auto crud & just manually copied files I wanted due to overbearing AI.

this operation can't be completed because an unexpected error occured (error code -1407)

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