TextEdit refuses to Save documents if you add an icon

Question

Level 1

135 points

TextEdit refuses to Save documents if you add an icon

I use icons to demarcate one document group from another. Sadly, I've run into a bug in macOS 12.4 whereby saving documents has become impossible when an icon is added to the document file. The only workaround is to remove the icon, then save. This is of course annoying and dysfunctional. It does not happen with any other program on my Mac, including when using a same specific icon that broke a TextEdit document.

A typical sequence of events is:

1) The document is written, saved and closed.

2) An icon is added to the file.

3) The document is opened and changed with the save being successful.

4) The document is opened a second time after the icon is added and it is now impossible to save, without exception.

5) Having failed to save, closing the document window the first time causes a save dialog box to come up. The save is successful.

6) When the same document with icon is opened again, then its window closed for this second time, it is again impossible to save, without exception.

RESULT: Having gone through the sequence noted above, the user is not stuck with a thoroughly unsavable document, the end. Again, the only workaround is to remove the icon.

This bug is entirely repeatable with no exceptions on my system: MacBook Air M1 with 16 GB RAM and 8 core GPU, aka MacBookAir10,1 model number A2337.

The sequence of failure messages:

4) Second Save after adding an icon:

6) Second window closing after adding an icon:

NOTE: The icon affected documents are not 'locked'. Using a Terminal command to 'unlock' such files...

sudo SetFile -a l file.ext

...Results in failure and confusion by the Terminal because indeed the files are not locked. The failure to Save messages are wrong. Again: The files are not locked. There is no excuse for these failure to save messages. I have full permission to Read and Write to these documents, without question. That does not change during the sequence of failures. TextEdit is broken.

Now what? This isn't acceptable. This isn't how macOS works.

Posted on Jun 16, 2022 11:57 AM

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Answer 1

dialabrain

Level 10

136,199 points

Jun 16, 2022 4:46 PM in response to Derek Currie

Derek Currie wrote:

I'm using any of the millions of not-Apple icons people create and offer on the Internet that provide images specific to my needs regarding the category of my document files.

My guess is that's the problem. The icons you're using are not compatible. I used system icons because I know they are compatible.

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Answer 2

ku4hx

Level 7

23,694 points

Jun 16, 2022 12:21 PM in response to Derek Currie

If you wish to make Apple aware: Product Feedback - Apple

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,626 points

Jun 16, 2022 4:26 PM in response to Derek Currie

The default save format for TextEdit is RTF provided you have not added any document objects. Otherwise, it will save the document as an Apple RTFD package folder which contains your icon image. Only Apple's TextEdit, Pages, and possibly Notes can open that RTFD package file.

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Answer 4

Jun 16, 2022 1:47 PM in response to dialabrain

Based on the little tiny icon at the top of the screen, the icon for the file is still the generic one. Are you saying that, if you look at that file in the Finder, it has a different icon than the standard system-assigned icon? I know that, unlike the long ago days of ResEdit, changing file-type icons is occasionally problematic.

Mind you, I don't know if that's what the OP is trying to do or not.

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Answer 5

Derek Currie Author

Level 1

135 points

Jun 16, 2022 4:16 PM in response to dialabrain

I don't personally care about changing to other Apple system icons. I don't see your point. I'm using any of the millions of not-Apple icons people create and offer on the Internet that provide images specific to my needs regarding the category of my document files. If it's related to my medical services, I put a doctor image on it. If its related to bugs in software I'm too good at finding, I put a 'poop' icon on it. Etc. The same icons do not cause any problem whatsoever with any other program. Only TextEdit is broken by adding such an icon to a document, consistently, constantly, without exception.

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Answer 6

Derek Currie Author

Level 1

135 points

Jun 16, 2022 4:21 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

This is unclear? This has nothing-at-all to do with system icons. macOS doesn't have categories of documents icons. You're apparently confusing what I'm doing with changing document SOURCE icons. I don't understand why.

So no, I am using non-system icons of any kind whatsoever. I am using icons that are only available online from third party sources, any of them at all. They don't have any kind of document source associated with them in any way. They are, like all icons, 'pictures'. They are only pictures.

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Answer 7

Jun 17, 2022 5:56 AM in response to Derek Currie

Derek Currie wrote:

This is unclear? This has nothing-at-all to do with system icons. macOS doesn't have categories of documents icons. You're apparently confusing what I'm doing with changing document SOURCE icons. I don't understand why.

Yes, it was unclear. If it had not been, I wouldn't have asked for clarification. But, as my attempts to help are obviously unwanted, have a nice day.

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Answer 8

dialabrain

Level 10

136,199 points

Jun 16, 2022 12:36 PM in response to Derek Currie

FWIW, I copied the generic PDF icon from a PDF document, pasted it into a TextEdit .rtf file. I can open it, modify it and save it as many times as I want.

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