Can't see files in a shared folder

Question

Level 1

27 points

Can't see files in a shared folder

M1 iMac 2021 running macOS12.5; I have set up my user folder to allow sharing and selected "Apply to enclosed items." Connecting from two different MacBooks Pro (also using macOS12.5) allows me to see the contents of the Movies, Music and Pictures folders but I cannot see any of the files or subfolders in the Desktop, Documents, or Downloads folder. I have checked "Get Info" for all the folders to ensure that the sharing permissions are the same for the folders for which I can see the contents and those for which I cannot see the contents.. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

iMac, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jul 25, 2022 12:51 PM

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Answer 1

Retcop

Level 1

8 points

Jul 25, 2022 3:48 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Thanks for your input. My complication is that the two computers are not part of the same iCloud account.

On top of that, unless I am missing something (which is certainly possible), I would have to pay Apple for a big increase in iCloud storage to be able to fit all the files I have on my computers. Again, please don't hesitate to correct me if I am wrong.

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Answer 2

rkaufmann87

Level 10

144,724 points

Jul 25, 2022 5:53 PM in response to Retcop

The only files you would need to have on your iCloud account are the files that need to be shared. Those that do not need to be shared keep them on the computer. As far as not having the same iCloud account that would be an issue you need to resolve. If the computers are on the same network then perhaps buying either a large JBOD or a RAID External Hard Disk may be what you need.

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Answer 3

gestler Author

Level 1

27 points

Aug 2, 2022 4:30 PM in response to gestler

RESOLVED.

After the initial issue, I also discovered that any changes to the dock's contents or the windows that I wanted to appear on startup were not saved. On an Intel Mac, I would have cleared the parameter RAM but that option doesn't exist for M1 Macs. So, I I went through the Recovery process, erased the drive using Disk Utility, and attempted to recover using my Time Machine backup. The problem recurred. I repeated the Recovery process to erase the drive, installed a new copy of the macOS, and then manually downloaded new copies of my applications as well as copies of my data files that I had previously saved to a flash drive. This resolved the issue of being able to share the contents of the drive with other computers on my network and also corrected the issue of not being able to change the items that show after a restart. It was a long process but, in the end, it was successful.

Thank you rkaufmann87 for your comments about using iCloud. Because the computers on the net have different owners, it wasn't possible to use a single iCloud account for sharing files but your note gave me some ideas about how to better manage the use of my iCloud account.

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