Files can't be Saved because they are Locked...but they're NOT!

Question

Josh2000 Author

Level 2

339 points

Files can't be Saved because they are Locked...but they're NOT!

Hi - When I alter a TextEdit file (or XLS, Keynote, or Pages) which is either on the Desktop or in a Folder on the Desktop - when I try to Save the document I see an Alert saying "the document _ _ _ could not be saved. The file is locked." If I persist and "Try to Save Anyway" the alert states that I don't have Permission to do so.

But after checking Get Info for the document and, if applicable, the folder its in - they are NEVER locked and I ALWAYS have Read & Write Permission to make changes.

Additional information: If I alter a similar file (txt, Pages, Key) NOT on the Desktop, say one nested in a folder in the Documents folder, there is no issue at all. But if I move an offending file from the Desktop to the Documents Folder I would have to "Authenticate" the move and even then would not be allowed to alter the file. Only Duplicate it and save changes on the dupe.

So the restrictions seem to be centered around files and folders from the Desktop - which is not Locked or Shared and where I have Read & Write Permissions.

I hope there is a way out of this. Any suggestions?

TIA your input.

2013 MBPro running macOS 10.13.6

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Dec 26, 2022 3:25 PM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

245,105 points

Dec 26, 2022 6:11 PM in response to Josh2000

To find out if it's system wide or user specific, try this...

Open System Preferences>Users & Groups, unlock the lock, click on the little plus icon, make a new admin account, log out & into the new account.

Does it work in the new account?

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Answer 2

BDAqua

Level 10

245,105 points

Dec 26, 2022 3:47 PM in response to Josh2000

Start with this if IntelMac...

Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at startup), does the problem occur in Safe Mode? Could take 10 minutes or more.

Safe mode attempts to repair Disks & clears lots of caches & loads safe Drivers, & prevents loading of 3rd party extensions, so if Safe Mode works try again in regular boot.

Also, have you maybe enabled iCloud Drive?

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Answer 3

Josh2000 Author

Level 2

339 points

Dec 26, 2022 5:53 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks for that.

Safe Mode made no difference. Should I do it repeatedly?

iCloud Drive was indeed turned on and I unchecked it after checking the contents online. This change did not improve the situation.

Anything else I should try on my IntelMac?

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Answer 4

Josh2000 Author

Level 2

339 points

Dec 26, 2022 6:56 PM in response to BDAqua

Well... after I created the new Admin, logged out as me and logged in as New Me - the Desktop was clear! None of the problem files or Folders were there - or anywhere I could reach.

What did I miss?

Here's something I should have mentioned. A new TextEdit (or .Key or .Pages) document saved to the Desktop doesn't lock me out. In fact - when I'm prevented from saving a file I'm working on either on the Desktop or in a Folder on there - my goofy workaround is that I duplicate or Save As with a different name and put it on the Desktop. That dupe file is fine. The original won't have any changes saved.

I hope that's another hint.

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Answer 5

Josh2000 Author

Level 2

339 points

Dec 27, 2022 8:24 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks BDAqua -

Once I was logged into the new account I was able to create, edit, save TextEdit, Key and Pages files onto that Desktop with no glitches. I logged out and back into the new account and was able to edit and save those same files with no problems.

So this seems to effect only SOME files/folders on the Desktop. Documents I've created in the last day or so seem to behave correctly. Yet I have folders full of files on the Desktop that are not.

What do you advise?

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Answer 6

BDAqua

Level 10

245,105 points

Dec 27, 2022 11:12 AM in response to Josh2000

Are there or were there other devices sing iCloud Drive?

Do Get Infos on one of these bad files & all the folders above it looking for a Locked Lock...

Or, Let’s see if there’s a locked file interfering.

Open Terminal & paste this command in & prefs enter, it’ll ask for an admin password & not echo what you type, wait for it to finish which will be an empty prompt unless it prints out some locked files, or Operation not permitted…

cd ~/;sudo find . -type f -flags +uchg

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Answer 7

Josh2000 Author

Level 2

339 points

Dec 27, 2022 12:18 PM in response to BDAqua

First - there are 4 other devices using iCloud Drive.

Next - I've been doing Get Info on all the bad files and folders for days. In every case I've seen NO checked boxes for Locked or Shared, and I've always had Read & Write Permission - and that has not changed today.

Finally - Terminal returned an empty prompt after about 8 seconds. I ran it twice (hope thats okay).

It's funny that files/folders which are not locked are behaving like they are.

I even viewed Info on the Desktop folder - same info. In all cases under Sharing & Permissions there is (Me), everyone, and "Fetching..." - which never seems to resolve. And "Fetching..." has R&W Permissions.

Is this significant?

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Answer 8

BDAqua

Level 10

245,105 points

Dec 27, 2022 1:17 PM in response to Josh2000

Yes.it was OK to run it multiple times.

The "Fetching..." is due to Migration of rights of a no longer existing account, generally not a problem.

I can only think that the problem is somehow due to iCloud Drive.

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Answer 9

Josh2000 Author

Level 2

339 points

Dec 27, 2022 1:32 PM in response to BDAqua

OK. Thanks for that.

I turned iCloud Drive off earlier in our exchange so that should prevent more files from getting corrupted. Right?

When I logged into iCloud Drive online recently there were actually only 4 Pages files and one Keynote there, and they were over a year old. I emptied all those folders and even trashed the files from Recently Deleted.

What steps are next?

Is there a fix for all these corrupted files/folders besides some manual, one-by-one workaround?

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Answer 10

BDAqua

Level 10

245,105 points

Dec 27, 2022 1:40 PM in response to Josh2000

I still don't know the cause of these things, so can't tell until we stumble on the cause, which we might never know, I guess we'll have to see if it happens again.:(

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