I have an external drive that contains backups and many files. I have full permission on this drive. But there are some files that do not have the correct permission for some reason. I can change that for these files, but I don't want to do that one by one. Is there a method to batch change these files?
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.6
Hi wabbak,
Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities! To apple the changes to all the files, you'll want to follow the steps below that can help:
Change permissions for files, folders, or disks on Mac
1. On your Mac, select a folder or disk, then choose File > Get Info.
2. Click the Action pop-up menu at the bottom of the window, then choose “Apply to enclosed items.”
Hope this helps!
Have a great day.
Hi wabbak,
Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities! To apple the changes to all the files, you'll want to follow the steps below that can help:
Change permissions for files, folders, or disks on Mac
1. On your Mac, select a folder or disk, then choose File > Get Info.
2. Click the Action pop-up menu at the bottom of the window, then choose “Apply to enclosed items.”
Hope this helps!
Have a great day.
Hi Lissy,
I have given myself permission to read and write all folders and discs, but there is no option to “Apply to enclosed items”. So there are always files on this disc or in this folder that ar not accessible and that I have to select one by one.
One method I found, was to select these files, copy them to another disc end put them back again. You are asked for permission, which you can then do in one go, and not file by file. But that is not a feasible solution for every folder or disc, as the amounts can be very high.
So if there is still another option...
Are you using the same external drive for Time Machine backups?
Jack
No, my TM backup is on a different drive.
Clicking on the padlock and clicking the three dots, I got to the apply to enclosed items. One extra step. Thanks!
Changing permissions on multiple files
