I cannot download files to Downloads folder. Happened just after updating to Sonoma, and after many attempts, something worked to get me back to work. Last night it happened again suddenly, I can't identify the action that might have occurred. I am not finding threads about this, so I wonder what solutions might be suggested.
MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
We now know at least why you can't access Desktop and Documents: they were set to be in iCloud, so you have to access them under iCloud Drive instead of under Favorites.
A lot of people do this without noticing. It may be useful if you want to keep Documents and Desktop synced among more than one mac, but for many people it may be a bad idea. Many have far more content in my Documents and Desktop than the free iCloud space allows, for example, and may not want to pay for more space, or have only one Mac, for example.
If you want to revert that, it is simple. Just make sure to have a backup first.
Go to System Settings->Apple ID, click iCloud, then click iCloud Drive and uncheck "Desktop & Documents" folder. You will be asked if you want to keep a local copy. Of course you do! (but anyway, I'd still make a backup of those folders from iCloud first!).
Select the Downloads folder in Finder, press Command-I open the Info window. What do you see regarding permissions?
All the standard folders Desktop, Documents, Downloads for me show permissions like these:
You seem to have connected the Downloads folder to DropBox somehow, and this may have messed things up.
I have not used DropBox in a while, but if I were to use it I'd just assign some specific folder to sync with DropBox, and not any of the standard folders like Desktop, Downloads, etc.
Maybe someone who does use DropBox can give more precise advice on how to detach this from your DropBox.
I get an error message: The folder “Downloads” can’t be opened because you don’t have permission to see its contents.
I then find Downloads folder, Control Click, Get Info and get more information, but no option to see preferences.
Nuts. I did not do this. And to make things worse, I find that I also do not have permission to see my Desktop folder, nor Documents. This is new as I was able to use all these folders yesterday, but not today.
Yes, using that path I can see my documents. However, Desktop also appears there, but is not a folder with the desktop I used to have showing on my desktop.
Clicking Desktop, Documents, Downloads on the Finder sidebar under Favorites continues to deny me access.
I've rebooted in hopes that might help. No change.
When I open Dropbox, there is no Downloads folder there. Hoo boy. This looks like a pickle.
Thank you! This is not fixed yet, but I'll bet you are correct and we are getting closer to the answer.
When I followed that path, Documents and Desktop are turned off. But since I found two documents folders, I'll bet this was turned on and then off sometime in the last few years (based on what is in the folder I can open).
see the screen shot:
From reading the notes linked to some of these sections, if I turn on and then turn off Documents and Desktop, I'll end up with another two folders of Documents and Desktop. I am guessing I would then move files until I get them where I need them, and delete the leftover folders?
If you think this would work, I can do that.
And if I do, will I still need permission to see the folders, but that might be an impediment caused by the folders having been moved.
And finally, we'll be back to the original problem, no permission to download files from the internet to my Downloads folder.
Your Documents folder is in iCloud Drive, which may or may not want, but otherwise it seems ok.
If you click on iCloud Drive in a Finder window Sidebar, and then Documents inside it, do you not see your documents?
Sonoma: Downloads folder closed to me. Error message when downloading: You do not have permission to save to the “Downloads” folder.
