Unable to write to the Desktop.

Hi samlazar, I see that you are facing an issue with the Deskstop folder. To reset desktop folder permissions, try this:

1. Open System Preferences -> Users and Groups.
2. Click the padlock in the bottom left corner and authenticate with admin credentials.
3. Right-click (or hold down Control as you click on) your username in the left sidebar. Then, select Advanced Options.
4. Take note of your User ID. It should be a three or four-digit number. Then, click Cancel, and close System Preferences.
   1. IMPORTANT: Do NOT change or modify any of the values shown on that screen.
5. Open Terminal, located in Applications -> Utilities.
6. Type this command and hit Enter (replace userID with your real User ID): diskutil resetuserpermissions / userID
7. Terminal will let you know when the repair is finished. When done, restart your Mac.

Just to confirm that it is a finder permissions issue please do this: Desktop>Get info> scroll down and check permission settings. Plz send the screenshot of it.

I looked up ur issue on Reddit and this is a response to a issue similar to yours,

Try going to Terminal and entering:

defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true && killall Finder

This hidden setting enables/disables showing files/folders on the desktop. For whatever reason, it gets flipped sometimes and then suddenly you can’t even right-click on the desktop.

There are some more responses on this thread that I suggest checking out: https://www.reddit.com/r/mac/comments/wj8jpv/cant_save_anything_on_my_desktop/

samlazartech wrote:

By default, macOS uses iCloud Desktop, so your desktop and documents folder is backed up to iCloud, which I have kept. That is the issued folder.

Sorry but " backed up to iCloud " is less than correct

iCloud is not a Backup

It is a Conduit to have files on iCloud.

Wherein, you can access the same files from another device that is using iCloud from the same Logged In Apple ID Account

The changes made from one device will be reflected to Other Logged In to iCloud Devices

Backups are best left to  Time Machine Backup  or some other cloud based backup service

If you can not write to the " desktop and documents folder "

You may consider exploring the iCloud Capacity you have subscribed to

The Default iCloud Capacity for new accounts is 5 GB Capacity

Store files in iCloud Drive on Mac

Manage iCloud storage on Mac

Thank you for confirming Space is not the Issue

Click on the "iCloud Drive " icon

Then make sure the " Desktop & Documents Folders " is turn ON

Run this command and post the ACLs on the Desktop folder

ls -aled ~/Desktop

You should see,

group: everyone deny delete

I'm just looking for something else.

If there isn't something else, you can try resetting the Transparency, Consent, and Control database, though I'm not certain it controls app access to those folders.

tccutil reset All

You will then be asked again for things to use your camera, microphone, access to files in certain places, etc.

samlazartech wrote:

So, reinstall macOS?

No, I want to know what didn't work and the response you got from the OS.

What didn't work and what messages did you get when you tried?

I need to know what ACLs are assigned and what happened when you reset TCC.

Reinstalling the OS will do nothing as your problem is in user space. You definitely should uninstall CleanMyMac following the developer's instructions.

Here is my write-issue. I have a ZIP file that will not download to my desktop, but if I download it to my downloads folder and then cut and paste it to the desktop, it will work. If I extract it on a desktop, it errors out, but if I extract it to another folder, like downloads, it works.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/c34c5332-1922-451b-8c03-a92b6e0de60e

Whatever you are using to download the file does not have permission to access user data spaces. When it first tries, the OS should ask you if you want to allow it. Perhaps because it is only trying to write it didn't ask.

If it was a user permission problem, you would be experiencing other similar problems such as you would not have been able to copy it into your Desktop folder.

As suggested already, try the same thing using Safari.

I have enabled the correct permissions.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/6fb5a6f1-5d61-43e5-bdc0-c3dc17f03b96

Full Disk Access has nothing to do with the user data isolation.

I see you have BrickMyMac installed. Perhaps it "cleaned" something it wasn't supposed to clean.

Huh, looks like resetting permissions hasn't worked. If you can try save all your important files to a spearate drive and reset your computer. That seems like the logical way of fixing this issue.

This is a thread that is related to your issue check it out: I can't save to the desktop - Apple Community

It is related...or simmilar to the issue...Plz update if it works.

samlazartech wrote:

I need help writing on the desktop. The only things that work are system apps or functions on the desktop. I checked the Terminal, and permissions are fine, even running, as Root did nothing to help.

I did a S.M.A.R.T test, and the SSD is fine.

M1 Max MacBook.

And what are you trying to do, and how..?

local Desktop?

remote Desktop?

iCloud Desktop & Documents?

I do notice " Apps syncing to iCloud Drive " as a 27 designation

Meaning, 27 different Application will attempt to Sync to iCloud

You may try disabling 1 application only and test if the issue is resolved

Repeat this process until you discover which specific application(s) is/ are the culprit(s)