How do I change file kind from 'package' to 'folder'?

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Charlie1978 Author

Level 1

9 points

How do I change file kind from 'package' to 'folder'?

When I try to open my Pictures folder it asks what application I want to open it. When I clicked on Get Info I noticed that the file kind has changed from Folder to Package. Anyone know how I can change it back to a folder? Thanks.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Sep 19, 2010 3:54 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,120 points

Sep 19, 2010 5:42 AM in response to Charlie1978

[Give this a try|http://www.switchingtomac.com/tutorials/how-to-restore-a-folder-that-has-tu rned-into-a-package-in-os-x>
You can also use the command line. Check the folder for the bundle bit with

getfileinfo -aB Pictures/

If it returns 1, the bundle bit is set. You can clear it with

setfile -a b Pictures/

You then have to relaunch the Finder--hold down opt and right click on Finder in Dock. Choose Relaunch.
Did you do anything that would have caused that? Like telling iPhoto to use your Pictures folder as a Library. I've seen this question a few times and am trying to figure out why it is happening. Since it was the Pictures folder, I thought iPhoto could have had a hand in it.

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Answer 2

Sep 19, 2010 10:53 AM in response to jsd2

That's correct. If one doesn't want to install XCode, you can get the two commands here:

http://homepage.mac.com/francines/.Public/setgetsno.zip

They'll come down as a zip file, double click to extract the two commands into a folder. If the folder is in you Downloads folder, you launch Terminal, then drag the command into the Terminal. Then type the "-a" for attribute, a space, and drag your Pictures folder into the Terminal and drop it, then press return. You'll see something like this:

NoobiX:~ francine$ /Users/francine/Downloads/setget/GetFileInfo -a /Users/francine/Pictures
avbstClinmedz

If the "b" is a capital letter then the bundle bit is set. You would then use the SetFile command the same way, only type "-a b" instead of just "-a" as above, and press return. So it would look something like this:

NoobiX:~ francine$ /Users/francine/Downloads/setget/SetFile -a b /Users/francine/Pictures

You'll have to close your home folder and reopen it to see the change.
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 3

Charlie1978 Author

Level 1

9 points

Sep 20, 2010 5:19 AM in response to Charlie1978

Thanks everyone, problem now sorted. The problem started when I was trying to transfer a photo library from my old laptop to iPhoto on my new iMac and I think I somehow managed to to set the PIctures folder as a library. Thanks so much for your help!

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Answer 4

yellk

Level 1

0 points

Oct 27, 2010 8:39 AM in response to Francine Schwieder

I have a similar problem. When I tried to import an iPhoto library to our new laptop it changed the desktop kind to "package". How can I change it back to a folder? Or should I just create a new account (the desktop on my husbands account was not affected).

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Answer 5

yellk

Level 1

0 points

Oct 27, 2010 8:56 AM in response to Francine Schwieder

THANK YOU!

I just tried this with both my Pictures file and with my Desktop. It worked! Your directions were great! I was a little worried because I don't have any programming knowledge, but your instructions were straightforward and easy to understand.
Thanks!

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Answer 6

Oct 27, 2010 10:58 AM in response to yellk

Glad it helped. For anyone in the future who needs to download the commands referenced: Apple has announced that effective on November 8, 2010 the contents of the old Public folder will no longer be accessible. Accordingly, I have placed a copy of the zip file in a new location.

http://homepage.mac.com/francines/Public/setgetsno.zip

Yep, I know it looks like exactly the same place, but it isn't. Notice there is now no "." in front of Public? (snark) Thanks Apple for breaking all the old links to stuff in the Public folder.(/snark)
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 7

MartinR

Level 7

24,131 points

Oct 27, 2010 11:14 AM in response to Charlie1978

I'm not completely clear on the background for your question ... however, the structure of the iPhoto Library changed a few years ago with the release of iPhoto 8.

In previous versions of iPhoto, the iPhoto Library was a +tree of folders+ in your /username/Pictures folder. In iPhoto 8 the Library became a package still called iPhoto Library in the same location.

The two are not the same structures. If you are using iPhoto8 or later you should not change the type. The iPhoto Library in iPhoto8 and later is a package.

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Answer 8

Oct 28, 2010 8:05 AM in response to MartinR

Yep, but what is happening to some people is that the Pictures folder itself is getting the bundle bit changed, not just the iPhoto Library. Why that happens I'm sure I don't know, but it does. I've even seen occasional cases where someone's home folder is changed so that it is treated as a package by the Finder. It sometimes happens to the Applications folder as well.
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 9

Jan 8, 2011 8:46 PM in response to Francine Schwieder

Hi Francine,

Thanks for the post. I also had the same problem with my pictures folder becoming a package. I followed your advise and solved the problem, thanks. As a first time Terminal user, I realised that after doing the SetFile drag and drop I had to type an extra space after the "-a b" so it was in fact "-a b ".

Thanks again,

Ryan

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Answer 10

Feb 20, 2011 7:16 PM in response to Francine Schwieder

Hello Francine -

I had this same problem, and found this forum discussion on the Apple website. Thank you very much for your clear explanation. I have 0 experience programming in Terminal and was able to correct the problem quickly and easily.

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Answer 11

Nov 10, 2011 3:35 PM in response to Francine Schwieder

No the kind is now changed from package to folder. But I need to have all my pictures back into iphoto. If I import them I lose all my events and labels as such...

my question is... so I changed the kind to be folder based on your directions but what do I do now?

Thanks

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Answer 12

Nov 11, 2011 9:05 AM in response to cschwallie

I'm afraid I hardly ever use iPhoto, so can't help you there. However, if your original problem was that the iPhoto Library had the bundle bit set, but the Pictures folder was a folder, then you did NOT HAVE A PROBLEM. The iPhoto Library is SUPPOSED to have the bundle bit set! I think you should post a question in the iPhoto section and give a whole lot more information about what your original problem was than you have provided here.

Francine

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Answer 13

Feb 8, 2014 2:45 PM in response to Francine Schwieder

Okay! Slap the original questioner after making it clear the problem was never understood. Fabulous.

Just so that there is actual not reckless knowledge left to die here, here's some notes from my same problem:

The problem is probably due to file/folder attributes, but exactly what? I don't know either.

I have the same problem.

My iPhoto Library as shown by the file "Kind" turned into a "package" kind. This is probably due to ownership or permissions going from one mac to another or one user to another maybe with an external disk?

In any event the issue is to get the "package" or "bundle" or whatever to specify that it is actually an iPhoto Library.

Can GetFileInfo specify the "default application" or the "package type" or the "bundle type" or whatever it's called and specify it to be iPhoto?

That is the issue. Right?

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Answer 14

May 8, 2014 4:36 AM in response to Charlie1978

Thanks everyone - this saved my life because in my case it was the home folder that suddenly got turned into a package...

From Finder it was impossible to access it, all I got was the question what Application it needs. So I opened up a Terminal, and did:

cd /Users

getinfofile -aB myname/

And sure enough, the result was 1. Simply following the recipe:

setfile -a b myname/

and restarting solved the problem. I was surprised I could do this without superuser permission! Just in case apple changes that, one would probably have to type <sudo setfile -a b myname/> and give the password at the prompt.

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Answer 15

jsd2

Level 5

6,245 points

Sep 19, 2010 6:40 AM in response to Barney-15E

I don't think that GetFileInfo and SetFile are available in a default OS X installation - I believe they get installed as part of XCode Developer Tools.

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