Whenever I create a new folder, OSX asks for admin password

Well, it sounds like the folder within which you are creating folders doesn't have the right privileges.

Inside which folder are you creating things, and if you do a Get info (command - i) on this folder what are its privileges as reported at the bottom of the Get info window?

charlie

Hello,

I was also having this problem. Do as CT said to bring up the "Get Info" window then make sure to click the lock icon in the bottom corner so you can gain ability to manipulate settings. This is what held me up...

I guess this is a common mistake made by windows people.

Anyway to get the privileges to be inherited by child directories? When I changed the privileges to the root directory on the local hdd it only applied to the root. I'm still being prompted when i try to create a new folder in... say... "Library's".... or whatever else is in there.

I tried selecting all directories and files in local hdd and using command+i to get info, but it just brought up the get info for each directory individually. I also tried running the permissions repair from the disk utlity last night, but that didn't work either.

Am I going to have to enable the root account?

Which Library are you talking about. /Library or /Users/username/Library.

The root Library, /Library, is protected so that people don't put things in there that don't belong there. Even as an admin user, you must authenticate to change things in that directory.

Well the user I'm helping has his local HDD on his desktop as "Macintosh HD." When I say 'root" directory I'm assuming double clicking on the "Macintosh HD" is taking me to the root of the HDD. I'm not sure if it's /library or users/username/library.

I'm probably in the users/username/library.

I'm probably in the users/username/library.

NO! You are at the top of the file system. You should NOT be creating stuff in there.

If you want the user's Library, then navigate down to Users -> username -> Library

Or use Finder -> Go -> Home, then navigate to Library

Or use Finder -> Hold Option & Click Go menu -> Library

Or use Command-Shift-H

Or in the Finder side-bar should be the user's username. Click on that, then navigate to the user's Library folder.

NOTE: If you screw up the top of the file system Library, you could disable the user's Mac. And worse would be if you mess around inside of the top of the file system "System" folder.

These folders are protected for a reason.

Now as to WHY you want to create stuff in the User's Library folder?

Generally speaking this is where applications stick junk they need for their operations. It keeps stuff out of the way.

Most User generated content is stored in places like Documents, Pictures, Music, etc... Or even User created folders in the User's home folder. But generally not in Library.

Message was edited by: BobHarris

Well, I guess I could have made the leap that when you said you changed permissions on the root directory (which should not be required unless it is wrong) you meant the root Library, but I don't think that was a legitimate leap. Bob as already pointed out you shouldn't usually need to create anything there. There might be a slightly more legitimate reason to create something in the user's Library, but only slightly.

I was just trying to add the permissions there because I thought that the permissions would propagate down and apply to child directories and files etc.

The end-user isn't specifically trying to create a folder in the root. He is just trying to make it so that whenever he tries to create a folder somewhere else on the drive he isn't getting prompted to enter his username and password.

I already used the disk utility to try and fix the permissions, but that did not do anything. The end-user is still getting prompted to enter his credentials when trying to create folders anywhere in the local drive.

Repair permissions applies to standard apps and directories. It does not apply to user installed stuff.

If the use cannot create file in their home folder and sub-folders that would tend to indicate that there is an ownership mismatch going on, or something really nasty has occurred to all the permissions on the user's home folder related files.

Generally speaking anything outside of the user's home folder would require authentication to create, modifiy, or delete.

If the user cannot create, modify or delete files in their home folder and sub-folders, then it would be interesting to know what the User's ID and Group ID are and the ownership and permissions on the user's home folder and files within the home folder:

using Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal and logged in as the user

/usr/bin/id -a   # user's ID and Group IDs
/bin/ls -dleO@ $HOME # ownership and permissions (including extended permissions) on home folder
/bin/ls -aleO@ $HOME # ownership and extended permissions on files in the home folder.

Again, anything outside the user's home folder SHOULD REQURE authentication to modify.