Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

I can't delete a locked folder with red dot after restoring my iMac

Hi there,


I need some help here. I can't delete a locked folder with red dot after restoring my iMac. Info says it's fetching the owner forever. Already tried to reset password in OS X Utilities and different terminal commands.

I've already googeld a lot but so far nothing helped. Any Suggestion?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jul 21, 2012 6:28 PM

Reply
5 replies

Jul 22, 2012 1:53 PM in response to Ironman140.6

It appears that your folder is still thinking your old account is it's owner.


Assuming you are currently using an administrator-level account:

1. Open up your Terminal (Launchpad > Utilities > Terminal).

2. Type in "sudo chown -R " (leave a space after the -R)

3. Drag/drop that folder into your Terminal window. This will automatically fill in the absolute path to that folder (fancy talk for the exact location of this folder in your file system)

4. After the path fills in, make sure there is a space after the last character of the folder name, then type in your new account name (not your full name, the shorter account name)

5. Hit enter. You will be prompted for your password...type that in and hit enter.


This will change the ownership of that folder and all items within that folder to whatever account name you type in from step 4.


Let me know if you have any questions, or the advice above does not work!

Jul 22, 2012 4:31 PM in response to Ironman140.6

You have files in your home folder that are locked and/or have wrong permissions. First you need to unlock them.


Back up all data if you haven’t already done so. Before proceeding, you must be sure you can restore your system to the state it’s in now.


Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:


Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)


In the Finder, select Go Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.


If you’re running OS X 10.7 or later, open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the page that opens.


Drag or copy — do not type — the following line into the Terminal window, then press return:


sudo chflags -R nouchg,nouappnd ~


You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up. You don't need to post the warning. If you don’t have a login password, you’ll need to set one before you can run the command.


The command may take a noticeable amount of time to run. Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign (“$”) to appear.


The procedure below will reset the permissions of a home folder in OS X 10.7.4 or later. If you're running an earlier version of 10.7, update to the current version first. This procedure should not be used in OS X versions older than 10.7.4.


Back up all data.


Step 1


Click the Finder icon in the Dock. A Finder window will open.


Step 2


Press the following key combinations, in the order given:


Command-3

Shift-command-H

Command-I


The Info window of your home folder will open.


Step 3


Click the lock icon in the lower right corner and authenticate with the name and login password of an administrator on the system. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.


Step 4


In the Sharing & Permissions section of the window, verify that you have "Read & Write"privileges. If not, use the "+" and "-" buttons in the lower left corner to make the necessary changes.


Step 5


By default, the groups "staff" and "everyone" have "Read Only" privileges. With those settings, the files at the top level of your home folder will be readable by other local users. You can change the privileges to "No Access" if you wish, but then your Public and Drop Box folders will be inaccessible to others, and Personal Web Sharing won't work. Most likely, you don't need to change these settings.


Step 6


If there are entries in the Sharing & Permissions list for users or groups besides "me," "staff," and "everyone," delete them.


Step 7


Click the gear icon at the bottom of the Info window and select Apply to enclosed items... from the drop-down menu. Confirm. The operation may take several minutes to complete. When it does, close the Info window.

I can't delete a locked folder with red dot after restoring my iMac

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.