Can you open user locked folders from another computer?

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Level 1

4 points

Can you open user locked folders from another computer?

I don't know exactly how to search for a solution on this front, but figured I would just ask about it and see if someone has had a similar issue.

So in addition to my Time Machine backup done through an attached storage device, I every so often plug in a RAID1 setup to backup all the folders. This is more a "just in case measure" should the time machine and computer fail or get stolen or what not, I can still save my long time family photos and music/movie collection that goes back through junior high. Here is the issue - say I no longer have time machine and my laptop. All the folders may be "read only" or have permissions set to the users on the computer that I no longer have. When it pops up to say the folders are locked, can I type in my old user ID and password for the previous computer?

What I am getting at is I typically just use SilverKeeper to copy over all the folders under my user name. I like folder permissions to be there and don't want to go through folder by folder changing those permissions. But if something happens to my computer and I have to plug in that RAID1 setup into an entirely different computer, I am wondering if all of my folders will no longer be accessible because I am not opening them on the computer where my user ID and password was setup. I don't have two separate computers to try this out so I figured I would ask. Does this make sense?

Any help on this matter is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Posted on Jun 12, 2013 10:48 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 12, 2013 10:55 AM in response to GHawsJR

If the storage device is a network attached storage (NAS) then it will have its own operating system that offers sharing services through protocols like AFP or SMB. This means the device itself manages access permissions, and to access files you will need to log into the NAS with the appropriate credentials.

If the drive is just an external FireWire, USB, or Thunderbolt storage array, then you can select it in the Finder, press Command-I to get information on it, and then click the option to ignore permissions on this volume in the Sharing section of the information window. This will allow you full access to the drive's contents.

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Answer 2

GHawsJR Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 12, 2013 10:59 AM in response to Topher Kessler

That he helpful thank you - so a follow-up question: after I copy all of the files to the drive, THEN I go into the finder, press Command-I, and click option to ignore permissions? I take it that if I copy all the files (with permissions) to a disk, the only way to modify those folders is if I am on the computer with the origional user ID in which those files were created correct? Thanks again.

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Answer 3

Jun 12, 2013 11:20 AM in response to GHawsJR

The files will always copy with some permissions setting, provided you are using a filesystem that supports permissions. If you use one that does not (such as FAT) then the permissions will be stripped when copied.

The difference here is that for mounted drives, OS X has the option to ignore permissions so all files, regardless of who copied them, can be read, edited, and deleted, or otherwise accessed by anyone with access to the drive.

You can enable this setting either before or after copying the files to the drive.

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