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System really messed up with all folders locked after installing Mavericks

Wow, I love Mac, but this last OS install of Mavericks has sent me for a loop, not only did it erase all of my files except for applications, it turned my computer into a fresh off the shelf Mac and I lost most everything in settings in all applications. I have been working over the past month now to restore a sense of order but things will never be the same. All I did was go to the app store and choose install, this has never happened to me in the past. Okay, I'll quit whining about that and get to my question: Can I easily fix the fact that all of my folders are now locked both on my computer and on my external hard drives. I'm blaming the Mavericks install for all of this as I've never had this problem before installing Mavericks, not in my history with using Macs since the mid 1980's.




When I want to save a file from within an app, say InDesign, or Photoshop, I get an error that the folder is read only. then I have to save my file to the desktop and go to the finder level, find the folder and get info and with my password make the change to make it unlocked.


Foo, this is aggrivating, I know I can't go backward and fix anything that might have been done wrong, but I need to know if there is a way where I can unlock everything like it used to be without having to go through thousands of folders one-by-one doing this unlocing with password proceedure.


Whew,


TIA,


Ken

Posted on Nov 19, 2013 10:48 AM

Reply
39 replies

Nov 19, 2013 11:20 AM in response to Kenneth Nielsen

When you say 'locked' you need to confirm if that is what you actually mean…


Select the folder in question in the Finder, 'File > Get info…' on it. In the info dialog under 'General' is the 'locked' checkbox ticked?


Otherwise is it because of Permissions?

These are displayed inside the 'Sharing & permissions' section of the get info dialog. Have you altered these permissions to fix the issue?


Can you post the location of these files?

My guess is they belong to another user? We don't want to 'fix' them & ruin the OS.


What is the external disk? Is that a bootable backup or something else?



P.S. 10.9 doesn't overwrite the user data when you install using the default options. It is possible to misunderstand & choose an option to create a new user account, which makes the OS look new.

Open 'System Preferences > Users & groups' & see if you have multiple users. It's possible that you just need to login as the old one to see the old files.

Nov 19, 2013 11:58 AM in response to Kenneth Nielsen

It looks like there are problems with permissions.


Shut down your computer. Turn it on and quickly press and hold cmd+R. Select Recovery disk and press the return key. Wait until you see OS X Utilities. Select Utilities from the menu bar, then Terminal

User uploaded file


type resetpassword and hit return inside the white terminal window


User uploaded file


Follow the three steps in the picture below. Don't type any password inside the password boxes. Wait until the job is done.

User uploaded file


From the Apple menu select Shutdown or Restart

Nov 20, 2013 11:09 AM in response to Kenneth Nielsen

Cheers,


Can you provide info about the location of the folders?

I assume you are refering to number 2 in this picture?User uploaded file

How about the external disk? Is that a bootable clone?


If I help you to resolve this I want to be sure you are not ruining your system or Backup, please go back & grab screenshots of the info dialogs.


Select a folder that has the issue in the Finder, press the following keys to take a screenshot

cmd + shift + 4, tap the spacebar & click on the info window.


Post them here.

I can tell you how to reset or change the permissiions, but there is little point if they are files that the system requires and render the Mac unbootable.

Nov 20, 2013 11:23 AM in response to Drew Reece

hope I can cover what you are asking: No, none of the folders I am referencing are Mac system folders, Nor are they bootable clones, I know which one's those are and I stay away from those. These are thousands of work folders over 5 external drives where I work and store my work files plus the image and work folders that I have on my desktop. Here is one:

User uploaded file

Nov 20, 2013 11:25 AM in response to Kenneth Nielsen

I hear what you are sayin about Mavericks.

BIGGEST mistake I've ever made.


Yeah, strange but not surprising from what I've experienced with this upgrade.

It's not just the OS but the whole range of Apple software, Come Back Steve !!!


It does sound like a permissions problem.

• First thing is to check if your home directories still exist in the Users directory, should do.

• Next is to check if the users are still there under Prefs -> Users & Groups. if not you'll have to recreate them.

• It all goes well, then it maybe just a 'simple' case of changing your permissions. Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but to do this you'll need to have an administrator account. This is where it will start to get a bit techie.


On my setup I've created a separate partition for Users which gets Time Machined and it's conveniently separate from everything else. Just to quote the installation procedure, they do recommend a back before upgrades :-(

Nov 20, 2013 11:45 AM in response to Csound1

The screenshot is also showing an external disk, so repair permissions won't touch it unless it's bootable, hence the 20 questions.

🙂


I do think you would be wise to boot to recovery & repair the boot disk permissions before we address the other permissions.

I would also use a hidden tool to reset all the user permissions too…


Backup before you begin just in case.

Boot holding cmd+R. Recovery mode should startup (assuming you have a recovery partition).

Select Terminal from the Utilities menu.

Enter the word…

resetpassword

… & hit return.


The GUI app will open, select the main boot HD.

Select your user account in the popup menu.

Then click the Reset button at the bottom right. It will "Reset Home Folder Permissions & ACL's"


Repeat for the other users.


Quit ResetPassword from the menu,

Quit Terminal



Another important question, do you care about the permissions on the externals? We can disable them for the entire volume. Obviously this leaves you open to other users viewing the files or deleting them etc, however anyone with physical access could damage your stuff anyway.

Nov 20, 2013 11:52 AM in response to Csound1

Csound1 wrote:


The folder in your post is not locked, and you (assuming you are kennethgnie...) have permission to read and write from it. All is normal (according to your screenshot)


Run a permissions verification from Disk Utility.


The little lock at the bottom is locked, When I try to save to this folder from an application I get the message "You are not allowed to write, this folder is read only" or some such wording. I have to,,, well, I've outlined it all above and would be repeating myself here.

Nov 20, 2013 11:49 AM in response to Drew Reece

do you care about the permissions on the externals? We can disable them for the entire volume. Obviously this leaves you open to other users viewing the files or deleting them etc, however anyone with physical access could damage your stuff anyway.


There are no other users, I think I outlined in my OP, and I don't care if I have open acces to my own computer. This is the way I want it. Unless my dog learns to run the computer, there won't be anyone else to be concerned about.


I just don't want to start hacking away at my computer and risk losing more stuff. This should not have happened, but since it did, an easy out would be nice.

Nov 20, 2013 11:50 AM in response to Kenneth Nielsen

Kenneth that little lock is simple the 'admin access' lock, if you unlock it you can edit the settings for the users listed.

Csound1 is correct, that particular folder should be writable to the kennethnie… user.


If you want to unlock permissions on the entire volume, select the disk in the Finder. Get info on it, Unlock the little padlock.

Check the option to 'Ignore Ownership on this volume'.


That should resolve the external issues.

System really messed up with all folders locked after installing Mavericks

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