How To: Lock a folder to prevent it being deleted but still access it?

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Level 2

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How To: Lock a folder to prevent it being deleted but still access it?

How can I lock a folder to prevent it from being moved or trashed but still have access to move/add folders within that folder?

The scenario is that we have a daily jobs folder and a final jobs folder. The daily jobs folder was accidently moved into an active job folder. I want these folders locked down so this cannot happen but when I use the lock feature nothing can be moved in or out of that folder.

Under OS9 the locked box specifically said "cannot move, rename or delete this item" yet you could add or delete items to that folder all day long.

If I try this with OSX I need to authenticate each bloody time! I just want to lock a folder down and have it accessable by anyone, anywhere, anytime without the need to type a password 80 times a day. HELP ME PLEEZE

Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Posted on Aug 15, 2006 1:13 PM

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Answer 1

Niel

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Level 10

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Aug 15, 2006 2:32 PM in response to Jack Ball

Select the folder enclosing the one you want protected and choose Get Info from the File menu. Under Ownership & Permissions, set the permissions so that all accounts have Read Only access. The folder then cannot be moved or deleted by accident, but the items within it will remain accessible.

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Answer 2

Niel

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Level 10

743,171 points

Aug 16, 2006 9:06 AM in response to Jack Ball

Read only access will prevent the addition or removal of items in the folder you set the permissions on; the folders below that one have different access settings, which can be less restrictive than those for the folder you set it on.

For example, if folder A contains B and C, and B allows Read & Write access but A allows Read Only access, items can be added and removed from B, but B itself cannot be moved out of A, and other items cannot be moved in to or out of A. If a folder your account has Read access to is inside a folder which your account doesn't, you can use the Finder's Go to Folder command in the Go menu to navigate to it if its path is known.

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Answer 3

Jack Ball Author

Level 2

225 points

Aug 16, 2006 6:13 AM in response to Niel

I tried something similar and made a folder "JOBS" and locked it. Then placed the folders I want protected "DAILY JOBS" and "FINAL JOBS" inside of the locked folder with their settings as they were (everyone read/write). It is working as I expected. People can read, write, copy and transfer to the DAILY and FINAL folders.
If I do what you suggest then new job folders cannot be ceated or written to this location, Is that correct?
READ ONLY ACCESS says to me, not edit-able, not add-able.

THX

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