Q: Unable to Access Applications Folder After Upgrade to Yosemite

Same problem here on 2012 MacBook 15" Retina. Waiting for a fix from Apple....

Hey martin,

have you called support and told them? - I don't think they are watching the discussuion here...

Call them and let them know - that's the only way they can change things and help us.

Somehow I have solved the problem on my Mac. I wanted to make a fresh install again and copy all files back from my Time Machine backup (like I did the first time). But after loading the installation file from a USB stick that I had created, my Mac booted back into Mac OS X Yosemite. I found this strange since I was expecting the installation menu. But I checked the Application folder one more time and it was normal blue again (instead of light blue) and I can access it again.

I am not sure what the problem was exactly but I am happy that its working again.

Had faced the same problem: repairing disk permissions seemed to have helped.

I've been wrestling with this for a few days now - installed Yosemite first on my old 2008 mac pro, and then on my 2014 imac (smart, I know). Both locked up - at first couldn't display the applications folder, and then others started failing until both machines were borderline useless.

Finally went through the applications folder in the terminal and deleted every old 3rd party app that I don't use often. That fixed it.

Apple phone support knows nothing about any of this right now - apparently it's a fairly rare condition, but if you've collected a bunch of not very tightly built 3rd party stuff over the years, that appears to be the problem - this is the best thread for fixing it. Thank you everyone!

I'm new here but think I have the solution.

It seems very non-technical and simple, but I'm sure someone can explain why this works.

Applications seem to have been moved to a new location...at the top of the file structure on the HD. I right-clicked an app on the tool bar and went to options/show in finder to track them down. If you don't see Macintosh HD in your favourites when you normally open Finder just drag it there after doing the show in finder step.

Hope this helps?

I just did a clean install and have this problem.  If I use the program path finder I'm able to see the applications or if I choose open in finder from the dock applications icon it will open a finder widow with applications.      

I have the same problem.

Before and after a clean install....

Someone please help!

Not a solution, but a workaround.

1. Remove the Applications folder from the sidebar.

2. Use the Go-> Applications menu item to get to the applications folder.

3. Select all (⌘-A)

4. Make aliases of all apps

5. Move aliases to the user/Applications folder

6. Drag user/Applications folder to the sidebar.