macOS Sierra Upgrade Breaks Aliases

Not sure why it is not working for you.

Aliases are still supported and working fine here.

You have a document "A", create an alias (command-L, or File->Make Alias), move the alias to somewhere else on your system, and double-clicking the alias fails to open the original document. Does this accurately describe your problem?

Select the alias, press Command-I. What does it say - in particular, what does it say about the original?

Ok, so now I see it. So far it seems specific to aliases of html files, I can use aliases to open folders, text files, pdf, etc.

I think this deserves to be reported: http://www.apple.com/feedback

I made a small html file, created an alias, and got the same thing you did.

Then I changed the default application to open the original html from Safari to Firefox.

Here is what I got - which shows that the OS is trying to open the alias file itself, and not dereferencing it to the original document. Firefox of course knows nothing about the content of the alias and thinks it is a "DMS" file...

Please see this thread <how to make an alias for .html?> last updated July 14, 2017. There is a workaround, which is to drag the alias to your browser of choice on the dock, which opens the original as expected. A definite bug. In the above thread, the suggestion to file a bug report with Apple is only possible if you are a registered developer.

Running Sierra 10.12.5 on a Mac mini. Had a crash, so the Apple Store wiped the HD and completely installed the OS. (And I'm OK with that.) There's almost nothing on the HD, and I'm not trying to restore an old alias, but it just doesn't work. I would love to write a document and then move an alias to a working folder, but the alias cannot open the original target.

Apparently this is just a feature that is no longer supported?

Ordinary data files (PDF, ODT) seem to work fine. Unfortunately, I have a number of fairly simple HTML files, and when I click the alias I made for them, I get either a blank screen (if I made the alias by right-clicking and choosing "Alias") or a couple of lines of computer code (if I made the alias by holding Option+Command and dragging).

If I right-click the alias, I can use "show original," and I guess that will have to do. I really liked the old way better though.

Command + I shows the path correctly and the little thumbnail of the document is there. Right-click on the alias and choosing "Quick Look" works correctly too. It's just that Sierra cannot open the HTML file.

By the way, same results with my MacBook Pro. Doesn't matter which machine created the alias, and neither of them can open HTML distant files (but can do other kinds of data).

neither of them can open HTML distant files

What do you mean by distant? Where are the files located? If on an external HD how is that drive formatted?

Note: you realize that your problem is not the same as the original poster's, right? He was referring to aliases in the Finder's side bar and not your type of alias. Next time it would be more beneficial to all to start your own topic.

Here is a nicer workaround: instead of aliases, create symlinks.

The Finder actually displays symlinks just like aliases, so visually it looks the same - except that it works :-)

Usually creating a symlink requires using Terminal, but we can create a little Automator service for this.

Wordstar:

Update: An alias or symlink can open an HTML file as long as the HTML file is not set to be opened by a browser. If you set the html file to be opened by a website editing app like Flux, BBEdit or even TextEdit the alias/symlink files will work. Can only think it has something to do with protection.

What app do you want the html file to open in? Do you want to be able to edit it or just open it in a browser? If it's the latter open it in the browser and convert it to a .webloc file. Make an alias of it or just add the .webloc version to your folder instead of the alias.

Been a while with no activity but I have a similar issue. I have AppleScript that mounts file shares automatically then creates an Alias on the desktop for each share. Now after upgrading to OS Sierra, I get this error with my Apple Script:

execution error: Finder got an error: Application isn’t running. (-600)

Have you had any luck or any insight on this ?

Try making symlinks with this: SymbolicLinker 2.1.

It's old but works with Sierra.

Maybe this is helpful: How to fix broken iCloud sidebar alias after Sierra Migration

It's not a direct solution, but you can probably go into the ~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/com.apple.LSSharedFileList.iCloudItems.sfl and replace all of the old

"file:///Users/Name/Library/Mobile%20Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs" with

"file:///Users/Name/Documents"

for example. Good luck!