Mac OS 10.12.2 (latest): Since updating I cannot change any of the Finder Preferences. If I click on any change, as soon as I release the mouse, the change is abandoned and the selections revert to the default. Also, I cannot change any of the Finder view options. Instinctively this seems to me to be a problem with PERMISSIONS somewhere in the Finder setup. But... OSX Disk Utility no longer offers Permissions Repair.
Any pointers how I can unlock my Finder?
In finder preferences , select general if you check the box of hard disks it will be shown on the desktop screen .
Press command + info the read and write permissions is just like in the screen shot .
if you have done , any changes in read and write permissions and you are not able to do changes in finder preferences it is recommended to once again install Mac OS Sierra .
An article for it : How to get macOS Sierra - Apple Support
And the latest update is released few days back 10.12.3
Click on go > to go folder and type ~/Library , find a folder Preferences right click on com.apple.finder.plist and move to the trash , restart the computer & empty the trash .
And also , com.apple.sidebarlists.plist must be removed .
Please restart your Mac in "Safe Mode" and repeat all the instructions from that Apple Support document again, all of the steps from 1 through 7. Determine if the Finder changes you make remain while operating in that mode.
To start your Mac in "Safe Mode" follow the instructions here: Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac - Apple Support.
Then, still while operating in that mode, download and install the macOS "combo" update here:
Download macOS Sierra 10.12.3 Combo Update
After it installs your Mac will restart.
See if that fixes it.
Hi John, Thanks for the response. I just ran the command line Disk Utility repair - no luck! The problem remains.
I just noticed - if I open another user on the Mac the problem does not occur - ie: it is confined to one user.
10.12.2 is definitely the latest version offered to me via Software update.
I just ran the command line premissions again and I got:
MacBookPro:~ wm$ diskutil resetUserPermissions / `id -u`
Ready to reset user permissions on disk0s2 Macintosh HD
Started verify/repair permissions on disk0s2 Macintosh HD
Some user permissions have been reset
Error: -69841: Permissions reset on user home directory failed
Underlying error: 1: Operation not permitted
Quoting from the above Apple Support document,
After entering the diskutil command, if Terminal says that permissions reset on user home directory failed (error -69841), enter, then enter the diskutil command again.chflags -R nouchg ~
Did you do that?
Update: I have tried fixing the Permissions via the GUI and via command line. I have also installed 10.12.3 as suggested. Still no solution, all my Finder prefs are locked in the default. All that remains is a full re-install of the OS. I dont have time to try this yet. :-(
If you open finder & its preferences when performing a search must be : search this Mac
Try updating macOS. Version 10.12.3 is the latest release.
Thanks John.
The plot thickens...
MacBookPro:~ wm$ chflags -R nouchg ~
chflags: /Users/wm/Library/Application Support/Fiery Software Manager/resources/.DocumentRevisions-V100: Permission denied
Thanks tygb, I tried that but sadly it didn't work :-(
10.12.2 is definitely the latest release available in this country as of now. Perhaps 10.12.3 will be out soon.
I could 'nt get you , if you changed the read and write permissions in Macintosh HD it is suggested to install OS once again ,
Bingo! That did it! - I deleted ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist and the problem is gone!
Thank you!
đ
Finder Preferences locked
