Renaming files = error -43 (sometimes)

[wrldwzrd89]

Okay, this is just plain weird... I was doing some file rename operations in the Finder, and I get greeted with THIS:

The operation could not be completed. (Error -43)

Yet, the file renames successfully... but no applications will open the affected file after this happens. The only fix is to restart the Mac - logging out and back in does not help. I have tried verifying the disk (no problems found) and repairing permissions (found and fixed around 15 problems). Neither has helped.

 

[GGJstudios]

Okay, this is just plain weird... I was doing some file rename operations in the Finder, and I get greeted with THIS:

The operation could not be completed. (Error -43)

Yet, the file renames successfully... but no applications will open the affected file after this happens. The only fix is to restart the Mac - logging out and back in does not help. I have tried verifying the disk (no problems found) and repairing permissions (found and fixed around 15 problems). Neither has helped.

Error -43 indicates "File not found; Folder not found; Edition container not found; Target not found"

When you Get Info on the file, what permissions info does it show?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Error -43 indicates "File not found; Folder not found; Edition container not found; Target not found"

When you Get Info on the file, what permissions info does it show?

Well shucks, I can't reproduce it now.

 

[Partron22]

Well shucks, I can't reproduce it now.

I've run into intermittent rename problems as you describe. Finder likes to rename files asynchronously if you give it ghost of a chance to do so.
For example this Applescript code to swap the names of two folders will eventually throw an error:

tell application "Finder"
	try
		set the name of the folder x1 to temp
		set the name of the folder x2 to x1
		set the name of the folder temp to x2
	on error
		set copacetic to false
	end try	
end tell

It errors out because folder x1 doesn't always get renamed by the Finder before the code tries to change the name of folder x2 to x1. The way around the problem is to avoid the Finder entirely by going through UNIX shell scripts. You can call those routines synchronously.

It can take 20 seconds or more for a manually entered name change to take full effect in the Finder.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Just reproduced this issue, and checked the permissions on the affected file. It says: You have unknown access.

 

[Phantom Gremlin]

I'm by no means an expert in this stuff, so my only hint for you is that sometimes there are permission problems with external drives. Are your problems with an external drive? If so, then perhaps searching on that will uncover more clues on how you can fix this issue.

Also be sure to do all manipulations of files as the same user. Don't try to play around with a single file as two different users (even if only one is logged in at the time). It's OK to have multiple users, just don't have them all screwing around with changing the same files.

Yes I know that if you set up the permissions correctly, it should all work. But sometimes it doesn't?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I'm by no means an expert in this stuff, so my only hint for you is that sometimes there are permission problems with external drives. Are your problems with an external drive? If so, then perhaps searching on that will uncover more clues on how you can fix this issue.

Also be sure to do all manipulations of files as the same user. Don't try to play around with a single file as two different users (even if only one is logged in at the time). It's OK to have multiple users, just don't have them all screwing around with changing the same files.

Yes I know that if you set up the permissions correctly, it should all work. But sometimes it doesn't?

This is on my Mac's internal drive, and all file operations are being done as the machine's primary user - me.

 

[Phantom Gremlin]

This is on my Mac's internal drive, and all file operations are being done as the machine's primary user - me.

Oh well. Sorry I couldn't be of assistance. Perhaps 10.7.3 will solve your problems.