I need to unlock a bunch of folders and files and can't find the directions for doing that I a batch. Can anyone help? I do have administrative access.
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Batch operations-unlocking folders & files
- Thread starter todaysquest
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Surely people will provide Terminal lines here but meanwhile, how about AppleScript?
https://www.macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=33083
https://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=45145
https://www.macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=33083
https://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=45145
What is the permission problems with the folders?
A getinfo on the top folder gives you the option "applied to enclosed items"
You can try BatChmod (http://www.lagentesoft.com).
Its focus is modifying permissions, but also has the option of unlocking.
What do you mean by "unlocking"? Do you not have access permissions, as others have noted...or are these folders actually locked? Perhaps encrypted?
Possible solutions will vary greatly on what the actual problem is.
Possible solutions will vary greatly on what the actual problem is.
Yes, I have permission. there are hundreds of files that i am trying to sort and have been unlocking them one at a time. I know there's a way to batch unlock. The directions I got in 2007 no longer work.
Sorry to belabor the point, but I still do not know what you mean by "unlocking them".
How are they locked? Files are not typically locked. Did you lock them? If so, what was the method or tool used to lock them? Or did they come from a different computer/user and were locked previously?
How are they locked? Files are not typically locked. Did you lock them? If so, what was the method or tool used to lock them? Or did they come from a different computer/user and were locked previously?
To lock a file you go to "get info" (finder-file) and check the lock/unlock option. These are archival files on an exterior hard drive, locking them protects them from changes. Unfortunately, it also prevents me from moving them around to organize the information in a logical, searchable way.They are now in a random order.
I can unlock a file or folder individually, but there are hundreds of them and I'm sure there is a way to unlock the whole batch at once, or at least by folder. I've been doing that, but it is tedious and time consuming.
I can unlock a file or folder individually, but there are hundreds of them and I'm sure there is a way to unlock the whole batch at once, or at least by folder. I've been doing that, but it is tedious and time consuming.
Thank you for your reply. I'm sorry to say my knowledge and skill level are not high enough to understand your answer. I looked at Apple script and found the Terminal but could not decipher.
Thanks to all who tried to help me. I finally found this post I had saved from mason.kramer (macrumors 6502) on April 16, 2007. It had simple instructions I could understand and it worked! At least this allows me to do a folder at a time instead of individual files.
AppleScript is an app to script applications, i.e. to send commands to them as long as they are “scriptable”.
Finder is pretty well scriptable.
You could do the following:
1) Open the Finder window with the folder that contains files you want to unlock. (Close all other Finder windows.)
2) Open the Script Editor. Easiest way is with Spotlight, typing "Scrip.." should suffice.
3) Make a new document.
4) Enter the following line:
tell application "Finder" to set locked of files of folder of Finder window 1 to false
5) Execute the script: Klick the button that looks like a "play"-button at the top of the Script Editor-window.
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Too late
but I am happy that you already found a solution!...And we still don't know what the origin of problem was!
How did so many folders get locked?
Forever a mystery now.
How did so many folders get locked?
Forever a mystery now.
Lock status disappears if you copy files to Dropbox/iCloud/similar. Then just paste from there back to where you started.