Your Mac contains files and folders where you go on personal data and documents. In guild to protect your files and keep them secure from prying eyes, you lot can use a password or other means of encrypting the files, but there'south a default way that's built into macOS for that.

Disk permissions (or directory permissions) on macOS are designed to prevent other users and certain programs from opening files on your Mac and modifying them without permission. This way, you can rest easy knowing your files and folders are secure.

If yous're having trouble with disk permissions on your Mac, this guide explains how to fix or repair disk permissions in macOS.

What Are Permissions in macOS and How Do They Work?

Permissions in macOS command the user accounts that tin can access the files or folders on your Mac. You can change the permission settings in Finder at the bottom of the Info window for a file, folder or disk.

For example, yous can change folder permission settings such that other users on your Mac who connect to information technology for file sharing can only view but non modify the files in the folders.

The permissions, which consist of read, write and execute activities, tin can be edited by three types of users: the owner, a grouping, and everyone using the figurer.

As the owner of the figurer, yous tin can utilize permissions to define separate rules for yourself, a group, or every user. These permissions include file or binder sharing, file admission rights, and system integrity.

How to View File System Permissions on macOS

Viewing file organisation permissions isn't limited to the owner of the calculator. Anyone else can view the file and binder permissions through the Finder app's Info window also.

To see permissions of a file or folder:

  1. Right-click the file or folder and select Get Info from the context menu.
  1. Select Sharing & Permissions to aggrandize the permissions.
  1. You'll find 3 different types of users in the permission fields: Owner, group, and everyone.
  • Possessor: The creator of the item or the person who copied it to the computer.
  • Group: A set of joined user accounts whose permissions use to all members.
  • Everyone: Defines access for anyone including invitee, local, and sharing users.
  1. Side by side to each user account, you'll come across permissions such equally Read, Read and Write, Execute, or No access.
  • Read permissions: Allow the user or group members just to open up a file or browse a list of items in a folder. They cannot relieve any changes to the file or folder.
  • Write permissions: Allow the user or group members to change or delete the file or binder.
  • Execute permissions: For a file this means the user tin execute the file if it's a script or programme. Files that aren't a script or program shouldn't have the execute permission enabled. For a folder, information technology means the user can open up the folder and see the files then long every bit the read permission is enabled.

Why Y'all Should Repair Disk Permissions in macOS

The files and folders on your Mac each have an associated set of permissions. In addition, nearly of the things you install in your Mac are installed from package files, which also store other files that don't take too much space on your hard disk.

Within the package file are Nib of Materials files (.bom), which contain a list of files that the bundle has installed and the permissions for each file.

However, these file permissions tin can be modified, especially when y'all're installing and uninstalling apps on your Mac. When the permissions are affected, programs on your Mac may alter and modify files, which could finish up causing all sorts of system bug like freezing, lagging or crashing, and permission errors.

If yous notice some strange changes in your Mac's performance or apps aren't working right, you should beginning by troubleshooting the disk permissions.

 Fortunately, if your Mac is running macOS Mojave x.14 or newer versions, any new apps added to your Mac will ask for permission to utilise some features. If you deny these permissions, the apps may not part properly, but information technology increases privacy and security for your data.

Fixing or repairing disk permissions in macOS ensures that your operating system can access or modify particular files. For example, disc permissions ensure that y'all tin start upward your Mac, log into your account, print or launch apps, and more.

Repairing disk permissions on macOS besides ensures that detail files have the right permissions to preclude unauthorized access past apps or users that shouldn't be meddling with those files.

How to Set or Repair Permissions in macOS

Repairing permissions is a standard Mac troubleshooting tip that appears to solve many rare types of problems on macOS. All the same, the choice disappeared from the Deejay Utility app after the release of Os X El Capitan 10.xi.

Apple tree replaced the feature with System Integrity Protection (SIP), which prevents potentially malicious software from accessing of import files on your figurer.

Yous can still repair disk permissions in macOS as the option is now part of First Assist, which bundles several deportment together that resolve different issues related to the disk drive.

Here's how to check and repair the deejay volume for any errors:

  1. Select Get > Utilities > Disk Utility to open Disk Utility.
  1. Next, select your kicking volume in the left pane.
  1. Select Get-go Aid in the Deejay Utility toolbar at the top right side of the window.
  1. Confirm that you selected the right drive, so select Run to commencement the disk repair process. Select Proceed if you arrive the alert message popup.

While the repair process is in progress, your Mac won't respond to any input, which is normal and expected. This happens because macOS needs to clarify the drive's contents correctly only it won't have more than a few minutes to consummate.

Once the repair process is completed, you'll get a report that displays everything the process achieved. If there are whatsoever serious errors, you'll exist notified of the issues it finds.

Reset Permissions for the Habitation Folder

The Habitation folder on your Mac is your user folder, which contains several other folders you access frequently like Desktop, Applications, Documents, Downloads and more.

Here'due south how to reset permissions for the Dwelling folder to repair disk permissions.

  1. Select Become > Home.
  1. Next, select File > Go Info.
  1. Select Sharing & Permissions to view the folder's permissions. If the Sharing & Permissions section isn't open, select the pointer to expand it.
  1. Next, select the Lock button.
  1. Enter your admin name and countersign.
  1. Select the Action carte du jour > Apply to enclosed items.
  1. Next, select OK to complete the permissions reset process. A progress bar volition announced at the pinnacle of the window and the changes will be reflected throughout the Domicile folder.
  1. Once the progress bar completes, select Become > Utilities > Last to open up Terminal.
  1. Type or paste this command: diskutil resetUserPermissions / ` id -u` to reset permissions on the root volume (/) to the current user ID.
  1. When the procedure completes, quit Final, and restart your Mac to effect the changes.

What to Do If You Get the Mistake 69841 While Resetting Permissions on a Mac

Sometimes resetting the user permission on the root volume may non go as planned. You may get the "error 69841 permissions reset on user dwelling directory failed" message. If yous become this error, here's what to practice depending on your macOS version.

On macOS Mojave or newer versions

  1. Select Apple menu > Organization Preferences > Security & Privacy.
  1. Next, select the Privacy tab, select the Lock icon and enter your admin proper name and password.
  1. Select the Total Disk Access tab and then select the Add (+) button.
  1. Search for Terminal and add information technology to Full Deejay Access.
  1. Open up Last and paste or type this command: chflags -R nouchg ~. Press Return.
  1. Side by side, type diskutil resetUserPermissions / `id -u\` and press the Render central.
  1. Restart your Mac to upshot the changes.

On macOS High Sierra or Before Versions

Unlike macOS Mojave or later versions, you don't need to add together Terminal to Total Disk Admission in macOS High Sierra or earlier versions before resolving the mistake 69841 on your Mac.

  1. Open up Terminal and enter chflags -R nouchg ~.
  1. Next, type diskutil resetUserPermissions / ìd -u` and press Return.
  1. Restart your Mac to event the changes.

Keep Your Mac in Good Shape

Fixing or repairing deejay permissions in macOS should be done only if you suspect that y'all have file or folder permission issues, especially if you install and delete software ofttimes. That said, you need to be conscientious about the software you download to your reckoner.

Nosotros have other guides that can assistance y'all fix issues with your Mac such every bit when Bluetooth isn't working on your figurer, Mac camera isn't working or your Mac won't get to sleep.

Were you able to ready or repair disk permissions using the steps in this guide? Tell u.s.a. almost it in a comment below.