MacOS error: "The folder ... can't be opened because you don't have permission to see its contents." MacOS error: "The folder ... can't be opened because you don't have permission to see its contents."

MacOS error: "The folder ... can't be opened because you don't have permission to see its contents."

Myron Myron

Error reading files from Restore

When viewing the contents of a USB Restore drive, you may get an error that says:

"The folder ... can’t be opened because you don’t have permission to see its contents."

 

permissionserror.png

 

Re-enable MacOS permissions for folder

 

1. Open folder's Info panel


Follow these steps to open the Info panel:

  1. Right-click the folder icon
  2. Select "Get Info" from the menu
  3. When the folder's info panel appears, make sure the "Sharing & Permissions" section is expanded

 

getinfo2.png

 

2. Manually set your account privileges

  1. In the table under Sharing & Permissions, you should see your current account listed at the top of the Names column with "(Me)" written next to it
  2. Click on the corresponding dropdown selector in the Privileges column and select "Read & Write"

 

3. Enable restricted permissions

If enabling "Read & Write" privileges in the previous step does not fully resolve the issue, you can try enabling and applying other restricted options by following these steps:

  1. In the lower right corner of the Info panel, click on the padlock icon to enable editing of restricted settings
  2. Enter your MacOS account password to unlock
  3. Click on the "gear" or "circle with 3 dots" dropdown icon to reveal additional options
  4. In some cases you may see "Apply to enclosed items" or "Make acctname (Me) the Owner"

 

getinfo-unlock-settings2.png