Permissions Reset Icon

Getting Started with Permissions Reset

Welcome to Permissions Reset, this simple FREE application was developed to solve one of the most annoying problems with Mac OS X computers, Permissions problems. So many times these security features have gotten in the way, problems can range from not being able to save work right through to applications misbehaving and/or crashing. Below we've listed the most common three uses of Permissions Reset, and how to use Permissions Reset to solve these problems.

Can't Read or Write files in my own Documents folder.

This is a nasty little problem that can cause some applications to misbehave and crash (as they expect you to be able to read and write to your own Documents folder!). It can also be frustrating if you need to update a file in your documents folder and you simply cannot do anything to it, not even delete it.

The solution:

  1. Open Permissions Reset and select "Open Folder..." from the "File" menu.
  2. Click "Documents" in the left hand list and then the "Choose" button.
  3. The Permissions Reset Window, should look like the above, some of the information may be different.
  4. Click the "Reset" button, you may be asked for your password, if so then enter your password.
  5. Upon completion, the information should change and the last line should read "You can read & write".
  6. If it doesn't work first time around, try clicking the "Reset" button again.

Can't update a file

Sometimes when sharing files with others, they ask you to make a change to a file and send it back. So you open it up, make your changes and then go to save. The application then tells you that it can't save, it might say why - then again it might not. So you end up saving it another file and then sending that one back! Those days are gone.

The Solution:

  1. Open Permissions Reset and then either drag the offending file into the window or use the "Open" command on the "File" menu to select the offending blighter.
    2. IconLocked
  2. There you see that, the last line... "You can read", one click on "Reset" and it becomes "You can read & write", I can now save the changes I made.

I've downloaded an application and it's not acting right

Sometimes these things happen whereby the wrong permissions get attached to not only a file, but whole applications! For example if an application isn't showing it's icon, or when you open it nothing happens, or even worse it just generates error after error. You can try it in Permissions Reset, no harm if it doesn't work.

The Solution:

  1. Open Permissions Reset and then drag the offending application into the window.
    2. fudgedApplication
  2. hmm... There is nothing out of the ordinary here, let's try it anyway. Click on "Reset"
    3. fixedapp
  3. What do you know, the icon now shows up and best of all the application now opens!