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Lost Files During Profile Move
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: NE PA
Status: Offline
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Oct 17, 2006, 03:10 PM
 
Just to let you know I am new to Macs. I began using them this past Mar '06 and then more intensly this past Sept '06 when I was given a Powerbook G4.

My question deals with lost or missing files I moved in the attempt to repair a corrupt profile. I'll start from the begining. The user could not print any websites via Safari or Firefox. So I attempt to use Mac HelpMate to fix possible issues as well as reset the permissions. This did not help. So I created a new user and logged in as it. The new user was able to print webpages I visited so I thought lets create a new profile. I created the new profile and I attempted to move the users files (over 30GB, she does graphic design) to a new profile. When the unit would not move all of the files (yes the user was an adminstrator) I decided I need greater permissions. So I logged in as root to move the files. This moved the files but when logging in as the user she was not able to view the files even after a repair permssions run. I logged back in as Root, but he could not change the permissions on the files via "get info". So I decided to go back to the original setup. This is where the problems really being.

From here I moved all of the files back, but when I logged in as the user they were not visible. Nor are they visible as the root. It is as if the files vanished. I did not see them in any trash bin. Spotlight did not find them either. Tomorrow when I go back in I plan to make hidden files visible (using Mac HelpMate) to see if I can find them.

Can anyone direct me to a way to find these files so that I can restore them for the user? Any advise or direction would be helpful.

Sick to my Stomach in PA,
Wesley
     
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Newport News, VA USA
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Oct 17, 2006, 08:03 PM
 
The problem when you copied the files over as root is that the files essentially belonged to root after that.

Best bet would be to delete the user from the Accounts System Preferences pane. I believe (or at least it used to) when you do this a disk image of the account is created. You can then mount that disk image as the new admin user and copy the files without having to worry about permissions.

Repairing permissions in Disk Utility does not fix general file permissions. I'll leave that to someone who can explain it better (properly). Paging CharlesS...

edit: Here's an article that briefly describes what Repair Permissions does - Daring Fireball: Seriously, 'Repair Permissions' Is Voodoo
     
   
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