[rotuts]

Hello
for some reason from time to time my main HD gets "Locked", and I can't write to it, the little pencil with the slash through it on the upper left.

I can't create a new folder, etc. but I can create a folder on the desktop and move it over to the HD sometime I have to give the computre the admin password etc

why does this happen? is there a way to easily correct it from the HD or desk top? I think Id in the past have to boot from some other source, ie an external HD with an OS on it and then repair the permissions on the main HD from that other source.

is there an easier way to do this or some way to prevent this?

cheers and thanks

rotuts

[Apfhex]

The Desktop is just a directory on your HD. If your /whole/ HD were locked, you'd have a lot more problems.

Sounds to me like you're in a directory or directories that you don't have permission to modify. Get Info on the folder and you can change the permissions for it, just make sure that it's what you want to do (some things in OS X are locked for a reason! Don't touch System files, etc.).

[rotuts]

Apf:

that's exactly my problem: permision to write. it seems to happen after i download and add a new progam. Its for the whole main HD. I went to 'info' and it indeed on ownership etc it says read onlyu and thats Not highlighted so I don't konw how to change it back to the regular

any clues?

cheers

rotuts

[Apfhex]

That's strange. First, have you tried Repair Permissions from Disk Utility? I would think that would fix such an obvious permissions error.

Otherwise, when you Get Info on whatever location you want to change the permissions of... expand the "Ownership & Permissions" area, then "Details", and click on the little lock icon. Enter your admin password and then you can change them. (FYI on my system, under Details I have Owner: System, Access: Read & Write, followed by Group: Admin, Access: Read & Write)

[rotuts]

Apf:

thanks I didn't get an email notice of your reply, but cheched anyway and found the infor about the "details" section. I didn't know about that seciton. i did as you siggested and things now work fine. don't know about the email notification thought!

cheers rotuts