Help with Documents folder

2017 iMac with Big Sur 11.6.2. I discovered today that my documents folder was empty? Not sure how this has happened. I tried to recover the info from my TM backup, for some reason this would not restore.


I then copied the TM documents folder to my desktop and drag and dropped the files into a new documents folder as the original folder would not accept 'incoming'.


The original folder is 'locked" and will not delete. This is not a big issue and perhaps is not a wise move.


After a bit of searching around I found that if I went to the Apple Menu, then about this Mac, then storage, then manage - my "Empty Documents Folder" is there in all it's glory with the data files in it.


The question is: how do I get the original Documents Folder back so that it viewable in the normal manner?


Once that is sorted I can delete the info I put into the new documents folder I created.


FYI I do not use iCloud for my documents folder, I checked.


Update: On checking the folder with 'Get Info" it says - You Have No Known Access.......



Posted on Feb 16, 2022 06:04 AM

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Posted on Feb 16, 2022 01:05 PM

I have resolved this by re-starting my Mac, perhaps I should have tried this sooner, so apologies.


Have checked Get Info, I now have Sharing & Permissions restored. Probably will never know what kicked this off and it will remain a puzzle. My thanks for your attempts to resolve this for me.



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7 replies

Feb 16, 2022 07:29 AM in response to Peter Bovis

It appears that, for some reason, your Documents folder may have become hidden.


You can confirm this easily: go to your home folder (pressing Command-Shift-H is a shortcut for this in the Finder).

Normally, you should see Documents, as well as Music, Movies, Pictures, etc.

From what you are saying, I expect that you won't see Documents there.


Now press Command-Shift-period to make Finder show hidden files and folders. Do you see Documents now, in grey?

If so, here is what to do:


open Terminal, and paste the following line:


chflags nohidden ~/Documents




You can press Command-Shift-period in the Finder again to reverse the showing of hidden items.

Feb 16, 2022 08:41 AM in response to Peter Bovis

Peter Bovis wrote:

No not for documents, I rely on TM and other back ups.


It may not be your case, but a lot of people, in the course of upgrading, can unwitting answer "yes" to a question that leads to having the Documents folder, and the Desktop folder, to be put in the iCloud Drive. Just to be sure... did you click in iCloud Drive, in a Finder window Sidebar, to confirm if there is a "Documents" folder there?


erhaps it's something to do with this:

Update: On checking the folder with 'Get Info" it says - You Have No Known Access.......


Can you please confirm what it says exactly? Are you sure it does not say "You have custom access"?



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Help with Documents folder

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