Files can't be Saved because they are Locked...but they're NOT!

Thanks for that.

Safe Mode made no difference. Should I do it repeatedly?

iCloud Drive was indeed turned on and I unchecked it after checking the contents online. This change did not improve the situation.

Anything else I should try on my IntelMac?

Well... after I created the new Admin, logged out as me and logged in as New Me - the Desktop was clear! None of the problem files or Folders were there - or anywhere I could reach.

What did I miss?

Here's something I should have mentioned. A new TextEdit (or .Key or .Pages) document saved to the Desktop doesn't lock me out. In fact - when I'm prevented from saving a file I'm working on either on the Desktop or in a Folder on there - my goofy workaround is that I duplicate or Save As with a different name and put it on the Desktop. That dupe file is fine. The original won't have any changes saved.

I hope that's another hint.

Thanks BDAqua -

Once I was logged into the new account I was able to create, edit, save TextEdit, Key and Pages files onto that Desktop with no glitches. I logged out and back into the new account and was able to edit and save those same files with no problems.

So this seems to effect only SOME files/folders on the Desktop. Documents I've created in the last day or so seem to behave correctly. Yet I have folders full of files on the Desktop that are not.

What do you advise?

First - there are 4 other devices using iCloud Drive.

Next - I've been doing Get Info on all the bad files and folders for days. In every case I've seen NO checked boxes for Locked or Shared, and I've always had Read & Write Permission - and that has not changed today.

Finally - Terminal returned an empty prompt after about 8 seconds. I ran it twice (hope thats okay).

It's funny that files/folders which are not locked are behaving like they are.

I even viewed Info on the Desktop folder - same info. In all cases under Sharing & Permissions there is (Me), everyone, and "Fetching..." - which never seems to resolve. And "Fetching..." has R&W Permissions.

Is this significant?

OK. Thanks for that.

I turned iCloud Drive off earlier in our exchange so that should prevent more files from getting corrupted. Right?

When I logged into iCloud Drive online recently there were actually only 4 Pages files and one Keynote there, and they were over a year old. I emptied all those folders and even trashed the files from Recently Deleted.

What steps are next?

Is there a fix for all these corrupted files/folders besides some manual, one-by-one workaround?

Thanks for all your help anyway.

You bet.