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When attempting to create a new folder on my desktop, I'm met with a prompt that says, "The operation can't be completed. An unexpected error occurred (error code -8072). I'm not sure if this is related, but when accessing Finder, the "Documents" tab under favorites is also missing, as if it were deleted.
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.7
If you're seeing error code -8072 when trying to create a folder on your desktop, it’s usually a minor permissions issue or a small problem with your Mac’s file system. Plus, the missing "Documents" folder in Finder could be linked to this as well. No worries, we’ll walk through a few simple steps to get things back to normal.
First, let’s try fixing your drive permissions with Disk Utility. Head to Applications, then Utilities, and open Disk Utility. Select your main drive (probably named Macintosh HD), click First Aid, and let it check for any issues. Once it's done, restart your Mac. If Finder is acting up, resetting it might help. Open Terminal (also in Utilities) and type this: defaults delete com.apple.finder; killall Finder. This will reset Finder to its default settings and might bring back that missing Documents folder.
Next, check your desktop folder permissions. Right-click on the Desktop, select Get Info, scroll to Sharing & Permissions, and make sure you have Read & Write access. If something seems off, click the little lock to fix it. To get the Documents folder back in Finder’s sidebar, just go to Finder > Preferences, and under the Sidebar tab, check the box next to Documents.
If Finder is still being stubborn, you can try deleting its settings. Open Terminal and type: rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist; killall Finder. This will force Finder to create fresh settings. You can also check for disk issues by restarting your Mac and holding Command + S to enter Single User Mode. Once there, type /sbin/fsck -fy. If it finds any issues, run it again until everything looks good.
If none of these steps work, you could also try resetting your Mac’s NVRAM/PRAM by restarting and holding Option + Command + P + R right after it starts. Hold it until the system restarts again. Another quick test is creating a new user account through System Preferences > Users & Groups to see if the error persists there.
The problem maybe as simple as Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive)
How can I fix "error code -8072"?
