mac os26.0.1:
Trying to update my Affinity apps, their dialogue box says "Update Error! Affinity Publisher 2 can't be updated if it's running from the location it was downloaded to."
Looking at my Mac HD in Finder I find that all of my apps are on the main Macintosh HD level, none in the Apps folder in my User folder.
How did this happen and how can I rectify it without breaking something?
Mac mini, macOS 26.0
It's normal for Applications to be installed in the System-level apps folder, not the user's folder. The error that you see is most likely because Affinity Publisher 2 is open/running on your Mac, if so you cannot update it so quit the app and try again.
FWIW, the only 'app' in my ~/Applications folder is Open App 2 and that's a shortcut that I inadvertently created when fiddling with the Shortcuts app.
It's normal for Applications to be installed in the System-level apps folder, not the user's folder. The error that you see is most likely because Affinity Publisher 2 is open/running on your Mac, if so you cannot update it so quit the app and try again.
FWIW, the only 'app' in my ~/Applications folder is Open App 2 and that's a shortcut that I inadvertently created when fiddling with the Shortcuts app.
What’s happening here is macOS has tightened app permissions and sandboxing, and some installers or drag-and-drop actions can end up putting apps at the root of the drive instead of your Applications folder.
Affinity apps check for the standard location, so they refuse to update if they’re “misplaced.”
The fix is simple, quit the app, drag it into your user or system Applications folder (whichever you normally use), and then run the updater.
macOS will handle the permissions automatically, and nothing will break, just make sure you don’t leave duplicates at the root level.
Follow-up:
After a back-and-forth with Affinity, and still not being able to update the apps, I shifted to Brave browser, the apps downloaded, and I was able to update.
I had used Orion and Safari without success. I still don't know exactly what that was all about, and I don't feel a need to know. Just glad the weirdness is over.
Thanks for the advices.
Frabjusday wrote:
Looking at my Mac HD in Finder I find that all of my apps are on the main Macintosh HD level, none in the Apps folder in my User folder.
How did this happen and how can I rectify it without breaking something?
That's the standard configuration.
You can create an Applications folder in your home directory, and it will even get the little apps icon automatically. But few people do that. You can put applications virtually anywhere you want.
I wouldn't recommend putting any apps in any folder that is connected to a cloud sync service. That could corrupt the app signatures.
Thanks again. I wondered about that, as I received and accepted an invitation to something about "creative freedom", coming October 31.
Meanwhile, I have Affinity 2.5.5, and TidBITS says 2.6.4 is available.
It's not urgent that I update, so I'll wait.
iamshivam wrote:
What’s happening here is macOS has tightened app permissions and sandboxing, and some installers or drag-and-drop actions can end up putting apps at the root of the drive instead of your Applications folder.
This is most definitely not happening.
Thanks. That eases my mind somewhat. Still can't update Affinity apps.
Related? The Affinity 2 apps are gone from the Mac App Store, ahead (presumably) of new versions being teased on their website for 30-Oct.
Glad you got it sorted!
macos 26 apps moved to main drive from user folder?
