I have macOS Big Sur. I want to create a new folder in my HD but the “new folder” option is greyed out. If i go to “My Documents “ the “new folder” option is NOT greyed out. Im totally puzzled and haven’t a clue what to do. I am the Administrator by the way.
PS I tried Shift+Command+N and it didn’t work.
MacBook Pro 13″, OS X 10.11
yvesp wrote:
I have macOS Big Sur. I want to create a new folder in my HD but the “new folder” option is greyed out. If i go to “My Documents “ the “new folder” option is NOT greyed out. Im totally puzzled and haven’t a clue what to do. I am the Administrator by the way.
PS I tried Shift+Command+N and it didn’t work.
Macintosh HD is write protected.
Your user data is in your User/Home folder and all sub directories— is your r/w access including new folder.
Compare your results on the Desktop...Shift Command N
since Catalina this is the new way—
ref: About the read-only system volume - Apple Support...
About the read-only system volume in macOS Catalina - Apple Support
ref:
Folders that come with your Mac - Apple Support
Get to know the Finder on your Mac
Get to know the Finder on your Mac - Apple Support
See and organize your files in the Finder on Mac - Apple ...
Organize your files in the Finder on Mac - Apple Support
Go to a specific Folder
Go directly to a specific folder on Mac - Apple Support
yvesp wrote:
And what is: User/Home folder and all sub directories?
If i go to “My Documents “ the “new folder” option is NOT greyed out
I cannot create a New Folder in my Movie folder because the option is greyed out.
I believe you need to read all those links provided above if you are at a loss...if you are new to macOS.
The Finder, the Home Folder are fundamental to the OS X, macOS going way back.
Finder>Preferences>Sidebar>Home Folder This is your user "Macintosh HD - Data" includes all your sub directories including your Movies folder...
If you click open your Home Folder you should see the entirety of your r/w sub directories...no(?)
And what happens if you create a new folder on the Desktop...You did not answer that question. Try dragging that new folder to your Movies directory as a test...(?)
If you have a permissions issue try running Disk Utility>First Aid
Boot into Internet Recovery (Option Command R) and from the dropdown menu: Utilities> Disk Utility> run the First Aid on your Macintosh HD (and the "Macintosh HD-Data" volume as well if Catalina/Big Sur/Monterey) If errors are found and repaired, run again until no errors reported.
Disk Utility>View>Show All Devices The best sequence is —
Volume level
Container level
Parent drive
How to repair a Mac disk with Disk Utility
How to repair a Mac disk with Disk Utility - Apple Support
How to reinstall macOS
Recovery (both M1 and Intel) — How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support
yvesp wrote:
I go to my home ypeltier in finder and everywhere in my home ypeltier the “New Folder” is greyed out. Wasn’t this supposed to be the area where i could use “New Folder”
The only place where “New Folder” is NOT greyed out is in my “Icloud” “Desktop” and “Documents”. There i can make new folder. I did create a new folder in my documents and dragged it in my home ypeltier “movie” folder and it worked. But that is no way to run a show. I have to go through hoops to do something that should be otherwise simple.
You do not say if there was a new Mac involved or not..
"updating to Big Sur from High Sierra... "
It seems your permission have become borked.. there are various methods, look these over:
You can try—
You can start over and try again from Recovery, reinstall the macOS
Recover: About macOS Recovery on Intel-based Mac computers - Apple Support
It maybe possible from Recovery to sort this on the fly:
Boot into Recovery (command R) When the macOS Utilities screen opens, from the menu bar>Utilities> Terminal.app
In the Terminal type:
resetpassword
Press return.
A Reset Password window will open—Please note—you are NOT going to reset a password.
Select the boot volume "Macintosh HD," if not already selected.
Select your username from the menu labeled Select your user account
See the:
Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs, click the Reset button. Select
Now from the menu bar >Restart
Repairing permissions in your Home folder has changed
Change permissions for files, folders, or disks on Mac - Apple Support
https://eclecticlight.co/2020/02/18/repairing-permissions-in-your-home-folder-has-changed
Apple has changed resetting permissions again
https://eclecticlight.co/2020/03/28/apple-has-changed-resetting-permissions-again/
Change permissions for files, folders, or disks on Mac - Apple Support
yvesp wrote:
thank you leeroydouglas
there is NO new mac involved i simply updated my Macbook early 2016 from High Sierra to Big Sur (which was a big mistake).
i tried to reinstall High Sierra but i was getting an error message that High Sierra was a macos too old to be installed over Big Sur.
i thank you very much for your advices but this Recovery thing is above my competency. Im really scare to mess things up. I wouldn’t know where to start. I did keep a backup of my mac when it was with High Sierra but I wouldn’t know what to do with. When it comes to the level of OS im useless and scare to make things worse.
thank you very much for your help leeroydouglas.
With a TM back up you erase the your current Mac of Big Sur if that is what you want, reinstall the macOS, restore your user.
See if there is anything here—
How to downgrade your Mac from macOS Big Sur back to ...
downgrade from Big Sur to Sierra or High … - Apple Community
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/downgrade-macos-version/
this HT Revert your Mac to a previous macOS version - does not apply beyond Catalina
Revert your Mac to a previous macOS version - Apple Support
if you need one on one help—
Call Customer Support (800) MY–APPLE (800–692–7753)
or on line Apple Support
I go to my home ypeltier in finder and everywhere in my home ypeltier the “New Folder” is greyed out. Wasn’t this supposed to be the area where i could use “New Folder”
The only place where “New Folder” is NOT greyed out is in my “Icloud” “Desktop” and “Documents”. There i can make new folder. I did create a new folder in my documents and dragged it in my home ypeltier “movie” folder and it worked. But that is no way to run a show. I have to go through hoops to do something that should be otherwise simple.
thank you for answering so quickly. Im not an engineer so I didn’t understand a thing apart from the fact I can’t write to my HD. Im confuse how am i going to use my HD if I can’t write to it?
And what is: User/Home folder and all sub directories?
I have downloaded some new material to edit and i need to put this new material in my “Movie” folder but first i have to create a New Folder to put all these newly downloaded files in my Movie folder. And I cannot create a New Folder in my Movie folder because the option is greyed out.
Thank you
PS I really regret updating to Big Sur from High Sierra. It shouldn’t be that complicated, that’s what i loved about Apple, it used to be simple.
thank you leeroydouglas
there is NO new mac involved i simply updated my Macbook early 2016 from High Sierra to Big Sur (which was a big mistake).
i tried to reinstall High Sierra but i was getting an error message that High Sierra was a macos too old to be installed over Big Sur.
i thank you very much for your advices but this Recovery thing is above my competency. Im really scare to mess things up. I wouldn’t know where to start. I did keep a backup of my mac when it was with High Sierra but I wouldn’t know what to do with. When it comes to the level of OS im useless and scare to make things worse.
thank you very much for your help leeroydouglas.
I would love to get rid of Big Sur, it brought me only problems. I tried to go down to Catalina, Mojave and High Sierra and with every single one of them i got a message saying the the OSs I was trying to install were too old. It seems i cannot go back from Big Sur. As far as the Time Machine backup that contains High Sierra, I wouldn’t know what to do with it, I haven’t a clue how to use it and not make a mess of things. Do you know where i could find a step by step way to reinstall my High Sierra from my Time machine back up. All my problems started the day i install the Big Sur.
thank you leeroydouglas you’ve been very patient.
By the way leeroy douglas i use the disk utility first aid and didn’t make any difference, same problem.
ps I didn’t get to disk utility from recovery i got to DU from lauchpad.
My “New Folder” option is Greyed out